Mama Gets Hitched (A Mace Bauer Mystery) [Paperback]

Deborah Sharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2010 | Series: A Mace Bauer Mystery (Book 3)

According to Mama, a Gone with the Wind-themed wedding—complete with Scarlett O' Hara bridesmaid gowns and a ring-bearing Pomeranian—is fine and dandy for her fifth trip down the aisle. But what's a bridezilla to do when her caterer is murdered? Thanks to the nonstop gossip train in their small Florida town, Mama's gator-wrestling daughter Mace is getting the dirt on who did it.

Unfortunately, the suspect list is longer than the gift registry. Right at the top are the groom's East Coast Yankee cousins—who may have Mafia ties. With her on-again, off-again beau, Detective Carlos Martinez, Mace must track down the killer before Mama's Special Day turns especially deadly. 

Praise:

"[Sharp's] descriptions of a part of Florida most of us know little about add to the appeal of this entertaining mystery."—Booklist

"Who knew that a whodunit would not only keep you guessing-but have you laughing!"—Hoda Kotb, NBC Today Show co-anchor

"Sharp delivers a wide swath of humor and a keen sense of Florida's history and present."—Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Sharp's charming third Mace Bauer mystery (after 2009's Mama Rides Shotgun), Mace's 62-year-old Mama is looking forward to marrying husband number five, Sal Provenza, a Bronx native. Alas, Sal's family tagalongs are causing quite a stir in tiny Himmarshee, Fla., in particular C'ndee Ciancio, Sal's brassy, hot-tempered cousin-in-law, who's driving Mama crazy with her efforts to help plan the wedding. When the murder of caterer Ronnie Hodges coincides with the arrival of C'ndee's hunky nephew, Tony, Mace worries that some of Sal's kin may have Mafia ties. Tony's interest in Mace forces her to make a decision about her on-again/off-again relationship with handsome local cop Carlos Martinez, even as Mace assists Carlos in tracking down leads that totally alter their original assessment of the motive for Ronnie's murder. Sibling rivalry, steamy romance, a surprising killer, and plenty of catfish and hush puppies make this Southern cozy a winner.
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From Booklist

Mace Bauer’s mother is getting ever closer to her fifth marriage. In fact, the preparations have entered the home stretch for her Gone with the Wind–themed wedding. Mace and her sisters, Marty and Maddie, really don’t want to appear in crinolines and carry parasols, but if it makes Mama happy . . . . The whole celebration seems to be in serious jeopardy, however, when the caterer is murdered just a week before the event. It is up to Mace and her sometime boyfriend, policeman Carlos, to figure out who’s to blame. Suspects include a wedding planner, C’ndee, and her gorgeous nephew, Anthony. Like the bridegroom, Salvatore Provenza, C’ndee and Anthony are East Coast Yankees. Even worse, Anthony may have links to the Mafia. In between gown fittings, Mace’s increasingly dangerous investigations include visits to a fish camp in the swamps. Once again Sharp has presented a humorous look at life in the interior of Florida. Here’s hoping her way of life survives this latter-day Yankee invasion. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (July 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738719226
• ISBN-13: 978-0738719221
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deborah Sharp is a former reporter for USA Today. She left the sad stories of the news biz behind to write the ''Mace Bauer Mysteries,'' set in a sweet-tea-and-barbecue slice of her native Florida. Her books are funny, with a soft Southern edge: Carl Hiaasen on estrogen.

The latest is MAMA SEES STARS (Midnight Ink, September 2011). When a Hollywood film crew comes a callin,' will Mama's close-up lead to murder? The series debut was MAMA DOES TIME (2008). To research the trail-ride setting of her second book, 2009's MAMA RIDES SHOTGUN, Deborah saddled up for a 120-mile horseback trek across Florida. What was she thinking? In MAMA GETS HITCHED(2010), Mama's fifth try at tying the sacred knot is stymied when her caterer winds up dead at the VFW before the first pig-in-a-blanket is passed.

Deborah's short fiction and essays have appeared nationally. Her humor commentaries have been heard on NPR. She chatted with Al Roker on the Today Show about her wacky Mama character.

She lives in southern Florida with husband Kerry Sanders, an NBC-TV reporter. No kids. No pets. They had goldfish once. Turned out badly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mama Shines Again, July 16, 2010

By 

Victoria Allman (Europe) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mama Gets Hitched (A Mace Bauer Mystery) (Kindle Edition)

Mama Gets Hitched is the third and funniest of the Mace Bauer Mystery series. It is a well-written page-turner that had me laughing out loud at the flamboyance of Mamas fifth marriage ceremony to shedding a tear at the tender moments between Mace and on-again (?) boyfriend/police detective Carlos.

Apparently, you only get married four or five times in your life, so Mama wants this one to be special. So, she is none to happy with a dead body showing up at the reception hall to steal her spotlight. It is up to Mace to solve the mystery before Mama's big day is ruined.

I have enjoyed every one of the Mama books, but this one has been my favorite. Sharp entwines humor with mystery and adds a thread of local Florida knowledge few people know about.

I LOVED this book and you will too.

Victoria Allman

author of: SEAsoned: A Chef's Journey with Her Captain

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wedding from deepest south, July 3, 2010

By 

Ruth B. Ingram (East Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Mama Gets Hitched (A Mace Bauer Mystery) (Paperback)

Mama is getting married to Sal, he has some connections, you know, and she is having a traditional wedding with Southern belle costumes and all the frills. Her daughter is trying to cope with the idea of an orange Tara costume but she gets sick every time she thinks of it. Then all of a sudden she finds the caterer for the wedding dead in his kitchen. Now it is time for the daughter to find the killer before she or even Mama is arrested for the crime. Local law enforcement seems to think Mamma is caught up in everything going on. This delightful novel is a continuation of the Mama series and is a excellent addition.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, September 11, 2010

By 

wine girl - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mama Gets Hitched (A Mace Bauer Mystery) (Paperback)

A real fun read, love author's style, sense of humor and use of all the old FL euphymisms (sp?)

Can't wait for the next book in series.