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Murder of the Bride: A Lake Michigan Murder Mystery
Not yet published
Expected 6 Apr 27Suspects abound when a bride-to-be is murdered at her bachelorette party in this cozy mystery, perfect for fans of The Marlow Murder Club.
Bookstore and short-term rental host Stephanie “Stevie” Cummings-King is in for quite a shock when her high school bully throws her bachelorette party at Stevie’s penthouse suite. To make matters even weirder, the bride apologizes profusely for her past misgivings and invites Stevie to join in on the festivities.
Perplexed but willing to put the past behind, Stevie agrees to meet the bridal party for a schedule packed-tight with events. Among the group is the maid of honor, the groom’s sister and mother, a few other friends, and the bride’s stepmother. And the bachelor party guests are staying in a rental next door. So when the bride is found bludgeoned with a champagne bottle the morning after a party in the penthouse, there’s no shortage of suspects.
With the investigating officer in close proximity, staying in the suites above the art gallery in the building next door to Stevie’s—a building that is owned by her short-term rental nemesis, Sinclair—Stevie finds herself at the center of the hub. And when her finger prints are found on the murder weapon, Stevie finds herself named suspect number one.
With the help of her best friend Ginny and her cat Church, Stevie takes matters into her own hands to find the real killer.
Bookstore and short-term rental host Stephanie “Stevie” Cummings-King is in for quite a shock when her high school bully throws her bachelorette party at Stevie’s penthouse suite. To make matters even weirder, the bride apologizes profusely for her past misgivings and invites Stevie to join in on the festivities.
Perplexed but willing to put the past behind, Stevie agrees to meet the bridal party for a schedule packed-tight with events. Among the group is the maid of honor, the groom’s sister and mother, a few other friends, and the bride’s stepmother. And the bachelor party guests are staying in a rental next door. So when the bride is found bludgeoned with a champagne bottle the morning after a party in the penthouse, there’s no shortage of suspects.
With the investigating officer in close proximity, staying in the suites above the art gallery in the building next door to Stevie’s—a building that is owned by her short-term rental nemesis, Sinclair—Stevie finds herself at the center of the hub. And when her finger prints are found on the murder weapon, Stevie finds herself named suspect number one.
With the help of her best friend Ginny and her cat Church, Stevie takes matters into her own hands to find the real killer.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 6, 2027
About the author
Lisa Childs
378 books992 followersBorn one dark and stormy Halloween night, Lisa Childs was predestined to write suspense novels. She loves spinning dark and twisty stories that keep readers awake because they’re either too busy turning pages or too scared to sleep. Lisa Childs is the prolific author of more than seventy published novels. In addition to romantic suspense, she also writes women’s fiction, paranormal and contemporary romance.
Lisa loves to hear from readers who can contact her on Facebook or through her website.
Lisa loves to hear from readers who can contact her on Facebook or through her website.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advanced copy from Netgalley
This cozy mystery had an interesting plot, and I can see potential for the series. The mystery kept me curious, but the writing and pacing made it harder to stay invested.
It was sloooow for most of the book, and then suddenly everything was crammed into the last few chapters! I wish some of that had been spread throughout the story instead of saving so much for the end.
This was my first book by Lisa Childs, and the repetition really stood out. The same thoughts and sentences came up over and over. I kept thinking…haven’t we already covered this?! 😅 There was also a lot of switching back and forth, which made the story harder to follow and pulled me out of it.
Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, but a steadier pace and less repetition would have made this a much stronger first book. 🔎📚
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy.
This cozy mystery had an interesting plot, and I can see potential for the series. The mystery kept me curious, but the writing and pacing made it harder to stay invested.
It was sloooow for most of the book, and then suddenly everything was crammed into the last few chapters! I wish some of that had been spread throughout the story instead of saving so much for the end.
This was my first book by Lisa Childs, and the repetition really stood out. The same thoughts and sentences came up over and over. I kept thinking…haven’t we already covered this?! 😅 There was also a lot of switching back and forth, which made the story harder to follow and pulled me out of it.
Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, but a steadier pace and less repetition would have made this a much stronger first book. 🔎📚
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I took a chance on this cozy mystery (not my usual kind of read) because I was intrigued by murder mystery plot - the owner of a vacation rental finds her high school bully/current guest murdered on the rooftop and decides she needs to find the killer herself. While the plot/core of the story was good, it was difficult to get through.
The author - Lisa Childs - was new to me but apparently has many published books. I found the writing to be quite poor. Tons of run-on sentences and swapping back and forth - sometimes mid sentence - between present and past tense. The main character/narrator - Stevie - does begin the book with a concussion so maybe that was by design but I found it really, really annoying. The writing is also super repetitive with the same statements/thoughts coming up over and over again.
Additionally, I strongly dislike Stevie. She's an entitled, immature brat who constantly oversteps and doesn't recognize her own limitations. She's supposed to be 29 but acts way closer to 15 most of the time.
Anyway, thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Childs, and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The author - Lisa Childs - was new to me but apparently has many published books. I found the writing to be quite poor. Tons of run-on sentences and swapping back and forth - sometimes mid sentence - between present and past tense. The main character/narrator - Stevie - does begin the book with a concussion so maybe that was by design but I found it really, really annoying. The writing is also super repetitive with the same statements/thoughts coming up over and over again.
Additionally, I strongly dislike Stevie. She's an entitled, immature brat who constantly oversteps and doesn't recognize her own limitations. She's supposed to be 29 but acts way closer to 15 most of the time.
Anyway, thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Childs, and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Murder of the Bride written by Lisa Childs is a perfect murder mystery to get your cozy fix this season! Every stone must be turned over to get to the bottom of this mystery before Stevie loses all she holds dear.
Stevie is living the life she’s always dreamt of. As the proud owner of the Book Mill and its short-term rental units upstairs, she has a perfect work-life balance between running her dream business and having the love and support of her best friend and her Dads. But everything is threatened when her old high school bully returns to her hometown, promising she has turned over a new leaf and invites Stevie to her bachelorette party. When the bachelorette party goes horribly wrong and leaves one dead and Stevie wakes up on the floor of her own bookstore with a splitting headache and plenty of questions about what exactly happened the night before, she and her best friend Ginny have to use their amateur sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of this mystery. With no shortage of suspects, it seems everyone is hiding something. Stevie is not sure who can be trusted, even the handsome policeman on the case seems to have something to hide. With an unsolved murder in her one of her short-term rentals threatening to upend her super host status that supports her income, putting herself in harms way seems to be the only way to protect her family and save the business that is her heart and soul.
Murder of the Bride delivers everything you want in a classic cozy mystery. The story unfolds at a comfortable pace to keep the narrative interesting and keeps the reader guessing as to what the cast of characters may reveal next. If you are looking for a comforting mystery to solve, this cozy is the perfect choice.
Murder of the Bride written by Lisa Childs is a perfect murder mystery to get your cozy fix this season! Every stone must be turned over to get to the bottom of this mystery before Stevie loses all she holds dear.
Stevie is living the life she’s always dreamt of. As the proud owner of the Book Mill and its short-term rental units upstairs, she has a perfect work-life balance between running her dream business and having the love and support of her best friend and her Dads. But everything is threatened when her old high school bully returns to her hometown, promising she has turned over a new leaf and invites Stevie to her bachelorette party. When the bachelorette party goes horribly wrong and leaves one dead and Stevie wakes up on the floor of her own bookstore with a splitting headache and plenty of questions about what exactly happened the night before, she and her best friend Ginny have to use their amateur sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of this mystery. With no shortage of suspects, it seems everyone is hiding something. Stevie is not sure who can be trusted, even the handsome policeman on the case seems to have something to hide. With an unsolved murder in her one of her short-term rentals threatening to upend her super host status that supports her income, putting herself in harms way seems to be the only way to protect her family and save the business that is her heart and soul.
Murder of the Bride delivers everything you want in a classic cozy mystery. The story unfolds at a comfortable pace to keep the narrative interesting and keeps the reader guessing as to what the cast of characters may reveal next. If you are looking for a comforting mystery to solve, this cozy is the perfect choice.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Stevie is the owner of a bookstore that has short-term rentals above it. As the book starts, those rentals are all booked by the bachelorette party of the woman who tormented Stevie throughout school. Stevie wakes up on the floor of her bookstore, bloody and concussed. And the bride is dead on the roof. Determined to save her bookstore and rental business, Stevie and her best friend Ginny decide to solve the case.
The mystery plot in this book was really good. It is a cozy mystery, complete with a cat, a couple of potential love interests, and danger for our protagonist throughout. This was a quick read that I enjoyed and would like to see more of in the future. My only nitpick is that Stevie brings up the fact that she cannot lose her superhost status about 100 times, and it becomes very annoying. At times, it feels like that is her only reason for continuing to investigate. It does die off as we get further into the book, so I did not ding my rating too much for that. Hopefully, in future books it is not a matter of contention.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
The mystery plot in this book was really good. It is a cozy mystery, complete with a cat, a couple of potential love interests, and danger for our protagonist throughout. This was a quick read that I enjoyed and would like to see more of in the future. My only nitpick is that Stevie brings up the fact that she cannot lose her superhost status about 100 times, and it becomes very annoying. At times, it feels like that is her only reason for continuing to investigate. It does die off as we get further into the book, so I did not ding my rating too much for that. Hopefully, in future books it is not a matter of contention.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder of the Bride started strong with an intriguing premise: Stevie rents her place to her former school nemesis, Tiffany, only for Tiffany to be murdered. The mystery starts unfolding from there. I enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Ginny, Stevie's two dads and the colorful group of suspects.
Unfortunately, around the halfway mark, Stevie became increasingly frustrating. Rather than coming across as a capable amateur sleuth, she often felt like an overly nosy know-it-all who kept inserting herself into situations. I also struggled to understand her intense dislike of some of the potential romantic interests.
Overall, the mystery had plenty of potential and a great cast, but the execution didn't quite work for me. A decent cozy mystery, but one that fell short of what it could have been.
Unfortunately, around the halfway mark, Stevie became increasingly frustrating. Rather than coming across as a capable amateur sleuth, she often felt like an overly nosy know-it-all who kept inserting herself into situations. I also struggled to understand her intense dislike of some of the potential romantic interests.
Overall, the mystery had plenty of potential and a great cast, but the execution didn't quite work for me. A decent cozy mystery, but one that fell short of what it could have been.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Definitely different from what I normally read, but I still enjoyed it. This was a slow paced, cozy mystery for the most part. It did pick up right at the end which felt a little rushed and crammed together. I also found a few things to be really repetitive throughout the story. I really didn’t like Stevie, but I don’t think we’re supposed to. But geez, that entitled attitude sure got under my skin. All in all I think the plot was great, I just wish everything had been spaced out a little differently. I do plan on trying out another cozy mystery by this author!
Thank you so much Lisa Childs and Netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you so much Lisa Childs and Netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reviewed an advance copy from Netgally
Murder of the bride …
A cozy mystery involving a murder most foul in the tourist town of Saugatuck. The story opens with our FMC - Stevie waking up on the ground of her bookstore after a bachelorette party. Who is the bride you ask … her high school bully who happened to book Stevie’s short term rental for the weekend.
Then as expected in a cozy mystery … chaos ensues as Stevie and her bestie Ginny try to solve the murder with an assist from the local cop Sergeant Brody Howard.
Overall an easy read but a bit too predictable for me.
Murder of the bride …
A cozy mystery involving a murder most foul in the tourist town of Saugatuck. The story opens with our FMC - Stevie waking up on the ground of her bookstore after a bachelorette party. Who is the bride you ask … her high school bully who happened to book Stevie’s short term rental for the weekend.
Then as expected in a cozy mystery … chaos ensues as Stevie and her bestie Ginny try to solve the murder with an assist from the local cop Sergeant Brody Howard.
Overall an easy read but a bit too predictable for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book has some interesting characters. There’s possibility of a romance in future books. The book was very slow for me. The pacing needed to be sped up. Just my personal opinion. The details of architecture of the Book Mill was fascinating. I kept wishing the place was real so I could go visit.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder of the Bride, book 1 in A Lake Michigan Murder Mystery by Lisa Childs. What a great start to a new series, I enjoyed this book and look forward to book 2.
I liked Bookstore and short-term rental host Stephanie “Stevie” Cummings-King and her bff Ginny and of course Church her cat. I can see a possible love triangle developing as Stevie has 2 admirers.
It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I did guess whodunnit but that did not distract from the story. I’m sure in the next book character development and plot will improve and I won’t be able to guess.
I recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out!
I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Crooked Lane and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
I liked Bookstore and short-term rental host Stephanie “Stevie” Cummings-King and her bff Ginny and of course Church her cat. I can see a possible love triangle developing as Stevie has 2 admirers.
It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I did guess whodunnit but that did not distract from the story. I’m sure in the next book character development and plot will improve and I won’t be able to guess.
I recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out!
I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Crooked Lane and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Easy read that kept me guessing the entire time
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews