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Saturday, March 16, 2024

A Country Wedding Murder by Katie Gayle - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: Julia Bird Mysteries #5

Buy Link on Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CLL1T12Qsocial

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201910596-a-country-wedding-murder 

Publication Date: 13th March 2024 

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

4.2 Stars 

One Liner: Such a fun read! 


Book Description:

The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers, and… murder?

When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn't love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.

The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck, and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.

Julia soon discovers Desmond has a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?

But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?

An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin, and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

***

My Thoughts: 

The story comes in Julia’s third-person POV. 

The book should work as a standalone, but I recommend reading book #1 to get a better idea. It will also help you see the character growth in Julia and understand her relationship and dynamic with her ex-husband. It is refreshing to read non-toxic relationships between exes. 

Christopher is a typical groom-zilla but still comes across as a sweetie. The poor guy wants his wedding to be perfect. Who can say no? 

Jess, Julia’s daughter, is visiting for the first time since Julia moved to Berrywick. Must say that I like Jess very much. She is the right mix of fun and serious, childish and mature, which makes her easy to connect with. 

Now, Jake, our adorable chocolate lab, should get a special mention. He is turning out to be a lover boy! In the last book, Jake gives all his attention to Henny Penny, the boss chicken. Now, he is mesmerized by Jess and can’t take his eyes off her. And with Jess pampering her Jakey boy, there’s no stopping him! 

Little Sebastian also makes a guest entry. I love this tail-less monkey who asks Jake if he is a good boy, lol. Leave the two alone for a few minutes, and there will be loads of cleaning up to do!

Julia and Hayley are becoming closer friends, even if Hayley wouldn’t admit it. Sean is a perfect partner, as always, being there for Julia without crowding her space and offering support without being loud. 

The mystery is solid. I like that Julia and the readers get the clues at the same time. This does make it tough when Julia takes time to connect the dots, but hey, readers have more sleuthing experience. The reveal, when it comes, seems a natural progression of the case and not something that appears out of nowhere. 

To summarize, A Country Wedding Murder is an entertaining and delightful mystery with dead bodies, food, sleuthing, suspects, laughter, and a touch of contemplation. The pacing is steady, which makes this a breezy read. Can’t wait for the next one! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #ACountryWeddingMurder

***

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg with their husbands, children, dogs, and cats. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

X: https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Katie Gayle here: https://www.bookouture.com/katie-gayle

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This has been a pitstop on the blog tour by Bookouture (@bookouture). Thank you for stopping by! 


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