Witness in the Wedding is the twenty-fourth book in Kathi Daley’s heartwarming Inn at Holiday Bay series. The well-plotted storyline flows smoothly, and multiple twists and red herrings in the complex mystery keep the reader engaged. The setting is charming, and the well-developed characters are three-dimensional, compassionate, and caring. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted cozy mysteries.
After losing her husband and their infant son in a tragic accident, Abby Sullivan bought a huge old house in the charming town of Holiday Bay, Maine, without even seeing it. Once the house was renovated, she opened the Inn at Holiday Bay and found a home and a family. Georgia Carter, who has also overcome obstacles in her life, is the inn’s talented cook/baker and manager and stars in a cable cooking show once a month. Georgia and her Newfoundland dog, Ramos, recently moved back into the cottage with Abby, her Maine Coon, Rufus, and her terrier mix, Molly. Police Chief Colt Wilder is hosting a farewell party/barbecue for his niece and nephew, who spent the summer with him. Jeremy Slater, who lives in the inn’s basement apartment with his young niece, Annabelle, and his girlfriend, Mylie Sanders, is a valuable asset who helps with the inn’s day-to-day operations. Jeremy, Mylie, and Annabelle have moved into the recently renovated carriage house and are looking forward to the upcoming wedding.
Georgia and Amy Hogan, who have teamed up and entered the Labor Day Cook-off, are cooking up a storm and hoping to take first place for several of their entries, including Georgia’s newly tweaked clam chowder. Unfortunately, some entries have been tampered with, and a body was found behind a dumpster. Meanwhile, Abby has her hands full supporting Georgia and Amy at the cook-off, helping Colt and his second in command, Alex Weston, with their newest murder investigation, and dealing with an inn that’s overflowing with unexpected wedding guests.