The Wedding Plot is a wonderful little cozy mystery for fans of the genre. It centers around a family wedding, a goat farm, and of course, the mystery itself.
The best part of the book was the main character, Mercy and her retired military dog, Elvis. Mercy was strong and independent, but also knew the value of asking others for help when the time was right. Her interactions with her family during a time of such high stress (there are very few times that are more stressful in a family than a wedding) were interesting and entertaining. I loved the family dynamics that took to the foreground during the investigation.
The dynamics of the family life were enhanced by the changing point of view when they were experienced by the special person in Mercy’s life, Troy, the Wildlife Game Warden. When reading his point of view, some of the more confusing aspects of the family dynamic were solved. It was difficult at times to keep track of the characters simply because there were so many that had such complex relationships.
Every cozy mystery must revolve around a mystery (obviously) and this one had a big one. With a missing man and a body in the goat barn, Mercy had a very big job. While the mystery was fun in its complexity, it was also hard to follow. There were many moving parts that I felt some parts got pushed to the side, even when I was led to believe that it would be important.
The parts that got pushed to the side were a bit frustrating when I got to the end and there were still a few loose threads. The ending was dramatic and fit the family well, though it did feel abrupt and disjointed. I appreciated how much of Mercy’s past experience was put into her detection abilities.
Despite the few parts that I had a hard time following, I very much enjoyed reading The Wedding Plot and would love to read more from the author. I loved the writing style and the characters so much and am very interested in seeing where they go from here.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
The Novel Llama 