'Til Death Do Us Part (Bailey Weggins Mysteries) [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio CD)

by Kate White (Author), Kate Walsh (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The third cleverly plotted Bailey Weggins mystery from Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief White (after 2003's A Body to Die For) provides a juicy inside look at the well-to-do matrons of tony Greenwich, Conn. Lounging at home one winter evening in Manhattan, the 30-something Bailey gets an unexpected call from one of her fellow bridesmaids from "the infamous Cross-Slavin wedding" held the previous spring. Ashley Hanes wants the Gloss magazine true-crime reporter/amateur detective to look into a bizarre coincidence: two bridesmaids have died, both seemingly by accident. So Ashley and Bailey travel to Greenwich to talk with the star of the wedding herself, Peyton Cross. Through her heroine's funny, self-deprecating voice, the author deliciously conveys the milieu of moneyed Greenwich-ites (and their New York counterparts). One has to wonder, though, why the refreshingly down-to-earth Bailey is even friends with the likes of Peyton Cross, a "Bridezilla" unpleasantly obsessed with perfection. White keeps everything light, but she also sustains a real sense of mystery, with less than obvious motives and a positively suspenseful denouement. Ultimately, the pleasures here are more gossipy than criminal.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Bailey Weggins, the brainchild of Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief White, seems a little tired. Who wouldn't be at the rate she's solving murders: If Looks Could Kill debuted the popular series in 2002 and was followed by A Body to Die For in 2003. Weggins' main job is writing true-crime stories for a Cosmo-like magazine called Gloss, but she seems to stumble across as many dead bodies as she does ideas for articles. Here the deceased are all bridesmaids of a Martha Stewart wanna-be, Peyton Cross. Weggins was in the wedding party, too, so it seems natural for one of the maids left standing to get in touch with her, both for her amateur-sleuthing skills and because she, too, may be marked for death. There are lots of circumlocutions here, but sometimes Weggins (and White) appears to be just going through the motions--it's that time of year, she seems to be saying, so bring on another murder. Despite the signs of fatigue, though, there's still plenty to be entertained by here. The unveiling of the murderer has some bite, and Bailey is as endearing as ever, proving again that, in mysteries, it's not so much what happens as who it happens to that matters. This isn't as strong as its predecessors, but that won't keep it from drawing a crowd. It won't hurt that an hour-long ABC pilot is in the works called Bailey Weggins. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158621649X
• ISBN-13: 978-1586216498
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,323,769 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Bailey Weggins Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars nice light read, April 18, 2004

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: 'Til Death Do Us Part (Bailey Weggins Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Kate White is rather good at writing fast paced, quick reads. The premises of her mystery novels are always rather good as well. For me, though, where things fail to satisfy is in the developments of the characters (they all remain rather superficially paper thin), and the plot -- things generally start of really well but then tend to stagnate for a good chunk of the book, before taking off somewhere around the last third of the book. And with "Til Death Do Us Part" much of this criticism was true. But is also true that of the three Bailey Weggins mystery novels published so far, this is the one I enjoyed most.

Someone seems bent on offing the bridesmaids of the Cross/Slavin wedding -- or so Ashley Haines (one of the bridesmaids at the wedding) claims to Bailey Weggins, a true crime writer who has also found herself entangled in a few murder investigations of her own. And while Bailey would like nothing better than to ignore Ashley's claims (esp since rich and super snooty Ashley just rubs her up the wrong way), this is one allegation that Bailey cannot ignore since she herself was one of the Cross/Slavin bridesmaids. What Bailey learns is that two other bridesmaids who had become rather close since the wedding have died in accidents within weeks of each other. Intrigued by the coincidence of it all, Bailey decides to look into to things. But she has barely started her investigation when Ashley is found dead! The police believe that Ashley's death was accidental, but by now Bailey is convinced that someone is out to kill every single bridesmaid from the wedding. Discovering why and who is proving more difficult than usual, esp since Bailey is now spending a great deal of time looking over her shoulder. Will Bailey solve the mystery before the determined killer gets to her? Or will she too, like the bridesmaids before her, become another victim of an "accidental" death...

If you're looking for a fast and light read, esp if you're en route somewhere, this is definitely the book for you. Events unfold at a brisk pace, and the authour's narrative style is snappy and engaging. Time definitely does fly when you're reading "Til Death Do Us Part." But I did think that the story and character developments left a lot to be desired. The book is a goodish read -- just not a stellar one.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Murderous Trip to Greenwich, July 28, 2005

By	Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 'Til Death Do Us Part (Mass Market Paperback)

Freelance true crime writer, and amateur sleuth, Bailey Weggins, is trying to get some relaxation on a frigid night in New York City, when she gets a frantic call from Ashley Hanes, a woman whom she was a bridesmaid with nine-months earlier, and scarcely knows. Bailey is expecting to be hit up for a couple of tickets to a big-time fashion show, but what she gets is much worse. According to Ashley, two of the bridesmaids from Peyton Cross's lavish Greenwich, Connecticut wedding have recently died in so-called freak accidents, but Ashley suspects foul play, and she's enlisting Bailey's help to prove it. Worried that she could be next on the hit list, Bailey dashes off to Ivy Hill Farm, home to Peyton Cross's catering empire. Bailey's just getting ready to interview suspects, when another bridesmaid ends up dead, proving to her that these freak accidents are definitely not accidents. Soon Bailey is following a trail of clues that lead her from her home in New York City, to Greenwich, Connecticut, and even to Miami, Florida, where she is being stalked by some sort of mad-man, or woman. As if that weren't bad enough, her relationship with Jack is on rocky ground, and she's unsure if it will stabilize anytime soon.

As Kate White has written the BAILEY WEGGINS mysteries, I have become increasingly more and more interested in Bailey's life, and crazy mishaps. It's always enjoyable to have the privilege to read about a sleuth/writer, and with Bailey, readers get the best of both worlds. Not only that, White has created an array of eccentric characters who accompany Bailey through each book, and make each installment that much better. Overall, 'TIL DEATH DO US PART was a marvelous new addition to Bailey's mystery series, and I look forward to reading the next book shortly.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Series & (Mostly) Likeable Protagonist, July 17, 2006

By	G. H. Giroux "Eccentric Writer" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 'Til Death Do Us Part (Bailey Weggins Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I picked up the first book at a library sale, and enjoyed it enough to order the next two off an Amazon seller. Both were as well-plotted and enjoyable (I didn't have a clue to the identity of the real killers until the very end). The first-person narrative is peppered with neat allusions, metaphors and wit. My main point of contention is that for a savvy, intelligent journalist and semi-investigator, Bailey is one pathetic chick at her relationships, expecially with men. She is too conflicted, and in too many instances acts like a doormat with her beaus and other people with whom she interacts. An example is her attendance as a bridesmaid at Peyon's wedding in this book: of course, it set the stage for the plot, but that could have been set through other means without her allowing herself to be terated like absolute garbage by the Bridezilla. Any self-respecting woman would and should have walked away from the wedding in order to maintain some semblance of dignity. However, all in all, a very good series, and I'm looking forward to book four. Maybe she can actually keep a man in this one... :)