5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great sequel, September 9, 2010
This review is from: Murder on the Bride's Side: A Mystery (Hardcover)
I enjoyed the first volume to this series, Murder at Longbourn, and the trend continues. We are back with Elizabeth, now in the Richmond VA area and not MA. She and Peter are still together but she continues to let her past insecurities affect the relationship. It is no surprise who gets murdered since that character is as obnoxious as can be. This story has less Jane Austen influence as it proceeds, starting off with more quotes from Sense and Sensibility but it is not needed to keep your attention.
The ending was a bit of a surprise and very well done.
I am hoping that the author continues these delightful books!!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming cozy mystery filled with odd, interesting, unique but somehow familiar characters, September 16, 2010
This review is from: Murder on the Bride's Side: A Mystery (Hardcover)
An old Richmond, Virginia plantation, a festive wedding and family disputes set the stage for murder in Tracy Kiely's novel MURDER ON THE BRIDE'S SIDE, the second novel in the Elizabeth Parker mystery series inspired by Jane Austen's classic novels. A year ago, Kiely wowed me with her debut novel MURDER AT LONGBOURN loosely based on characters from Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. This time we follow the further adventures of her endearingly flawed, angst ridden sleuth Elizabeth Parker as she draws strength and great quotes from SENSE AND SENSIBILIY.
The story picks up eight months after Elizabeth solved a double murder at her aunt Winnie's B&B in Cape Cod. She and her boyfriend Peter McGowan (who she reconnected with in Murder at Longbourn) are still an item, but the challenge of a long distance relationship niggles at her insecurities. He is joining Elizabeth in Richmond, Virginia while she fulfills her maid-of-honor duties for her best friend Bridget Matthews whose wedding is at the family estate Barton Landing, a former tobacco plantation fronting the James River. It would not be a proper old southern family without an elderly potentate to wield their cane and pelt cross words at their children, so Kiely has supplied us with Elsie Matthews, a meddling grand dame who likes to match make and foretell the future. Upon Elizabeth's arrival her ominous prediction of "death is coming" ultimately comes to pass the day after the wedding when the body of her daughter-in-law Roni is found brutally murder with a large kitchen knife in her chest. This is a tragic event, so why is no one grieving?
Elizabeth soon discovers that almost everyone in the Matthews clan wanted Roni dead. She is what Barbara Bush quipped "a noun beginning with b and rhyming with witch." She was the much younger second wife of Elsie's eldest son Avery, the heir presumptive and president of a thriving landscaping company whose recent stroke has left him in a wheelchair. His scheming wife (with a man-made figure) was determined that he sell in order to slow down and enjoy life. This news sends the family into a tailspin of anger and fear, so much so that someone commits murder to stop her.
Among Elsie's three children and their families the chief suspect is Bridget's cousin Harry Matthews, a Willoughby-like playboy who is often in his cups but not at all the killing kind. Because of Elizabeth's success with sleuthing out the murderer at her aunts B&B last January, she is called upon by Bridget to find the proof of the real murderer and free Harry. Could it be Roni's browbeaten teenage daughter Megan, Avery's starchy infatuated nurse Millicent McDaniel, womanizer and family leech David Cook, Avery's jilted girlfriend Julia Fitzpatrick, or Elizabeth herself, who is found in possession of the valuable diamond necklace missing from Roni's body? Add to this drama the coincidence of Peter's former flame, wedding coordinator Chloe Jenkins, who is on the prowl for Peter and Elizabeth will need to channel the Dashwood sisters: Elinor's inner strength and Marianne's passionate determination to solve the crime.
Written from her heroine's perspective, it was a delight to return to Kiely's breezy, familiar, blog-like writing style. It drew me into Elizabeth's anxious world as a singleton and struggles with confidence in her own abilities, building upon my desire for her to succeed. Like Austen, Kiely excels at endearing characterization supplying an array of odd, interesting, unique but somehow familiar characters. I particularly appreciated her descriptive use of metaphor and subtle humor. This mystery enthusiasts paid close attention to clues, had my predictions, but was still surprised at the final reveal. My major quibble is that this novel has even less connections to Austen than her previous outing. If you are going to claim that it has been drawn from SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, you better deliver. Elizabeth's ongoing relationship with Peter had its ups and downs - but really - how could anyone not be besotted by a man who can quote lines from Cary Grant movies by heart? Kudos to St. Martin's for the beautiful cover. BIG improvement. I am looking forward to Tracy's next murder mystery in the series inspired by Austen's PERSUASION. Yay! Men in blue. Go Wentworth.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
engaging southern cozy, September 3, 2010
This review is from: Murder on the Bride's Side: A Mystery (Hardcover)
In Richmond, Virginia, the day after the wedding between Bridget and Colin, someone kills the bride's Aunt Roni. Bridge's BFF maid of honor Elizabeth Parker notices that no one seems concerned about Roni's homicide; in fact the wedding party seems as celebratory as they did for the marriage.
Although the cops insist everyone is a suspect, they narrow the field to Bridge's dashing bad boy cousin Harry and Elizabeth; the latter who found the body had a diamond necklace that belonged to Roni in her hotel room. Not one to panic even when her boyfriend Peter seems engrossed in the wedding planner, Jane Austen aficionado Elizabeth, heeds the serene composure of Sense and Sensibility's Elinor Dashwood in a crisis and then investigates.
The second Parker amateur sleuth (see Murder at Longbourn tied to Pride and Prejudice) is an engaging southern cozy due to the fine cast especially the Austen quoting heroine. The lighthearted story line is entertaining as energizing Elizabeth emulates Elinor's unruffled behavior while on the case of the killer and of Peter's affection. In spite of a thin plot, this is a fun regional whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
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