Matrimony and Murder

Avalon Mystery #1

by Lois Lamanna

Two sisters, Marlene Webb and Bethany Cunningham, attend the wedding of a distant cousin hoping to find information about the family tree. What they discover is a body in the church basement, a tactless police officer, a cosmetics case containing fifty thousand dollars, and a hidden family secret.
Self-described as being over fifty, overweight, and overeducated, the sisters have obvious personality differences. Bethany is generous of heart, and Marlene is, well, not.

When the groom is arrested at the reception, the sisters are challenged with the task of proving his innocence. After all, no family member of theirs would commit murder--or would they?
Some levity is brought to the serious subject of murder by Marlene's unwittingly comical behavior. She constantly steps in undesirable substances, fails to notice the obvious, and can't remember names, and when she tries to hide fifty thousand dollars in her bra, the results are eye-popping.

Genres: Mystery

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2011

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were the stupidest women on a page of a book I have ever encountered. I finished the book which won it a star from me.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marlene and Bethany have been invited to a cousin's daughter's wedding in Ohio. They are trying to put a family genealogy together. As they help clean up at the church after the wedding they discover a body of one of the groomsmen. Who wanted to kill him? Could it be that their is a murderer in their family?

I liked Marlene and Bethany. Marlene was a hoot. She thought, and sometimes said, the things I'd think and say. The ladies cannot leave until the police speak to them. Then they keep finding clues that may lead to the murderer. Marlene just wants to go home but Bethany won't until they find the murderer.

This was a good mystery. Lots of fun and lots of suspects.

[Leona · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not recommend this book. These two sisters are probably the dumbest wannabee detectives I've ever come across. The idea that they would find $50,000 at a murder scene and not turn it over to the police was too far of a stretch for me. The idea that they actually believed a bank would provide them with the name of the person who withdrew $50,000 in the past few days was absolutely ludicrous. When the murderer is revealed, we're not given an explanation why the money was left at the scene or why it was in a pink cosmetics bag.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have conflicting opinions about this book. I found it very funny with several laugh out loud moments but about half way through I thought it turned far fetched. I feel that the author made a left turn without signaling and it lost its luster. I enjoyed the sisterly banter but I found them to be interchangeable and I don't understand why they had to solve the murder. It got bogged down in the middle with too many stupid antics and it seemed longer than it was. Good try but missed the mark for me.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable cozy mystery about two sisters, Marlene and Bethany, who discover a dead body after a cousin's wedding. These two retired teachers become amateur sleuths with, often, hilarious results. A joy to read.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, good read. Novice mystery murder, but good characters. I was challenging myself with one of the heroins like I was a sister too.

[Renea Landreth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would---it was just ok, even though it was a quick read.

[Rosalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read and the sisters are fun and quirky.

[Karen Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matrimony and Murder was a fun light easy read.