Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding

Antique Print #6

by Lea Wait

October on Cape Cod is always beautiful, and antique print dealer Maggie Summer is happy to visit there to help with her best friend's wedding preparations. Maggie doesn't anticipate the murder of a neighbor, nor being called into service as a counselor and interpreter. Is she really essential to the investigation, or is she avoiding a critical discussion with the man she loves? Before she knows the answer, there's another murder...and a hurricane...and then Maggie herself becomes a target.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2013

About the author

Maine author Lea Wait writes the NYT-praised 8-book Shadows Antique Print Mystery series, the latest of which is SHADWS ON A MORNING IN MAINE, and the USA Today best-selling Mainely Needlepoint series which debuted with TWISTED THREADS in January, 2015, and was followed by THREADS OF EVIDENCE in August, 2015, THREAD AND GONE, in January, 2016, DANGLING BY A THREAD in late October, 2016, and TIGHTENING THE THREADS in March, 2017. Wait also writes acclaimed historical novels for ages 8 and up set in 19th century Maine, the latest of which, UNCERTAIN GLORY, takes place in a small northern town during the first two weeks of the Civil War. Lea's LIVING AND WRITING ON THE COAST OF MAINE, about being an author and living year 'round in Maine with a husband who's an artist also includes writing tips. Lea did her undergraduate work at Chatham College (now University) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her graduate work at New York University. While she was raising the four daughters she adopted as a single parent she worked as a manager for AT&T. Now she writes full time and speaks at schools and libraries. She loves rowing, visiting historical sites, and, of course, reading and writing. See her website,
www.leawait.com, and the blog she writes with other Maine Mystery writers, http://www.mainecrimewriters.com, friend her on FB and Goodreads, and, if you'd like to be on her email list to find out when her next book will be published, send her your email address write to her at leawait@roadrunner.com

Reviews

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I decided to read the books in Lea Wait's Antique Print Mystery series back to back in a row.....the way she wrote this series and the way she ends each book, you do not want to wait !! Every time I finish one of the books, I think to myself that that book was the best one....and it is until I start reading the next one. With every book Wait draws the reader deeper and deeper into the story and wraps you into Maggie's life and makes you want to stay there as long as you can.

Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding is the sixth book in this series and main character, Maggie Summer, is going to the Cape to help her best friend Gussie as she moves her home and business and gets married....all within 2 weeks !! And if that isn't enough when Maggie gets into town, she takes a walk on the beach to stretch her legs and comes across a dead body !! In Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding it doesn't take Maggie that long to get herself in the middle of a murder investigation ..... and I think I liked it that way !!! I mean on Page ONE the story starts "The body was bloated...." you know you are in for a dangerous ride after that !!

No matter what Maggie is doing she is always too busy but it wouldn't be her if she wasn't. While helping
Gussie and her fiance, Jim, pack and unpack Gussie's old home and old business and move to her new home and business, prepare for their big wedding day, she finds time to get in the middle of not one, but two murder investigations and an old drug related death of a teenager. She also finds herself helping Diana whose father is one of the people murdered....which this is the second time that she has had to face her father's death..... WHAT ??? See....book six and Wait is still finding ways to shock her readers !!!

Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding has a lot of shock factors in it !! Wait grabs the reader on the first page by starting off with Maggie finding a dead body and keeps you reader rapidly throughout. There is never a dull moment when it comes to Maggie and her life and we LOVE it !! (If she were a real person, she may disagree with us, but she's not, so she can't) This is one book that had my anxiety rising at points and one spot in particular that I wasn't sure if I was going to like the outcome.....but I powered through and was able to breath normal a few pages later........

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has a lovely background and somewhat interesting characters. The murder mystery is okay, but the ending is weak.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This is the 6th book in the Antique Print series. Maggie’s dear friend Gussie is getting married and she has come to the Cape to help her prepare. They are also helping her move into a new shop and home, so things are very busy. Upon arrival, Maggie takes a beach walk and makes an unwelcome discovery of a body, one that turns out to be a relation of one of Gussie’s neighbors, a woman who is deaf. Maggie is pulled in to help with the case because of her knowledge of sign language. As she finds out more about the mystery man, another death complicates the case and draws her further in. A storm is brewing, both literally and figuratively, as a hurricane threatens the wedding and the case leads to some unsavory business. The case also threatens Maggie’s personal life and it looks like she may have some big changes coming.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antique print mystery #6 sends Maggie Summer from NJ to Winslow on Cape Cod for her best friend Gussie White’s wedding to lawyer Jim Dryden. Waiting for Gussie to arrive at the new home they are renovating, Maggie walks the beach across from their home and discovers a dead body. 911 brings Police Chief Ike Irons who identifies the dead man as Dan Jeffrey, cousin to a long time resident and deaf mute Cordelia West. Maggie becomes embroiled in the mystery, complicated by the dead man”s unknown daughter, the drug overdose of a local boy, a police coverup? Wedding plans become more complicated with an over-exuberant mother of the groom and an approaching hurricane, Will Brewer’s declaration and Maggie’s application to adopt.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antique print dealer, Maggie Summers, is in MA to attend her friend Gussie's wedding and help her move both her home and and business to new locations in the week just before the wedding. When she arrives she takes a walk on the beach and finds body. The body is of a man who was living under a false name. Maggie gets involved to a greater extent when she assists the man's daughter and meets his cousin, who is deaf. She knows ASL and is helpful in translating. Then a second murder is committed and a storm threatens. Lots going on as well as wedding issues involving Gussie's mother-in-law to be and Maggie's worries about wanting to adopt and a boyfriend who doesn't want children. I'm really enjoying this complicated cozy series.

[Lalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series that I have read, but will be sure to try others. I enjoyed the Cape Cod setting and the wedding preparations that were part of the plot.The main characters are interesting and the ongoing development of their antique store is also presented as part of the plot.
I would not classify this book as a "cozy"mystery as the crimes in this story are pretty serious and touh on current problems in our society.It is a well planned story and I will look for more by this author,

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have been saving these books to read for a day when needed to read a good author. Maggie Summer's best friend Gussie White is getting married on Cape Cod so Maggie goes early to help Gussie move her store and her house. Maggie also stumbles across a dead man and gets involved in finding out why he died. How the death of this man and Maggie's decision to adopt a child affects her relationship with her friend, Will Brewer, make another interesting storyline in the book. Really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend this book and the series.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antique dealer and art Professor Maggie Summer is on Cape Cod to attend the wedding of her very special friend Gussie. Once again Maggie becomes involved in trying to solve the murder of a neighbor . During all of this turmoil of the wedding preparations on comes a hurricane to make things even moire difficult. Maggie is with her special friend Will and they both want this to be a special time for Gussie and her fiancee Jim. Murder needs to be solved before this wedding takes place.

[Concetta Kellough · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the only book I’ve read in the series. The story itself was okay. At the beginning of each chapter is a description of an old painting or engraving, etc. There are 42 chapters with each averaging 5-6 pages in length. I did find the description of some of them quite interesting, but, overall, I didn’t enjoy how many there were. I wanted to keep reading the story and not be interrupted with nonfiction art tidbits. (Being somewhat obsessive compulsive, I couldn’t skip these parts.)

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book was very well written I think the story line was a bit over the top. Maybe the thought is since it was a wedding everyone should be unreasonable and snitty. Throughout the story I kept thinking, Maggie stay out of this you are there for your friend's wedding; you are there to spend time with Will

[Diane Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding by Lea Wait brings Maggie Summer to the Cape to help her friend move and get ready for a wedding. As the maid of honor Maggie is ready to do all she can for her friend, between getting involved with and solving a murder of course.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly more deserving of a 3.5 rating.

The preamble to each chapter quickly became tedious but the story was good.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fictional Cape Cod places have the vibe of the real thing and set the stage for this book. The story moves along as a wedding and hurricane approach. You may not guess the villain!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these stories, but they aren't as smooth a read as I'd like.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just too slow. I read about a third of it and returned it to the library. There are just too many great books to read to waste time with mediocre.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok! Not one of the best in this series, but it did keep me entertained. I enjoy her books.

[Suspense Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

October has arrived on bucolic Cape Cod. Shorter days, chilly temperatures, but still warm enough for an invigorating walk on the beach. That’s what Maggie Summer, the likeable protagonist in Lea Wait’s Antique Print Mystery series is looking forward to after her long drive from New Jersey. Invited to the Cape to serve as maid of honor in her best friend Gussie’s wedding, Maggie’s walk takes an unexpected turn when she stumbles over the bloated body of a man, washed up on the beach.
Not the groom, thank goodness. Nor Maggie’s off-again, on-again lover, Will. The victim is a recent arrival to the Cape, and one suspected of supplying drugs to high school students.
An investigation reveals that the dead man was on the Cape under an assumed name. In reality, he was supposed to have died in Colorado several years before.
Maggie’s compassion, plus her insatiable curiosity, draws her more into the riddle of the man’s “second” death. Especially when an autopsy reveals that the victim did not drown, he was shot in the head. When a second murder happens, Maggie has to put aside her maid of honor duties and concentrate on catching a killer. With the added complication of an approaching hurricane.
“Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding” is the sixth in Lea Wait’s Antique Print Mystery series. And, like the five previous ones, it’s not only an entertaining and riveting mystery, but a chance to learn more about the fascinating world of antiques. Can’t wait for number seven!
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Class Reunions Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine ■

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sixth novel in an unique mystery series known as 'An Antique Print Mystery' was eagerly awaited by myself. Ms. Wait teaches us fascinating facts of Prints, Lithographs, Engravings, and history of same throughout the novel and at the beginning of each chapter.

Maggie Summer, the main character is an Antique Print Dealer who travels to art shows, antique fairs etc. Maggie is also a college professor teaching history through the use of her collection of prints and more. Throughout the series, Maggie has made a dear friend of fellow antique doll dealer, Gussie who is getting married. Gussie lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Maggie, being the Maid of Honor, drives down from New Jersey to help her friend get ready for the big day. Gussie has Post Polio Syndrome and is becoming restricted to a wheelchair.

Arriving ahead of her friend at the new home on the Cape in scenic town Winslow, Maggie takes a walk down the boardwalk and finds...a dead man. As Maggie thinks, 'Welcome to Massachusetts.'

The mystery twists and turns and churns as identities are disclosed and the darker underbelly of the town is exposed during a hurricaine. The suspense builds and crashes down on Maggie as her personal life becomes mired down as well.

This book was captivating and kept me turning the pages. I was not disappointed and now must eagerly await the next story in the series.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, while reading heavier fare (a memoir and a non-fiction), I thought "I wonder what happened in a couple of those other mystery series I used to read?" The Antique Print series was one of those. I had to request this book through inter-library loan, as my local library stopped at book 5 of the series.

The plot was pretty typical for the series. Someone dies, then a second person dies not long afterwards. (Does this happen in the real world, too, or just in cozies?) Maggie snoops around to try to figure it out, despite admonitions of those around her to stay out of it. She is put into peril, but then it resolves and the mystery is solved.

So why do I keep coming back? The characters are interesting. And I'm intrigued by the antique prints. (I wish she were able to include a small reproduction of each one that is described at the head of each chapter, but perhaps getting permissions is too onerous?) Although the thing that bothers me about Lea Wait's writing style came up yet again: she uses dialog between her characters to teach/preach about the antiques business. It feels really forced and makes me grit my teeth when I encounter it. That's almost enough to keep me from requesting the 7th book, but I need to find out what happens in Maggie and Will's relationship, so request I will.

[Clay Stafford]

A dead body on the beach, a second murder, and the looming hurricane amidst wedding preparations and a number of romantic and social issues set against an old antique shop are the stuff of this cozy Maggie Summer murder mystery (sixth in the series). One can smell the salt of Cape Cod in this believable cozy set in a quaint small town. “Murder She Wrote” fans take note.


My Review of Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding on Killer Nashville
My Other Reviews on Killer Nashville

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie, an antique print dealer goes to Cape Cod for her best friend, Gussie's wedding and stumbles upon a dead body. She is busy helping Gussie move her antiques shop, move Gussie out of her home into her new home, solve a mystery, make new friends and new enemies, and oh yes, anticipate the arrival of her boyfriend with whom she has a long distance relationship. And she hasn't yet told him she is finalizing being approved as an adoptive parent, when he has made it clear he has no interest in being a father. This is about the sixth book in a series and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever Mystery

Once again this mystery was well plotted with several focuses and engaging characters. The relationship between Will and Maggie continues to develop but not in ways you'd expect. I even enjoyed the short blurbs at the beginning of each chapter describing a print its source and history.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Antique Print Mystery series. The main character, Maggie Summers, is on Cape Cod for the wedding of her best friend, Gussie. While there Maggie finds a dead body on the beach. It turns out the man was murdered. Maggie feels compelled to find out why and starts asking questions. Another murder occurs and more unanswered questions. The book was a quick easy read.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review will take a day or three. I need to decompress from 8 days of holiday and family invasions. My nerves are still jangling.



One thing I will say.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher who only requested a fair and impartial review.

[Wendy]

I have read every book in this Antique Print Mystery series and loved them all. This one is particularly fun. A great setting-Cape Cod. The mystery was intriguing and there are some interesting things going on for Maggie. More, please.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this book although I wondered why nobody recognized Dan. He lived in that town twenty years ago. Surely someone would have recognized him. And why did he fake his own death? There didn't seem a reason to.

[Cherie Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

#6 of the series.