Better Off Wed: An Annabelle Archer Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Laura Durham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2005

The murder of a particularly difficult mother-of-the-bride has cast a pall on wedding planner Annabelle Archer's latest triumph -- and suspicion falls heavily on her sometime-business partner and friend Richard Gerard. Annabelle knows that even her trusted wedding emergency kit won't be able to salvage their careers if she and Richard can't find the real culprit.

It's no easy task since the slain matron was perhaps the most hated socialite in D.C., but Annabelle navigates through the city's colorful wedding industry and powerful social scene on the deadly trail of a killer. Always the bridal consultant and never the bride, she's seen her fair share of bouquet tosses. But there's no telling what surprises a ruthless killer will throw her way if she gets too close.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Laura Durham’s BETTER OFF WED is a delightfully witty blend of murder and matrimony. Highly recommended!” (Donna Andrews, Agatha Award winning author of MURDER WITH PEACOCKS )

“Cozy mystery lovers should briskly march up their bookstore aisles to grab hold of BETTER OFF WED.” (Susan McBride, author of BLUE BLOOD )

About the Author

Laura Durham has been named Washington, D.C.'s top wedding planner for the past three years by Washingtonian magazine, has been featured in numerous national wedding magazines, and is the author of a wedding planning guide. After graduating from Duke University and stumbling into wedding planning nearly ten years ago, she's lost count of the number of weddings she's planned. So far, though, no one has been murdered at any of them. She is the author of two previous mysteries featuring Annabelle Archer: Better Off Wed, which won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, and For Better or Hearse.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060738316
• ISBN-13: 978-0060738310
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #764,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Durham is the author of "For Better Or Hearse" and "Better Off Wed," the first two novels in the Annabelle Archer mystery series from Avon. Like her protagonist, Laura is a professional wedding planner in Washington, D.C. who has planned some of the city's most extravagant weddings and dealt with some of the world's most neurotic brides.

She was inspired to write Better Off Wed because of an overwhelming desire to kill a particularly unpleasant Mother-of-the-Bride, or MOB. Realizing that actually doing the deed would be bad for business, she settled for writing murder instead. The resulting fictionalized expose of the Washington wedding industry has been called "the perfect mixture of mirth and murder."

Laura attended Duke University on a full writing scholarship, graduating in 1993 with a degree in English. Laura's first job out of school was with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill first as a manuscript reader, then as a publicity assistant, and finally as an editor.

After relocating to Washington, D.C. and realizing that editing government documents wasn't her cup of tea, Laura began planning weddings with lots of enthusiasm and little experience. She started at the bottom of the bridal heap, even doing a memorable wedding outside a prison yard, before working her way up the ladder to become one of the most sought after society wedding planners in the city.

Laura is currently the owner of the D.C. based Engaging Affairs, Inc. and has planned over 400 weddings since she started the company in 1996. She was voted DC's top wedding planner in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Washingtonian magazine and has been featured in numerous wedding publications throughout the country.

Despite a busy writing and touring schedule (and a new baby), she keeps one foot in the bridal business because her real wedding experiences continue to be the inspiration for her books. True brides are always stranger than fiction!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes!, February 1, 2005

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better Off Wed: An Annabelle Archer Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Thought your wedding was to die for? Annabelle Archer discovered THIS wedding was, at least for the mother of the bride. But when it comes to finding a suspect, it is like wading through a crowd. The victim has a mile long list of enemies!

When Annabelle and her friend, Richard, become the prime suspects things get a little desperate. Follow Annabelle, Richard, and Kate (the assistant) try to solve this complex murder and put the real enemy behind bars.

***** I laughed all the way through this mystery novel! Would I recommend this to mystery fans? OH YEAH! The author keeps readers guessing, yet also provides some hilarious comedy scenes. This is an author to keep an eye on. *****

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great First Novel, March 27, 2005

By 

LuvsCozies - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better Off Wed: An Annabelle Archer Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

What a wonderful first novel! It was witty, fun and hard to put down (I read it in two days). I laughed out loud many times as I followed wedding planner Annabelle Archer through her life as wedding planner and amateur sleuth. Add in her colorful sidekicks, Kate and Richard, and her quirky neighbor Leatrice, and this new series is a winner. Of course, no cozy would be complete without a hunky cop and Laura doesn't let us down with Detective Reese. I'm really looking forward to the next in the series.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Debut of a Wedding Planner Turned Sleuth, August 13, 2005

By 

L. Kelly (Lakewood, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Better Off Wed: An Annabelle Archer Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

"Better Off Wed" introduces the delightful character of Annabelle Archer, a Washington D.C. wedding planner. In this debut mystery, Annabelle is stunned to find the body of the mother-of-the bride at her daughter's wedding reception. The police quickly determine that the curmudgeonly Mrs. Pierce was poisoned, and Annabelle's friend and caterer, Richard, becomes the prime suspect. The bossy Mrs. Pierce was universally despised in Washington society, though, so Annabelle and Richard, along with Annabelle's assistant Kate and nosy neighbor Leatrice go to work to find the real murderer and clear Richard's name.

The characters in this story were wonderful and funny. In addition to Annabelle, Richard, Kate, and Leatrice, I really enjoyed the secondary character of Fern the hairdresser. Annabelle and crew pay a visit at Fern's shop to get the lowdown on the latest gossip. I also thoroughly enjoyed the background of the wedding planning industry, and I found the excesses of the society weddings amazing and amusing.

The solution to the mystery was a bit hurried at the end. I look forward to the second story in this series, and I hope that all the great characters will be back.