A Vow to Die For: A Twisty Beachside Wedding Cozy Mystery

by Cheryl Marlow

A beachside wedding, a poisoned cake, and a killer on the guest list…

When the Sandlin Inn hosts the wedding party for a lavish seaside ceremony, Paisley Penrose expects nothing more dramatic than a few wilted flowers. But when a notorious wedding crasher drops dead after sneaking a slice of cake, the “I do’s” turn into “whodunit.”

Was it Evelyn Bancroft, the demanding mother-in-law, desperate for a flawless event that would impress her wealthy friends? Brooke Ellington, the frazzled wedding planner, terrified the crasher would destroy her reputation? Or Holly Kemp, the local baker, determined to protect Sand Key Shores’ booming wedding business from scandal?

With the entire wedding party confined to the Sandlin Inn while the beach becomes a crime scene, tensions rise faster than the tide. As Paisley and Detective Grant dig into jealousy, greed, and family secrets, someone decides the amateur sleuth is next on the guest list. Luckily, her loyal labradoodle Noodle has a nose for trouble—and he might sniff out the killer before the next toast turns deadly.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2025

Reviews

[J.E. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from the author. I love the Paisley Penrose Cozy Mysteries. Paisley's sense of humor and insane ability for figuring things out or seeing details that others miss is amazing. Of course, her dog, Noodle, has me laughing at his antics also.

Paisley and Detective Grant are a good team. This one had me guessing. The variety of personalities keeps the story intriguing, funny, and never a dull moment.

I received a complimentary copy from the author; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paisley Penrose and her Aunt Dottie are hosting a wedding of a social media influencer at their Florida inn when tragedy strikes. A wedding crasher is poisoned after sneaking a piece of wedding cake before the ceremony. The wedding party is restricted to the Sandlin Inn while Detective Grant, along assistance from Paisley, investigate the murder. Can Paisley and Detective Grant solve this mystery and bring a killer to justice?

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Marlow does a nice job of developing characters and creating a plot with many twists and turns. This mystery kept my attention and I was surprised by the ending. There is also a bit of humor, a slow burn romance and a cute labradoodle who sniffs out clues…all the components of a good cozy read. All though this is part of a series, it is written as a standalone, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. I encourage lovers of cozy mysteries to give this book a read.

*I was gifted a copy of this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weddings are stressful enough without worrying about a notorious crasher trying to attend, but then things get much worse. The story starts with an influencer having her wedding at the Sandlin Inn, but when the wedding crasher ends up dead from the cake, the wedding stress is the last thing anyone is worried about. Since the wedding party and guests are staying at the Sandlin Inn, Paisley has a front row seat, but that might put a target on her. As she works with Grant, the local detective, they begin to uncover secrets about the whole wedding party and who might have motive to poison the cake and who it was meant for.
I received the ARC directly from the author as part of her ARC team. It was another good mystery in Sand Key Shores, but this one stayed mainly in the Sandlin Inn. There were a lot of twists and I kept guessing until the end.

[Dave Measner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wedding disaster
When the Sandlin Inn is the location for a bridezilla wedding of influencer Vanessa, Paisley expects so wedding day hiccups. But when a wedding crasher steals a piece of wedding cake and ends up dead, the search is on to find out who is responsible for her death. When detective Grant Holloway enlists her help, Paisley and clue sniffing dog Noodle are in full detective mode. With much going on behind the wedding scene there are many suspects, from wedding guests to wedding planner, and Paisley and Grant are stretched to the limit to solve the crime, and maybe find a new level in their own relationship.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic addition to the Paisley Penrose series that you just can't put down once you start. With so many twists and turns and dangers, it is a real page turner! In this book, Paisley Penrose, owner of the Sandlin Inn is hosting a wedding for an influencer who turns out to be bridezilla! And when a wedding crasher takes a piece of the cake and drops dead, Paisley and her incredibly clue finding dog, Noodle with Detective Grant Holloway dive into the investigation. Can they save a wedding without being Paisley being the next victim and find a murderer? This is a fantastic read that I highly recommend, In fact, I highly recommend the series. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Vow To Die For is an Excellent story about Paisley Penrose and her clever dog Noodle and her Aunt Dottie and they own the Inn. A wedding is being held in the beach near the Inn and there is a gate crasher to the wedding who collapses after eating cake. Detective Grant Galloway comes to look into the mystery and Paisley assists him to look for clues. There are many pieces to this puzzle but which ones will fit? Can they discover the truth?
Superb story and series that I enjoyed reading and I highly recommend that you read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC read that I loved. Paisley and Noodle keep up their great detecting skills, solving murders. A wedding crasher is found dead before a influencers wedding. So many interesting characters in this story. The bridezilla and her entourage keep things interesting , along with the parents of the bride and groom. Another great edition to the Paisley Penrose series. The recurring characters in the series, Aunt Dottie and Grant try to keep order and sanity during the investigation. An easy ans enjoyable read.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paisley and the Sandlin Inn are hosting a wedding party for an influencer named Vanessa. They are working with the local wedding planner when a crasher ends up stealing a piece of cake and ending up dead. Detective Grant and Paisley end up investigating with the help of Noodle the dog that finds clues and the photographer that caught some images that people weren't prepared for. Twists and turns in this story that make you second guess yourself but make for a good story.
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Paisley Penrose mystery series. I was not
able to put it down once I got into it. Paisley and her Labradoodle Noodle
are amatuer sleuths. In this one they have to find the killer of a
notorious wedding crasher who drops dead after eating a slice of cake. She
has a wide list of people who all could have done the deet.

Now I need to go back and get books 1 and 2 so I can get caught up on
Paisely's antics

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Bookfunnel