Buried in Buttercream

A Savannah Reid Mystery #17

by G.A. McKevett

After a recent brush with death, plus-sized P.I. and bride-to-be Savannah Reid has decided to stop sweating the small stuff. But when an event planner comes in to arrange her wedding, Savannah discovers that murder can ruin even the best laid plans.

Hailed as the wedding planner to the stars, Madeline Aberson has orchestrated some of the most exclusive soirees in Hollywood. But when Madeline becomes embroiled in a nasty divorce, her life falls apart, and rumors swirl that her parties have become total duds. Desperate for work, Madeline finds herself planning far less glamorous affairs, including none other than Savannah Reid's wedding to Dirk Coulter.

It doesn't take long for the opinionated Madeline to get on Savannah's last nerve, and when the big day finally arrives, Savannah can't wait to send Madeline packing. But when the bride finds Madeline's body face down in the pool, floating among an elegant array of rose petals, it's clear that someone has already hastened the diva's departure. For better or for worse Savannah and Dirk put their wedding on hold, vowing instead to find out who killed Madeline and why. . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Mystery Thriller

277 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Since publication of her first novel in 1986, Sonja Massie has authored over sixty published works, including the highly popular and critically acclaimed SAVANNAH REID MYSTERIES under the pseudonym G. A. McKevett.

Sonja's novels range from Irish historicals to contemporary thrillers. Her earthy humor and fast-paced plots delight her fans, while critics applaud her offbeat characterizations and incisive observations on human nature.

Irish by ancestry, Sonja has authored two non-fiction books on the history of Ireland: THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO IRISH HISTORY AND CULTURE and IRISH PRIDE: 101 REASONS TO BE PROUD YOU'RE IRISH. Both books impart detailed knowledge of the complex and controversial Irish story with a light hand and plenty of humor. Her Irish novels include: DREAM CARVER, CAROUSEL, DAUGHTER OF IRELAND and the bestselling FAR AND AWAY - the novelization of the Ron Howard movie starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

On nationwide tours, Sonja lectures to published and "pre-published" authors in her workshop, "The Novel Approach," a seminar which covers such topics as: story structure, characterization, plotting, pacing, and marketing manuscripts.

Sonja has taught numerous courses at university and adult continuing education facilities including: general fiction, historical research, and mystery writing. She was managing editor at "Single Living" magazine and has functioned as a manuscript doctor and storyline editor for major publishers. Earlier in her career, she was a prolific ghostwriter, authoring both fictional and non-fictional books for celebrities and professionals.

Having lived in Los Angeles, Toronto, and County Kerry, Ireland, she now resides in New York.

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Savannah and Dirk are finally tying the knot! Well, they were until the wedding planner is found dead on the day of the wedding. Savannah can't get married until she finds out who the murderer is. On top of that, her kooky Southern family is also staying at her home which is adding to her stress.

Fun cozy mystery. Good in between read.

[Letta Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the preceding book 'A Decadent Way to Die', the ending was both sad and shocking. Buried in Buttercream picks up three months later into a moment where things are better but disaster seems to following Savannah Reid, PI extraordinaire and her long time best friend who finally tying the knot.

One wedding results in the venue being burned down and the second ends with a murder, leaving Savannah, sadly unwed, forced to put up with her spoiled siblings and their bratty kids in her tiny house much longer than anticipated.

Who killed the wedding plan is the name of the game and unfortunately the suspect list is growing by the minute. Will Savannah ever get to say 'I do' to her man? Will Dirk be able to weed through the suspect and find the killer? Will Granny be forced to smack someone down with a skillet? Will Tammy forgive herself for the past and find a new love?

Get ready for a fun ride to the alter!*

*If you haven't read the previous book, you will want to. There are many allusions to it, though none of the characters really talk about it. If you haven't read it, do so!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deserves 3.5 stars, and for the purposes of Goodreads, I’ll round down my overall rating to 3 stars, since it’s hard for me to say I really liked this book. Sure, it was an entertainingly light, quick read, that didn’t require extensive amounts of brain power. I enjoyed Savannah and Dirk, and the rest of the clan, and it certainly had comic appeal with two wedding misfires, a rambunctious bunch of extended family, and many of the cities in Georgia were represented via character names. I’m sure I missed a few, but Atlanta, Savannah, Marietta, and Macon come to mind. All we needed were Augusta and Athens to round out the clan. Having spent some time in Georgia, and having visited or passed through those four cities, I certainly found it amusing.

What I didn’t find nearly amusing, though, were all of the exclamation points. I’ll defer to the great Elmore Leonard on this one who said, “Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.” The author went a bit overboard in this case. I admit that I lost count, but I’d say there were probably forty or so in the entire novel, and the prose didn’t even reach 100,000 words. Now, these folks are from the south, and having lived in southeastern Virginia, I can honestly say folks enunciate their words a bit more clearly, and are a bit more animated in their speech patterns, but it’s probably a few too many when a reader starts counting exclamation points as he’s zooming through the prose.

Overall, though, if you enjoy the series, and have read all the Savannah Reid mysteries up to this point, you’ll certainly want to add this one to your collection. If you’re brand new to the series like me, you may want to start with an earlier Savannah Reid mystery.

While the following in no way influences my rating, I do feel it’s worth mentioning that it took nearly four months to receive my First Reads’ book, and I would like to share the following experience with you. To give you a bit of perspective, Goodreads suggests it may take as long as six to eight weeks to receive your First Reads wins, but in many cases I’ve received them in about half that time, and out of thirteen total first reads wins this one certainly takes the cake, as I’ve been buried in buttercream. I’d also like to mention that I sent the publisher’s representative two messages through Goodreads, after waiting what I considered to be an appropriate amount of time, and I never received a response to either one. If it wasn’t for the good folks at Goodreads, I’d probably still be without my book. Now, I do realize I received this book for free, but I was more than willing to do my part with an honest review. I suppose, in the end, I should be neither surprised, nor shocked, by what, in some cases, passes for customer service in the publishing industry. To be fair to Kensington, those folks might have decided my message didn’t warrant a response, but as I always appreciate good customer service, and don’t mind paying a bit more to receive it, I guess I expected more.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Moondance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This ain't exactly the roarin' hot time we had planned for this evening, huh, babe?"

Savannah and Dirk's wedding day is finally here! Just a wee bit of a problem that the venue has gone up in flames. The second venue is struck by and mudslide and the third one involves the murder of the wedding planner.

Nothing ever goes quite the way that Savannah plans. Her entire family is staying in her small home to add to the stress of the nonwedding adventure. Savannah knows she must help solve the murder before she and Dirk can ride off into the sunset for their happily ever after.

This is a great addition to the series. Poor Savannah seems to get slapped down every time she tries to make her wedding day special. I love that Granny Reid is there to keep the siblings in control. I don't know how Savannah deals with some of them.

The victim is so disliked by so many people that it is hard to pick just one as the murderer. The revelation was rather sad and I thought Savannah handled it well.

Savannah has always been such a strong confident woman. It was hard to watch her have negative body image secondary to the events of the previous book. I was glad that Dirk was supportive even though he can be a little clueless at times.

I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series now that I am close to being back on track with reading them in order.

[Katharine Coggeshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book by McKevett! Savannah and Dirk's relationship is always so fun and sweet, highlighting what really matters in love. Her characters are so well-developed and detailed. Another good murder mystery.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if you will it's your wedding day, and shortly before the nuptials the building that you intend to use burns to the ground, everything gone, well that's what happened to PI Savannah Reid and her beau Dirk Coulter. They decide to try again, and use the services of wedding planner Madeline Aberson, and while she seems to know what she is doing Savannah really doesn't like her.When the big day arrives things seem to be going off without a hitch, well that is until someone finds Madeline's body floating in a pool, right before the bride and groom get to say their I do's. Putting the wedding on hold to try and find the killer, they quickly learn that there is a string of suspects a half a mile long. Can they solve the crime, and perhaps prove that the third time's the charm where weddings are concerned?
I really enjoyed this book! A great little murder mystery that kept wondering who the perp was right up until the end, I actually never figured out who the killer was. I loved the character of Savannah. Her southern dialect and phrases made this book a joy to read, and her quirky family kept the book interesting.She was also struggling with some issues because of some scarring on her body that made her seem very down to earth and real. The author's choice of words easily brought the story to life, allowing me to visualize not only the characters but interactions between the characters not to mention the different settings in the story. The brothel scene really stood out for me! I enjoyed the secondary story that developed between Tammy and Waycross and look forward to seeing where that leads.

I hadn't heard of this series until I picked up this book, not sure how I missed it, but you can bet that I intend to go back and read the series from the beginning! Since it is a series book, I felt like there were things that I was missing, making me wonder what had happened in previous books.A great mystery with a southern flair that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a clean read, no adult language or overly descriptive details of the murder. Just a fun read that will keep you guessing who- dun- it while wondering if Savannah and Dirk will ever get married!

Highly recommended!

Reviewed for Readersfavorite.com

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to a very good series. The author continues to give us a truly well developed characters and plot, with a twist in the mystery. I can’t wait to read the next installment. I love Savannah, Dirk, Tammy and Waycross.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I really had to fight myself to finish it, because about a quarter of the way in, I was just really sick of Savannah's cliche Southern speak. Obviously, people love this series as this book seems to have 4 stars, but once again, I disagree with the majority. It was okay, could have been more involved of a plot, and could have been less cliche. Maybe I should have started at book #1 though!

[Liv · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never read anything by this author before -- never had even heard of her before -- and I had picked it up amongst a ton of other novels when I had went to the local library in a new city. The cover seemed interesting and the blurb on the inside of the book caught my eye. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it definitely... wasn't this.
Savannah and Dirk are cute enough, their little quips back and forth charming enough. The dynamic she has with her family is also relatively harmless -- a Southern family from McGill, Georgia (as if the author doesn't drive that point home enough).
However, so much of this book is repetitive, and there's a lot of plot points that don't go anywhere. For a while, I thought Madeline's killer was going to be the arsonist who had burned down the community center. I was thinking, maybe Van and Dirk caught the wrong guy and it was someone else. But then after that happened, there was zero mention of it in the rest of the book ??
This may be nitpicky as well, but I can't stand the usage of "deliciously," and how often McKevett uses it to describe, well, Anything.
Another thing? I don't understand why adult authors write sexual content so weirdly. "Manly naughty bits" isn't an enticing phrase to read on a page. Just say dick. Say it.
Some parts are weirdly insensitive, as well? When Madeline was literally murdered, how the characters reacted really rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like they didn't take it very seriously, but that seems to be a common theme with this particular novelist. She got murdered on Savannah's wedding! The whole time it just felt like a punchline -- an, honestly, cheap plot device, which arguably at its core it is, but it definitely could've been handled more appropriately. I wasn't moved by Madeline's death at all; the fact that a homicide was committed never fully sank in. And the whole scene between Savannah and Dirk about her father being into prostitutes and the weird comments Dirk made about sex workers? I don't know... I'm not saying it was anti-feminist or not very woke of McKevett, but there's a way to write characters doing/saying unappealing things in an appealing way. There's that want, that pull towards them to see them change their ways. Or, on the flip side, spiral so badly you can't help but watch it like a car crash. Neither of those things happened to me.
There's a few grammatical errors which really turned me off, even going so far as to using the wrong form of "who's"/"whose" at one point. Maybe I'm simply a stickler, but I think it's pretty reasonable to want a novel that's proofread and published to at least give a shit about making sure to end dialogue properly and to show that they paid some attention in high school English class.
Overall, this book was fine. It was a light read and it was fun at times. But there were a lot of characters that were poorly established, plot points that didn't add up, and overall it was honestly a really confusing read. I've read books that were 800+ pages long that didn't overwhelm me nearly as much as this one did. It was really hard to follow along at times simply because I didn't know who the hell was who, and a lot of names were just tossed in there at random. I really didn't understand the relationship between Waycross and Tammy, as well as why Savannah is infatuated with (John? Ryan? They're written so similarly I can't remember the difference between them) another man while being engaged and having gone through two entire weddings.
Maybe I'm simply not the target audience for books like this. I read somewhere that this is actually a sequel, so I might check out the first one and see if my opinion changes.
If you enjoy murder mystery that isn't taken super seriously and has a ton of, at times, genuinely really playful banter and dialogue, maybe you'll like Buried in Buttercream. For me, personally? I'm more of a whipped icing kind of guy.
(:

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy mystery was a fast read for me. With a likeable protagonist and interesting secondary characters, I intend to go back and start this series from the beginning!

Savannah Reid is a retired police officer, now working as a Private Investigator. Her long-time partner on the force, Detective Sergeant Dirk Coulter, is now her fiancé. She’s the oldest of nine kids, raised by their God-fearing grandmother.

After an arsonist torches the community centre where Savannah and Dirk were to exchange their wedding vows, two of Savannah’s dear friends (Ryan Stone and John Gibson) offer to pay for a top-notch wedding planner who is also an acquaintance of theirs. Savannah really doesn’t need one, as she knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it done, but she hasn’t the heart to turn down the kind offer. Savannah’s meeting with the wedding planner, Madeline Aberson, doesn’t go over too well. In her tell-it-like-it-is attitude, Savannah clues Madeline in that she’s only agreeing to her assistance out of courtesy to her friends. Madeline is irritated by the snub, but the two of them manage to work something out. Savannah agrees to allow Madeline to make the arrangements for the wedding to take place at the local country club. Everything is a go and Savannah is about to walk down the aisle when she finds out that one of her dimwitted sisters left her dearly-departed grandfather’s wedding ring that she was going to give to Dirk in a trash bag with Savannah’s things in the bridal suite. Savannah goes back to her suite and locates the precious ring, but she also finds Madeline’s body face-down in the suite’s private pool. Poor Savannah! Her wedding is on hold yet again.

I don’t normally jump into a long-standing series at the tail end of it, but this book can certainly be read as a standalone. It is mentioned several times throughout the book that Savannah nearly died three months earlier, and the good that came out of that horrific incident is that Savannah and Dirk realized their love for each other and wanted to be together. It was so refreshing to see Savannah and Dirk decide to wait until their wedding night to consummate their relationship! There was no mention as to whether these two remained virgins until their 40s or whether they just decided to wait in terms of their relationship with each other. I like how Dirk is very protective of Savannah, yet knows to stand out of her way! She’s a feisty woman, but she’s also been traumatized by the incident that left her with five bullet holes. I’m very intrigued by this life-changing event, and I plan to go back to the beginning of the series to watch how Savannah’s and Dirk’s relationship unfolds. Savannah was forced by an alcoholic mother to take responsibility for raising her siblings, so most of them have been coddled far too much and are too self-centred and self-absorbed. They need to grow up! I really like Savannah’s brother, Waycross, and his budding romance with Savannah’s assistant, Tammy, is sweet.

Memorable quote:

“He bent his head, softly kissed the scar, and said, “Every time I see that, I’m going to think how strong my wife is, that she could survive something like that. And I’m going to think how lucky I am that I didn’t lose her that day. I’m the luckiest man in this world.”

Awwww, every woman should have a man like Dirk! He's definitely a keeper.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.

This review was posted on my book blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these books from the latest to the ones that come before answers a lot of questions about
the characters and what led them to the events that are happening in the newer versions and now I can't wait to have new ones to read. I love the Savannah Reid mysteries and her group of friends who are part of her private detective agency. But this one where it takes her 3 tries to get married and on the 2nd the wedding planner is killed makes things even worse. To solve that mystery and then finally be wed is a problem. And a house full of brothers, sisters, and family members is very stressful for anyone even Savannah. I recommend this series to mystery lovers of series and one main character with a host of friends.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

This may be my last book in the series. Fatty Savannah and slob Dirk are getting married. The wedding planner is found dead minutes before the ceremony. On top of that, Savannah's boorish, rude family has come from GA for the wedding and all 15 or so of them are at her house. She is such a doormat. After the last book when she was near death, her backbone didn't get fixed. Her siblings were raised by Granny Reid, but she didn't appear to have instilled in any of the other 8 manners or common sense. They are an obnoxious, rude bunch of leeches. I have 1 more of these on hold at the library and it will definitely be the last I read in this series. Having them get married completely ruined the series for me.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read others in this series, but apparently not the one before this one, so Savannah's bullet scars were a surprise to me. The book is all about her attempt to marry her long-time partner and now fiancé Dirk, with the wedding being stopped by a fire at the first venue, and a murder planner of their wedding at the second. After lots of family time with Savannah's overwhelming family visiting from her hometown in the South makes getting the murder solved so the wedding can go on imperative. A good reliable cozy with a bit of a twist at the end (although I did suspect it).

[ktouton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah Reid books are not for everyone. I enjoy them. One of the funniest things, to me, is how all of Savannah's family is named for towns in Georgia.

During life in COVID books like this are nice. They are light and almost fluffy. They aren't really a "cozy" mystery because Savannah is working with her ex partner (and currently a cop) to solve the mystery of who killed their wedding planner

Sit back and enjoy the ride, maybe in a bubble bath with some chocolate. That is how Savannah would enjoy this story.

[Teresa mcgaha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up with the aftermath of the previous book and an a wedding . Seems that this wedding will NOT go off with a couple disasters and a dead body.

So the wedding goes on hold, while Dirk and Savannah try to solve the latest mystery. This was an enjoyable read but not a lot of substance. Savannah's siblings got on my nerve, not enough Granny and even Tammy is on the depressing side.

What saved this book is the motive behind the murder and who did it

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hadn't read a book from this series in a while and I quickly remembered why I like it so much. A quick little mystery with characters that I love! Savannah Reid is part of my personality I wish I could bring more to the surface. Still can't believe she and Dirk tied the knot. Should make for some interesting reading going forward.

[Marilyn Skowron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marriage Delays

Savannah Reid’s wedding does not go as planned. In fact, it takes numerous times before she and Dirk finally can tie the knot without a crime or natural disaster interfering with the nuptials. It does not help that Van is recovering from a near fatal shooting and that her house is crammed full of her Georgia kin. This mystery is full of humor and intrigue. 

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful installment in the ever hilarious Savannah Reid series. This one finds all of her relatives gathered for her wedding. She hires a down on her luck wedding planner who ends up murdered. Savannah proceeds to investigate. The ending is pure magic.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah FINALLY realizes that she's not Wonder Woman and she can't do everything herself. Tied with # 16 as my favorite in the series (so far) and both made me cry my eyes out 😭 but for totally different reasons. I am a forever fan of Ms. McKevett. 😊

[Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whoopsie tried to read these out of order and had to come back to this one. 3.5 stars. Pretty enjoyable but the mystery really, really took a back seat to the personal storylines and how long did her family stay with her anyway? 👀

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evidently something happened to Savannah 100 days ago and she was shot. Her friend Tammy was involved somehow. But despite this being one of the main themes of this volume it’s never explained. Frustrating but not enough to go read the previous book.

Good ending saves the story.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woohoo! And I love the idea of Tammy and Waycross.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Savannah's family was over-the-top annoying in this one, and the mystery solving was a little mushy with all the loving glances.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was experiencing anxiety every time her wedding fell thru. Relieved to get to the end that they finally get married!

[Shelli Brannum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good Savannah Reid Mystery! This series is as comfy as a favorite blankey and TV show.

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really sweet. It was refreshing how Savannah and Dirk waited until after the wedding, wanting to make their wedding special and make their loved ones happy.

[Ewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointment. I was expecting a fun cozy, and there was nothing fun nor cozy about it. Also such an annoying family I couldn's stand any of the characters.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed this series since book 1, and love it.

[Tabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Cathy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*