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A Groom with a View (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 11)
 
 
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A Groom with a View (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 11) [Hardcover]

Jill Churchill (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)


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Book Description

October 5, 1999
Jane Jeffry is planning a wedding-but not her own. She's being paid handsomely to create the fabulous event the bride's rich daddy has always dreamed of. With the help of her friend Shelley, who thinks holding a ceremony at a remote, falling down old monastery-turned-hunt club sounds like a hoot, Jane makes plans to turn the moosehead-lined halls of the ancient abbey into a wedding wonderland.

The bride, an obedient daughter who runs Daddy's business while Daddy Dearest runs her life, has agreed to play her role in the socially expected extravaganza as long as someone else handles the details. So while the florist dresses up the ancient monks' cells for overnight guests, the caterer dishes up some prenuptial food and a seamstress puts the final stitches on the gowns for the bride and bridesmaids, Jane races to tie up all the details for the weekend celebration.

But before the wedding day arrives, a dark shadow falls over the hallowed halls. A violent storm has knocked the lights out and someone takes a slippery slide to sudden death. It looks like the victim had help falling down the stairs, and no one is above suspicion. There's a cranky old Uncle Joe, who lives at the lodge, a couple of demanding old aunts who arrive too early, a groom who could pass for a gigolo at a cheap casino, squabbling guests, rumors of an immense fortune hidden on the premises, and the florist is roaming around with a shovel and a greedy look in his eye.

Now, surrounded by eerie noises and a perfect cast of characters for a mystery on a dark and stormy night, Jane quickly steps into the role of investigator-before she's accused of ruining the bride's big day. But before she can supply the police with a motive for murder, the ceremony begins, and someone's idea of a fantasy wedding suddenly turns into a killer of an occasion.Jane Jeffry is planning a wedding-but not her own. She's being paid handsomely to create the fabulous event the bride's rich daddy has always dreamed of. With the help of her friend Shelley, who thinks holding a ceremony at a remote, falling down old monastery-turned-hunt club sounds like a hoot, Jane makes plans to turn the moosehead-lined halls of the ancient abbey into a wedding wonderland.

The bride, an obedient daughter who runs Daddy's business while Daddy Dearest runs her life, has agreed to play her role in the socially expected extravaganza as long as someone else handles the details. So while the florist dresses up the ancient monks' cells for overnight guests, the caterer dishes up some prenuptial food and a seamstress puts the final stitches on the gowns for the bride and bridesmaids, Jane races to tie up all the details for the weekend celebration.

But before the wedding day arrives, a dark shadow falls over the hallowed halls. A violent storm has knocked the lights out and someone takes a slippery slide to sudden death. It looks like the victim had help falling down the stairs, and no one is above suspicion. There's a cranky old Uncle Joe, who lives at the lodge, a couple of demanding old aunts who arrive too early, a groom who could pass for a gigolo at a cheap casino, squabbling guests, rumors of an immense fortune hidden on the premises, and the florist is roaming around with a shovel and a greedy look in his eye.

Now, surrounded by eerie noises and a perfect cast of characters for a mystery on a dark and stormy night, Jane quickly steps into the role of investigator-before she's accused of ruining the bride's big day. But before she can supply the police with a motive for murder, the ceremony begins, and someone's idea of a fantasy wedding suddenly turns into a killer of an occasion.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her 11th Jane Jeffry mystery (after The Merchant of Menace, 1998), Agatha Award-winner Churchill delivers another charming, if somewhat predictable, cozy. Looking to earn some extra money because her car is always having problems, widowed mom Jane takes on a job as wedding consultant to Livvy Thatcher, a young businesswoman. Jane then enlists her best friend and neighbor, Shelley Nowack, to help her. The wedding is to be held at an old family hunting lodge that was once a monastery, and it proves to be a somewhat spooky venue for the nuptials. After Jane and Shelley arrive at the lodge, the eccentric cast of characters (and eventual murder suspects) begins to gather: a mysterious, laconic caretaker whom Livvy calls "Uncle Joe"; Mrs. Crossthwait, a cranky, elderly seamstress; three bridesmaids; a caterer; and a florist named Larkspur, not to mention Livvy's elderly aunts. Add the bride and her father, an arrogant captain of industry, and the groom, his mother and brother, and the stage is well set for shenanigans. Larkspur tells Jane the story of a hidden family treasure, and later it is Larkspur who discovers Mrs. Crossthwait dead at the foot of the stairs. Did she fall, or was she pushed? To find out, Jane enlists the aid of her lover, Chicago cop Mel Van Dyne, who comes along to help the local police. Another murder puts a definite damper on the postwedding festivities, and soon after Jane and Shelley winkle out the solution. Though the identity of the killer will come as no great surprise, Churchill delivers a satisfying plot laced with subtle humor and some enjoyable gothic flourishes. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Chicago sleuth Jane Jeffry tries her hand at planning a wealthy acquaintance's weddingAin a rather dingy hunting lodge that started life as a monastery. Murder forces Jane back into sleuthing mode, however, to the delight of series fans.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (October 5, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 038097570X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0380975709
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jill Churchill has won the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards and was nominated for an Anthony Award for her bestselling Jane Jeffry series. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed Grace and Favor mysteries and lives in the Midwest.

 

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
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4 star:
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3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Weddings Can Be Murder, October 29, 1999
This review is from: A Groom with a View (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 11) (Hardcover)
I've been following the Jane Jeffrey series and I think they keep getting better. I enjoyed this book and felt it's one of the most entertaining. Jane and Shelly help a neighbor with her wedding primarily so Jane can get a new car. It is being held in an old monestary turned hunting lodge in the country that might harbor buried treasure. When the wedding guests and helpers show up things really get interesting as they are an eclectic bunch. That night, after a storm, the lights go out and the story takes a spooky turn. This is a great book for cozy lovers and mystery readers looking for light-hearted fun. My only quibble with the book is the motive of the murderer but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the story.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Jeffry continues to be a fresh amateur sleuth, July 4, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: A Groom with a View (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 11) (Hardcover)
In Chicago, after attending a successful party thrown by Jane Jeffry, Livvy Thatcher decides to hire her hostess to run her own wedding party. Though not a professional party thrower, Jane agrees to arrange the April nuptials at Livvy's family hunting lodge. Livvy enlists the help of her friend and neighbor Shelly Nowack.

Livvy and Shelly arrive early at the hunting lodge to make sure everything runs smoothly. They quickly meet the caretaker, a lazy, brooding Uncle Joe, who offers little help and seems to always vanish when they need him. They soon hear rumors of a hidden treasure and that a country club will be built on the site of the lodge. However, neither Livvy and Shelly could anticipate the problems that night starting with a storm that shuts down the electricity. That morning, the florist finds the body of the seamstress lying dead on the floor. Initially the elderly individual appeared to have slipped down the stair case to her death. However, the police find evidence that someone pushed the victim. Worried about the wedding, Jane and Shelly begin their own not so discreet inquiries. Both of the ladies are in for a surprise when another murder follows.

The long running Jane Jeffry amateur sleuth series remains very fresh with its eleventh tale that highlights the lead protagonist and her best friend. Jane, Shelly, and Mel (Jane's boy friend) retain a midwest charm that augments an entertaining story line, which borrows elements from a modern gothic. The secondary characters are fun to follow, especially the wedding party. Jill Churchill continues to make the Jeffry novels some of the best tales the sub-genre has to offer.

Harriet Klausner

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Here Comes the Bride -- Who's Next to Die..., November 11, 2000
By 
"isleoflucy" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
I have always enjoyed the Jane Jeffry books by Jill Churchill, they are well-plotted overall and very entertaining -- but "A Groom with a View" definitely ranks as one of her best. When poor Jane gets roped into putting together a wedding with nearly zero assistance from the bride or her family, then stumbles on a dead body in the dark to further complicate what already leans toward disaster -- well, it seems almost too much for the frazzled housewife/mother/sometimes novelist, even with the help of gal-pal Shelley. But what makes this book amazing is Jill Churchill's incredible sense of place; through minimal description of setting and even character, you feel like you are right there with these people, in this gloomy old wreck of a club where the wedding is being held. Add to that a nicely-plotted mystery ingenious in its simplicity, almost to the point where you are sympathetic for the killer, and you have one of the best of the series. I always look forward to the next Jane Jeffry mystery (come on, "Mulch Ado About Nothing"!!), but this one was one of the most entertaining whodunnits this mystery lover has ever read.
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First Sentence:
It was very early in the morning, but the station wagon loaded to the gunwales. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
seam binding, treasure story
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Jack Thatcher, John Smith, Gus Ambler, Officer Smith, Dwayne Hessling, Aunt Iva, Eden Matthews, Oliver Wendell Thatcher, Social Security
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