Murder Before "I Do"

Cranberry Creek Word Search Mystery #3

by Rosie A. Point, Charles Timmerman (Contributor)

Cozy mystery meets themed word search puzzles in this interactive and charming whodunit experience that invites you to solve the case as you uncover clues.

It’s time for a celebration in Cranberry Creek! Abby has never been more excited to be maid of honor for her dear friend, Rose. But when the life-of-the-party best man is murdered at the rehearsal dinner—and the wedding rings he was responsible for go missing—it’s up to Abby to save the day!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Puzzles

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2026

About the author

Rosie A. Point is a USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery author who loves writing about food, small towns, and cats. Her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Born and raised in South Africa, her books are all set in small towns in the United States. She dreams of visiting the places she writes about in her books.

Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!

https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/

Reviews

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

Being confined to the house by a double whammy of flu and ice storm sure has made me appreciate books like this even more than usual!

The third in the Cranberry Creek Word Search mystery series finds our heroine, bookstore owner Abby Jones getting ready for the wedding of her best friend, baker Rose Turner. As maid of honor, Abby has been pretty busy, and is now looking forward to the welcome dinner for the relatives of Rose and her intended Paul Blakely, who've been trickling into town for the festivities.

While the Turner side is all in for the celebrations, Paul's guests prove to be a little pricklier than expected. During dinner at The Barn, Abby has a front row seat to the tensions simmering below their pleasant surfaces. But things get really bad when a sudden power outage strikes. Abby goes looking for help... only to find the best man bludgeoned to death in another room.

Despite her sheriff's deputy boyfriend having a dim view of meddlers in his investigation, Abby isn't about to let anything as awful as the cloud of an unsolved murder hang over her best friend's wedding. Will she be able to figure whodunnit before anyone else gets hurt?

The mystery in Murder Before I Do is far tighter than it was in the prior book in the series, making for a more satisfying experience for my puzzle-loving brain. I also enjoyed how the first word search lulls you into a sense of ease before ramping up the difficulty on the next one (short words are the hardest to find!) Both mystery and puzzles are, however, scrupulously fair play. The final, almost bonus, puzzle was extra charming as well, accompanying a sweet conclusion to the story.

I also want to shout out Anna Vehling's adorable interior illustrations, both here and throughout the series. I'm not sure how many are her own design and how many come from stock images, but they have a delightful overall effect. The depictions of Abby's cat Reggie are even more striking in teal than they were in the color schemes of prior books, IMO.

Murder Before I Do by Rosie A Point and Charles Timmerman was published yesterday January 27 2026 by Adams Media, and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!.

This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, which seems to demand it be called 'cosy', whether you like it or not, is a short murder mystery, where each chapter – some less than the single page they're all given – is followed by a word search, with twenty words or phrases from what we've just read to find. A neat way to reinforce 'learning' as regards the plot, allowing us to solve it, a bonus feature demanding we spend more time amongst the 'cosiness', or simple and cheap padding? You decide. And do that while trying to work out who amongst the wedding party that had convened for the long weekend killed the best man and stole the heirloom rings.

The reading isn't particularly taxing, although it's not a stupidly see-through case, so you're certainly diverted for a while. You have to get over the fact this isn't the first in this series, and talk of a past murder case makes you aware of that. I didn't do any of the word searches, as I was seeing this digitally, but I doubt they're going to be that difficult. I just wonder if it's the most respectful thing you can do to a narrative – have something irrelevant as an interruption, pulling focus away from the case for ten minutes at a time? Only once, when the murderer's name is put in the grid in plain sight, does the search actually bear enough relevance.

While this wasn't targetted at me (and if it was, it missed), I found the whole concept quite intriguing. It certainly locks you to these pages for longer than the story would normally do, so people who seek such a cross-over in their lives regarding two of their hobbies will be very satisfied here. I think the story is just about worth keeping for a re-read once all the puzzles have been done, especially if the whole series becomes something you enjoy in full. For me, three and a half stars.

[Michelle | Simply in the Moment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Before "I Do" is the third book in the Word Search Mystery series. It picks up where the second book left off with just as much mystery and fun. It's a cozy small-town mystery with fun word searches at the end of each chapter.

It's the night before Rose and Paul's wedding when Paul's best man is killed at the rehearsal dinner. The search is on, and with Abby, the official amateur detective, she begins her search for the killer. Since Abby is the maid of honor, she seems to have access to the guests that the sheriff and Nathan may not have. The plot makes for an entertaining read.

At the end of each chapter, there is a word search that contains words from that chapter. The final puzzle, also known as the "Killer Reveal Puzzle," is a special one. After finding all the words, the reader will discover the killer's name when they unscramble the remaining letters on the word search. It's a fun, interactive way to participate in solving the mystery. Plus, if you can't find a particular word in the word search, no worries, all the answers are included in the back of the book.

Once again, the writing is fast-paced, and the chapters are short. It's a quick, enjoyable read that will leave you wanting to read more books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Adams Media for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
This is another fun book in this unique series. It's a light cozy mystery that has fifty short chapters ending on mini-cliffhangers. There are cute illustrations throughout the book. What makes the books in this series unique is that each chapter also has a word search puzzle with words related to that chapter's events. The puzzle revealing the killer has an extra fun twist and does another puzzle towards the end of the book in which the main character, Abby Jones, receives a special message from her boyfriend in a word search puzzle created just for her.

Abby loves word search puzzles and enjoys running a bookstore in Cranberry Creek, Wisconsin. She's thrilled to be the maid of honor in her friend Rosie's wedding, but when another member of the wedding party is killed at the welcome party, Abby has to balance wedding planning with catching a killer. Abby does a great job of uncovering a few different suspects and motives, while still living up to her duty as maid of honor and spending time with her boyfriend, Nathan. I was entertained by the mystery and had fun doing the word search puzzles. It's a nice relaxing mixture of reading and puzzling that cozy mystery fans will enjoy.

I received a copy of this book from Adams Media for review consideration. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚Murder Before "I Do"
✍🏻Rosie A. Point
Blurb:
Cozy mystery meets themed word search puzzles in this interactive and charming whodunit experience that invites you to solve the case as you uncover clues.

It’s time for a celebration in Cranberry Creek! Abby has never been more excited to be maid of honor for her dear friend, Rose. But when the life-of-the-party best man is murdered at the rehearsal dinner—and the wedding rings he was responsible for go missing—it’s up to Abby to save the day!
My Thoughts:
Abby loves word search puzzles and enjoys running a bookstore in Cranberry Creek, Wisconsin. She's thrilled to be the maid of honor in her friend Rosie's wedding, but when another member of the wedding party is killed at the welcome party, Abby has to balance wedding planning with catching a killer. Abby does a great job of uncovering a few different suspects and motives, while still living up to her duty as maid of honor and spending time with her boyfriend, Nathan. I was entertained by the mystery and had fun doing the word search puzzles. It's a nice relaxing mixture of reading and puzzling that cozy mystery fans will enjoy.
Thanks NetGalley, Adams Media and Author Rosie A. Point for the complimentary copy of "Murder Before "I Do" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#AdamsMedia
#RosieA.:Point
#MurderBefore"IDo"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder Before "I Do" by Rosie Point is a light, charming cozy mystery that blends a small-town wedding setting with an interactive word-search puzzle format, letting readers solve clues alongside the heroine. It’s a breezy, low-stakes whodunit centered on a rehearsal dinner gone wrong when the best man turns up dead and the wedding rings vanish. While the mystery is simple and not meant to be deeply suspenseful or twist-heavy, its playful structure and warm atmosphere make it an enjoyable comfort read—perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, puzzles, and quick weekend books.

It may have been user-error on my part, but trying to do a word-search puzzle on a Kindle was near impossible, so I'd suggest this book in print. And maybe go in order with book #1 instead of starting with this one (#3) like I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and Adams Media for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book courtesy of Netgalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Overview: It's wedding time in Cranberry Creek. Paul and Rose are having a wedding party when the best man is murdered. Abby and her beau, Deputy Nathan, must find a way to catch the killer. Can you solve the crime before they do? Let's find out.

Dislikes: This idea sounded like it would be fun. However, it didn't work out for me. Neither the cozy mystery, nor the word searches, had enough time devoted to them.

Likes: Abby was devoted to her friends and her love.

Reggie is the normal cat. How dare his human not spend her every waking hour tending to his needs and wants?

Conclusion: This truly was an interesting idea. If you like quick mysteries with word puzzles, then this book may be for you. Enjoy the read.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such an interesting concept for a book. It blends a mystery story with word search puzzles, which made for a unique and interactive reading experience. Each puzzle included words related to the events in the chapters, which was a fun touch. I do wish more of the puzzles had clues hidden in the leftover letters, similar to the final puzzle.

From a story perspective, I appreciated that the mystery wasn’t overly intense. Many mystery novels can feel stressful or anxiety-inducing, but this one kept things lighter while still being intriguing. Overall, it was a fun, quick read with a creative twist on the traditional mystery format.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of the series that I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed them both far more than I thought I would. The concept of a word search at the end of each chapter made me wonder if it would work, because I really like to plow through a book when I enjoy it. But I found myself taking the time to actually read and save the book by doing the puzzles in between the chapters of this well written mystery. It’s a novel approach cozy mystery series and it works!

[Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the description, I assumed this was a cozy mystery with a puzzle at the end of each chapter. Just an extra; like recipes at the back of a cozy about a chef or a bakery.

What this is, is a word search puzzle book with an included short mystery story that is so simple and written at such a low reading level it made me irritated.

All I can say is, it’s my mistake for thinking this was a novel with value-added word search puzzles.

[Theresa Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series ! easy read- puzzles are so complementary to the story!