Mayhem, Murder And Marriage
The Wedding Plot, Paula Munier, Minotaur Books, 2022
“This was one of the things that Mercy loved about New England, the Yankee belief that old was good and new was not always better just because it was new.”
by Debby Montague
Weirs Times Book Reviewer
During your lifetime you will probably attend many weddings – those of family, friends, strangers – some will be glamorous, some sweet and simple, some you will enjoy, and some you will just endure. For readers, the best weddings might be those in a novel – no gift to buy, no suitable attire to choose, no tolerating annoying relatives. Mysteries may not be the typical place to portray a wedding, but there are mysteries with excellent wedding scenes. One of my favorites is the marriage of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Annie Gamache in Louise Penny’s How The Light Gets In, and I did not hesitate to add Paula Munier’s wedding spectacle to my list. The Wedding Plot nuptials are brilliant. The scene is murder, mayhem, and marriage wrapped up in old feuds, shocking revelations, and more than one surprise.
Mayhem and murder seem to follow Mercy Carr, former US Army MP, and her Malinois, Elvis, former US Army bomb detection dog, whether they are hiking in the Vermont woods on a 4th of July weekend or searching for a little boy in a blizzard. In The Wedding Plot Mercy and Elvis, along with her boyfriend, Vermont game warden, Troy Warner, and his rescue Newfoundland, Susie Bear, are spending a long weekend at the luxurious Lady’s Slipper Inn for the celebration of her grandmother Patience’s wedding to her long-time boyfriend Claude. Mercy’s mother, Grace, is Patience’s matron of honor and takes her duties seriously. Everything about the wedding will be as elegant and charming as Grace herself. Deviation from her careful plans will not be tolerated. So, when the resort’s yoga teacher goes missing, Grace sends Mercy and Elvis off to locate him and bring him back to the inn before the start of the guests’ yoga class. At the goat farm, where Bohdi, the instructor lives, Elvis and Mercy find a dead body instead of the yogi. And that is just on the first day of the wedding festivities. More dead bodies, rain, mud, thunder, lies, and secrets mar the four days of festivities and Mercy, Troy, Elvis, and Susie Bear are feeling the strain as they try to solve the murders, find the missing, and uncover the secrets before Patience’s wedding ceremony. You will have no trouble picturing the book’s setting, including the orchids of Eshqua Bog in the rain and the steep muddy roads, whether you have visited Vermont or not. Munier’s skill as a writer will take care of that. Munier is just as good at capturing the characters, both human and dog, as she is the scenery. And she is no slouch with the action scenes. The build up to the climax is terrific. Just when you think you have it all figured out up pops another shocker. This wedding is not all rosebuds and babies’ breath, but it sure is a lot of fun for the reader. And do not skip the acknowledgment at the end. It is both intimate and touching.
Paula Munier’s The Wedding Plot is an exceptional read whether you are gearing up for a wedding, a lover of dogs, or looking for a good mystery. Be sure to plan your reading time. You will have a tough time putting this book down.
