WOMS: A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder

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It’s been a while since I properly shared any book review, not since my review of a non-fiction piece a few weeks ago. That said, a WOMS post is long overdue. While earlier this year I did hint at an idea I’d been toying with to diversify my WOMS posts, unfortunately with all the holidays (both Jewish and not), going to a wedding in smoky Tennessee, and completing my “graduate” course work—it’s all gotten away from me.

(And I know I still owe y’all a final The Rings of Power review, and one other for Tolkien’s greatest work.)

For now, you’ll just have to make due with my review of Dianne Freeman’s A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, a Countess of Harleigh Mystery.

Before I dive into the details of this installment within the series, let me first state how utterly delightful Freeman’s Countess of Harleigh mysteries are. They are some of the best cosy mysteries to snuggle up with when you want to have a bit of murder before bed.

In her most recent installment, A Bride’s Guide, she has delivered that wit and humour I adore without fail yet again.

However, what I adored most about this particular book was how our idyllic main characters, Frances and George, are caught up with solving their latest case all whilst trying to get married! Not only does the murder occur AT their wedding, they must forestall their honeymoon for the sake of saving poor Frances’s brother from being Scotland Yard’s number one suspect.

Now, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this here before, but let me state now for the record how much I loathed planning my wedding. The wedding itself was exquisite, but the planning? As my husband and I continuously said to one another throughout the ordeal, “Please let’s promise to never do this again.”

I can only imagine what it would be like to have to solve a murder to save my brother from the hangman’s noose when he was arrested only hours after I took my nuptials! (An apt thought considering I will be celebrating the anniversary of said vows tomorrow.)

Worse, though, is how even after they are married, are fresh newlyweds, Frances and George are bombarded by so many demands of her family to rid themselves of this scandal and clear her brother’s good name. While I didn’t have a nagging family hanging around—because thankfully, we did get a honeymoon to enjoy—there is still the ache I have felt often in my new married life of learning how to navigate the needs of those outside our unit, our nucleus.

I don’t even want to think about what it would have been like to not have those ten days of blissful solitude with my new husband. To have no honeymoon at all is a shanda!

Surprisingly, I did figure out who the real murderer was rather quickly. Must be my own research for my current manuscript paying off so I can spot a red herring more easily, and not at all Freeman’s writing. She even had me doubting my own guess at times, but I was quite smug when I found out I was correct. I’m not sure I liked how quick the ending came, but it’s not something I’ve given much further thought.

As usual, though, Freeman’s humor was sharp. Her books always make me cackle or giggle. Their hilarity, especially Frances and George’s banter, is what keeps me picking up whatever installment comes next.

All in all, if you’re looking for an equally clever and romantic book full of the deadliest entertainment, look no further than Freeman’s A Bride’s Guide, or better yet, give the entire series a read! You won’t regret it.

What other cosy mysteries have you read recently that you enjoyed most? Let me know your favourites in the comments below!

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