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The Wedding Murders
Perfect for escapist reading – you won’t be able to put it down!
You are invited to the wedding of the season…
It’s the stuff of fairytales. A celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside.
But then one guest goes missing.
And another almost dies.
Someone at this wedding will do anything to stop their dark secrets from being exposed.
You might not live to tell the tale…
You are invited to the wedding of the season…
It’s the stuff of fairytales. A celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside.
But then one guest goes missing.
And another almost dies.
Someone at this wedding will do anything to stop their dark secrets from being exposed.
You might not live to tell the tale…
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2022
61 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 22, 2022
EXCERPT: Prologue
Darkness engulfs her as soon as she steps out of the clearing. She tries to get her bearings, but nothing looks familiar. She needs help. Fast.
She pulls out her phone, her hands still slippery with blood, but it's run out of battery. Damn it. She starts to run through the woodland, praying she's going the right way.
Branches tear at her face as roots twist around her ankles. She stumbles and nearly falls. She looks behind her but can't see more than a meter. Her heart is pounding and tears are streaming down her face, blurring her vision.
In the night, the trees have taken on a fairytale quality, a warning to little girls not to stray from the path. Moonlight stabs through the canopy creating pools of light. An owl screeches, the sound piercing the silence like someone being tortured. The undergrowth rustles with unseen creatures.
She needs to get back to the wedding.
She pictures the guests, dancing and drinking, raising their glasses to the bride and groom, oblivious to any danger. To the killer in their midst.
ABOUT 'THE WEDDING MURDERS': You are invited to the wedding of the season…
It’s the stuff of fairytales. A celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside.
But then one guest goes missing.
And another almost dies.
Someone at this wedding will do anything to stop their dark secrets from being exposed.
You might not live to tell the tale…
MY THOUGHTS: 🤷♀️ I really wanted to love this book, after all weddings are usually fraught affairs anyway, and a murder or two would likely improve the atmosphere. But unfortunately The Wedding Murders failed to hold my interest. It actually took me five days to read this relatively short book.
The story is told over two timelines, the 1990's as the band struggles to become known and then becomes famous, and the current day when one of the now disbanded group members is getting married. There are also excerpts from Simon's soon to be published exposè on life on the road. He, for one, is not content to let what happened on tour stay on tour. Personally I felt these extracts added little to the book, and were merely 'filler' material.
There should be plenty of suspense and intrigue, but this is sadly lacking for the most part. The writing style is flat, as are the characters. I felt like I was reading an article in one of the less lurid newspapers reporting the event. At no point did I become engaged with either the characters or the storyline. I was so disinterested that I didn't even try to work out who the murderer could be.
However I didn't skip parts and I never debated not finishing. This is a light, quick read with an excess of sex, drugs and what passed for rock'n'roll in the 1990s.
⭐⭐.5
#TheWeddingMurders #NetGalley
I: @linleysarah1 @onemorechapterhc
T: @linleysarah1 @OneMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK
#contemporaryfiction #murdermystery
THE AUTHOR: Sarah Linley lives in Yorkshire and works as a Communications Manager for a housing charity. She spent two years backpacking around South-East Asia with her husband. Their travels inspired her debut novel, The Beach. When she is not writing, she enjoys walking in the Dales with her dad and his dog.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Wedding Murders for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Darkness engulfs her as soon as she steps out of the clearing. She tries to get her bearings, but nothing looks familiar. She needs help. Fast.
She pulls out her phone, her hands still slippery with blood, but it's run out of battery. Damn it. She starts to run through the woodland, praying she's going the right way.
Branches tear at her face as roots twist around her ankles. She stumbles and nearly falls. She looks behind her but can't see more than a meter. Her heart is pounding and tears are streaming down her face, blurring her vision.
In the night, the trees have taken on a fairytale quality, a warning to little girls not to stray from the path. Moonlight stabs through the canopy creating pools of light. An owl screeches, the sound piercing the silence like someone being tortured. The undergrowth rustles with unseen creatures.
She needs to get back to the wedding.
She pictures the guests, dancing and drinking, raising their glasses to the bride and groom, oblivious to any danger. To the killer in their midst.
ABOUT 'THE WEDDING MURDERS': You are invited to the wedding of the season…
It’s the stuff of fairytales. A celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside.
But then one guest goes missing.
And another almost dies.
Someone at this wedding will do anything to stop their dark secrets from being exposed.
You might not live to tell the tale…
MY THOUGHTS: 🤷♀️ I really wanted to love this book, after all weddings are usually fraught affairs anyway, and a murder or two would likely improve the atmosphere. But unfortunately The Wedding Murders failed to hold my interest. It actually took me five days to read this relatively short book.
The story is told over two timelines, the 1990's as the band struggles to become known and then becomes famous, and the current day when one of the now disbanded group members is getting married. There are also excerpts from Simon's soon to be published exposè on life on the road. He, for one, is not content to let what happened on tour stay on tour. Personally I felt these extracts added little to the book, and were merely 'filler' material.
There should be plenty of suspense and intrigue, but this is sadly lacking for the most part. The writing style is flat, as are the characters. I felt like I was reading an article in one of the less lurid newspapers reporting the event. At no point did I become engaged with either the characters or the storyline. I was so disinterested that I didn't even try to work out who the murderer could be.
However I didn't skip parts and I never debated not finishing. This is a light, quick read with an excess of sex, drugs and what passed for rock'n'roll in the 1990s.
⭐⭐.5
#TheWeddingMurders #NetGalley
I: @linleysarah1 @onemorechapterhc
T: @linleysarah1 @OneMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK
#contemporaryfiction #murdermystery
THE AUTHOR: Sarah Linley lives in Yorkshire and works as a Communications Manager for a housing charity. She spent two years backpacking around South-East Asia with her husband. Their travels inspired her debut novel, The Beach. When she is not writing, she enjoys walking in the Dales with her dad and his dog.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Wedding Murders for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 13, 2022
I had to stay up to finish this one. The suspense!
I picked this up because it's still wedding season and I wanted to dip into another mystery. This fit the bill pretty well. The story is told through a flashback thread to the 90s telling the story of band members who rise to fame, taste excess and are eventually involved in a murder and coverup. Not good. A thread in the present with the remaining band members gathered for the wedding of one of them at a country house turned into a hotel and what seems to the main character (who is dating one of the bandmates and is a journalist), a possible plot of serial murder.
I won't spoil it because trying to figure out what was going on was for me, the main enjoyable feature of this story. I found it a bit slow in the middle third but it finished strong. There's the main secret that unfolds but there was also a very good second one that made the revelation of the culprit (or is it culprits?) even better. I found the reaction of one significant other to be a bit off near the end of the story
But the rest was quite a good time. A wedding weekend with a sequestered group, at a country house setting, and bodies stacking up with very well hidden murderer(s) and most in attendance unsuspecting a purposeful menace. It reminded me a bit of Lucy Foley's The Guest List with the setting, group dynamics and glittering glamour. I'd read another by this author. Recommended.
I picked this up because it's still wedding season and I wanted to dip into another mystery. This fit the bill pretty well. The story is told through a flashback thread to the 90s telling the story of band members who rise to fame, taste excess and are eventually involved in a murder and coverup. Not good. A thread in the present with the remaining band members gathered for the wedding of one of them at a country house turned into a hotel and what seems to the main character (who is dating one of the bandmates and is a journalist), a possible plot of serial murder.
I won't spoil it because trying to figure out what was going on was for me, the main enjoyable feature of this story. I found it a bit slow in the middle third but it finished strong. There's the main secret that unfolds but there was also a very good second one that made the revelation of the culprit (or is it culprits?) even better. I found the reaction of one significant other to be a bit off near the end of the story
But the rest was quite a good time. A wedding weekend with a sequestered group, at a country house setting, and bodies stacking up with very well hidden murderer(s) and most in attendance unsuspecting a purposeful menace. It reminded me a bit of Lucy Foley's The Guest List with the setting, group dynamics and glittering glamour. I'd read another by this author. Recommended.
December 24, 2021
The Wedding Murders was such an entertaining and fast read. With a title like this I knew that I had to read it. I was immediately drawn into the story and needed to know what the big secret was. I loved how we had alternate chapters of the wedding in the present and back to the 90's when the boys were in a band and becoming successful.
Libby and Matthew are off to a wedding in a posh English hotel. Matthew is a former rock star and it is his bandmate getting married. The members have not seen each other for a while and tensions are still high, their breakup full of secrets. When a member of the wedding party goes missing, Libby, a journalist, knows the secret is bigger than the boys are making out. And then another guest is attacked and it cannot be just bad luck.. It is dangerous and she might not like what she finds out but she needs to know.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes February 11th, 2022
Libby and Matthew are off to a wedding in a posh English hotel. Matthew is a former rock star and it is his bandmate getting married. The members have not seen each other for a while and tensions are still high, their breakup full of secrets. When a member of the wedding party goes missing, Libby, a journalist, knows the secret is bigger than the boys are making out. And then another guest is attacked and it cannot be just bad luck.. It is dangerous and she might not like what she finds out but she needs to know.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes February 11th, 2022
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February 22, 2022This is one of the worst books I have ever read in my life! If reading a book can be considered painful, this is definitely it.
December 16, 2021
Rating: 3.7/5
Sarah Linley's work has been compared to that of Lucy Foley and of Agatha Christie. I can't really say that the Christie connection was particularly striking (though almost every mystery writer seems to be compared with Dame Agatha at some point), but I can certainly see some justification for likening her work to that of Lucy Foley. That comparison is, perhaps, particularly understandable with this novel, as much of the action centres around a wedding, in much the same way as it does in Ms Foley's "The Guest List". However, the parallels in the style of the two writers run deeper than this superficial plot element. Both authors use a structure that contain elements of a classic "whodunnit", but, in common with her contemporary, Sarah Linley's novel could also be described as a "whydunnit" or even a "whodunnwhat".
In "The Wedding Murders" we have the conventional enclosed setting and restricted cast of characters that you would expect in a traditional murder mystery. Libby, a journalist for a local newspaper, is attending a wedding with her boyfriend, Matthew. Back in the day, he had been part of a band that had achieved a degree of success and fame in the latter part of the 90s. The ceremony itself celebrates the marriage of one of Matt's former bandmates and, although they have long since ceased to have any real contact, the other erstwhile members of the group are also in attendance. The narrative is delivered from various viewpoints, but predominantly that of Libby, with the notable regular additions via revealing extracts from the memoirs of one of the band members. The time frame switches between the wedding and the band's heyday in the 90s.
"The Wedding Murders" makes for an entertaining read. It is generally nicely paced and the flashback sections and extracts from the memoirs are handled well. The actual deed does not come light until a fair way into the telling of the story (another similarity with Lucy Foley's mystery writing), but the storyline and the characters are engaging enough to hold the attention in the meantime. In fact, the decision to feature events surrounding a 90s' band makes for a refreshing change compared with some of the tired plotlines that are often reworked in this genre. There are times when you will have to be prepared to suspend disbelief, but for the most part the author makes a decent fist of keeping events within the acceptable parameters of fictional scrutiny.
Overall, in spite of the legitimate comparisons, I wouldn't say that this displays quite the same level of polish as Lucy Foley's mysteries, but it is, nonetheless, very enjoyable and well worth adding to your reading list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
Sarah Linley's work has been compared to that of Lucy Foley and of Agatha Christie. I can't really say that the Christie connection was particularly striking (though almost every mystery writer seems to be compared with Dame Agatha at some point), but I can certainly see some justification for likening her work to that of Lucy Foley. That comparison is, perhaps, particularly understandable with this novel, as much of the action centres around a wedding, in much the same way as it does in Ms Foley's "The Guest List". However, the parallels in the style of the two writers run deeper than this superficial plot element. Both authors use a structure that contain elements of a classic "whodunnit", but, in common with her contemporary, Sarah Linley's novel could also be described as a "whydunnit" or even a "whodunnwhat".
In "The Wedding Murders" we have the conventional enclosed setting and restricted cast of characters that you would expect in a traditional murder mystery. Libby, a journalist for a local newspaper, is attending a wedding with her boyfriend, Matthew. Back in the day, he had been part of a band that had achieved a degree of success and fame in the latter part of the 90s. The ceremony itself celebrates the marriage of one of Matt's former bandmates and, although they have long since ceased to have any real contact, the other erstwhile members of the group are also in attendance. The narrative is delivered from various viewpoints, but predominantly that of Libby, with the notable regular additions via revealing extracts from the memoirs of one of the band members. The time frame switches between the wedding and the band's heyday in the 90s.
"The Wedding Murders" makes for an entertaining read. It is generally nicely paced and the flashback sections and extracts from the memoirs are handled well. The actual deed does not come light until a fair way into the telling of the story (another similarity with Lucy Foley's mystery writing), but the storyline and the characters are engaging enough to hold the attention in the meantime. In fact, the decision to feature events surrounding a 90s' band makes for a refreshing change compared with some of the tired plotlines that are often reworked in this genre. There are times when you will have to be prepared to suspend disbelief, but for the most part the author makes a decent fist of keeping events within the acceptable parameters of fictional scrutiny.
Overall, in spite of the legitimate comparisons, I wouldn't say that this displays quite the same level of polish as Lucy Foley's mysteries, but it is, nonetheless, very enjoyable and well worth adding to your reading list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
January 6, 2023
Libby, a budding journalist and a single mother is invited to attend the wedding of his old band mate Daniel by her boyfriend Matthew, a member of an yesteryear music band. But when Nicole, the ex wife of a band mate goes missing and Matt gets an allergy attack, Libby believes that there is something more sinister is happening with the band mates trying hard to keep secrets from the past seeping out. The mystery behind Alex, a band mate's suicide and the fear of the existing band mates fear of Simon's threat to expose their secrets is only making Libby more unwavering about finding the truth.
The Wedding Murders by Sarah Linley is a fast paced murder mystery. The story is narrated from the pov of Libby and Simon along with a past timeline of the music band in the 90's. It was an intriguing plot with lots of twists. Certain scenes were either unbelievable or lacked depth. I felt that Libby could have been better developed as a character since she lacked some serious detective skills. The secrets and scenes in the past are deftly written. It was unpredictable. The ending left me wanting more. It felt rushed. The characters didn't make much of an impact. But the mystery elements in the book are fantastic and the writing was crisp. The narration of the audiobook by Helen Keeley was excellent.
The Wedding Murders by Sarah Linley is a fast paced murder mystery. The story is narrated from the pov of Libby and Simon along with a past timeline of the music band in the 90's. It was an intriguing plot with lots of twists. Certain scenes were either unbelievable or lacked depth. I felt that Libby could have been better developed as a character since she lacked some serious detective skills. The secrets and scenes in the past are deftly written. It was unpredictable. The ending left me wanting more. It felt rushed. The characters didn't make much of an impact. But the mystery elements in the book are fantastic and the writing was crisp. The narration of the audiobook by Helen Keeley was excellent.
January 20, 2022
Libby tells most of this story, her boyfriend was a member of a boy band starting in his teenage years. Some chapters of the book document the lives of the band members in that time and how their lives changed in the years that they were in the band. Quite a cliche, their lives changed from being boys at school in Yorkshire, to a life of drink, drugs and debauchery. But after the band split up, the band members went in different directions and have had little or no contact since
Back in the present time, Daniel, the lead singer, is getting married . The former band members have been invited . The wedding takes place in an isolated country hotel in the Yorkshire Dales. Libby is invited to go with her boyfriend . The reasons for the invitations are pretty dubious, none of the former members seem to have any connection with the others and any friendship they may have had is over.
During the weekend, the chief bridesmaid disappears . Libby tries to look into that, but is blocked by various people and the hotel management do not seem to want to get involved. There are more strange occurrences, Libby's boyfriend will not tell her about the past events, but everyone seems to hate Simon who is threatening to publish a book about their time in the band. Something awful happened, but there is little indication about what it was,
I was not keen on the characters, the plot was quite convoluted and most of the book was about Libby jumping to conclusions about former band members on quite flimsy evidence. It was all finished off in a few pages at the end . Not a bad book, but could be better. It did not keep my interest and I had to push myself to finish it .
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Back in the present time, Daniel, the lead singer, is getting married . The former band members have been invited . The wedding takes place in an isolated country hotel in the Yorkshire Dales. Libby is invited to go with her boyfriend . The reasons for the invitations are pretty dubious, none of the former members seem to have any connection with the others and any friendship they may have had is over.
During the weekend, the chief bridesmaid disappears . Libby tries to look into that, but is blocked by various people and the hotel management do not seem to want to get involved. There are more strange occurrences, Libby's boyfriend will not tell her about the past events, but everyone seems to hate Simon who is threatening to publish a book about their time in the band. Something awful happened, but there is little indication about what it was,
I was not keen on the characters, the plot was quite convoluted and most of the book was about Libby jumping to conclusions about former band members on quite flimsy evidence. It was all finished off in a few pages at the end . Not a bad book, but could be better. It did not keep my interest and I had to push myself to finish it .
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 7, 2022
While I found this book an easy read, I did find it to just be lacking something. I liked the different perspectives - the present day wedding of a member of 90s Britpop band, back in the 90s with one of the members of said band, and excerpts from the memoir of a third member of the band. I enjoyed the scenes from the 90s, seeing the band going from high school students to success & everything between. However, I just found the rest of the story to be bland. I ended up not liking many of the characters and their actions. I felt that the ending was unsatisfying, and would have liked a little more information.
Thanks to One More Chapter & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to One More Chapter & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2022
I loved the sections of the book set in the past, looking at the band's rise to fame and subsequent self destruction. I enjoyed the extracts from Simon's memoir too.
I also really liked being able to empathise with Libby and her feelings of not really fitting in at this wedding.
What I wasn't as interested by was by the mystery in play here, whether or not someone really was murdered as a result of a gunshot being heard in a hotel that is used for hunting occasionally. And whether or not someone was in fact murdering wedding guests.
I was intrigued by the big secret the band members desperately wanted to keep secret, and it shocked me for the reveal. Equally enjoyed getting to know the band members both in the present and past.
It is an enjoyable novel, that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I also really liked being able to empathise with Libby and her feelings of not really fitting in at this wedding.
What I wasn't as interested by was by the mystery in play here, whether or not someone really was murdered as a result of a gunshot being heard in a hotel that is used for hunting occasionally. And whether or not someone was in fact murdering wedding guests.
I was intrigued by the big secret the band members desperately wanted to keep secret, and it shocked me for the reveal. Equally enjoyed getting to know the band members both in the present and past.
It is an enjoyable novel, that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
August 27, 2022
Gripping
February 11, 2022
Libby and her boyfriend Matthew are spending the weekend at a fancy English manor house to attend a celebrity wedding. The groom and Matthew were both members of a popular 90s band, and most of the other band members are attending the wedding too. The band broke up under mysterious circumstances and it’s been years since they were all together. But it seems to Libby that not everyone is thrilled to be reunited, as she notices an ominous undercurrent in the band members’ interactions. Then a bridesmaid goes missing on the morning of the wedding. And another guest almost dies.
The closed circle story is told from three perspectives: Matthew and another band member Simon give us the nitty-gritty of what it was like for the band in the 90s, and Libby is in the present, determined to figure out what’s happening to the wedding guests. I really enjoyed the chapters about the young band members struggling to make it in the music industry, but having more of the book set in the past interrupts the flow of the present-day suspense, making the momentum feel a little uneven. I also didn’t entirely buy why Libby felt so invested in finding the missing bridesmaid. All in all, “The Wedding Murders” is a solid suspense novel and the 90s music perspective helps set it apart in a crowded genre. Fans of Lucy Foley's "The Guest List" and Agatha Christie will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for providing me an advance copy of this book.
The closed circle story is told from three perspectives: Matthew and another band member Simon give us the nitty-gritty of what it was like for the band in the 90s, and Libby is in the present, determined to figure out what’s happening to the wedding guests. I really enjoyed the chapters about the young band members struggling to make it in the music industry, but having more of the book set in the past interrupts the flow of the present-day suspense, making the momentum feel a little uneven. I also didn’t entirely buy why Libby felt so invested in finding the missing bridesmaid. All in all, “The Wedding Murders” is a solid suspense novel and the 90s music perspective helps set it apart in a crowded genre. Fans of Lucy Foley's "The Guest List" and Agatha Christie will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for providing me an advance copy of this book.
March 3, 2022
A light, easy to read mystery surrounding a missing bridesmaid during a celebrity wedding. One of the guests is pretty sure that the bridesmaid has been murdered. Then she sets about trying to work out why and by whom.
It's an uneasy gathering of old friends who haven't seen each other for decades. The story is told from three points of view: the girlfriend of one of the friends, a flashback to the 1990s when the friends developed their career as a band, and sections from an unpublished autobiography charting the rise of the band. There is a secret from the past and warnings not to trust anyone.
This is a tale expressed in a modern way, with a bit of name dropping and references to the pop culture of the nineties. The flashback sections are recalled in mostly broad overarching exposition until the significant event. Not sure why the protagonist jumped to the conclusion that there would be several murders following the disappearing bridesmaid - that's quite a leap - but there would be no tension otherwise.
Plenty of mystery to pull the story along in this straightforward telling. Unconvoluted whodunnit.
It's an uneasy gathering of old friends who haven't seen each other for decades. The story is told from three points of view: the girlfriend of one of the friends, a flashback to the 1990s when the friends developed their career as a band, and sections from an unpublished autobiography charting the rise of the band. There is a secret from the past and warnings not to trust anyone.
This is a tale expressed in a modern way, with a bit of name dropping and references to the pop culture of the nineties. The flashback sections are recalled in mostly broad overarching exposition until the significant event. Not sure why the protagonist jumped to the conclusion that there would be several murders following the disappearing bridesmaid - that's quite a leap - but there would be no tension otherwise.
Plenty of mystery to pull the story along in this straightforward telling. Unconvoluted whodunnit.
May 16, 2022
More like a 3.5 but I rounded up because I genuinely didn't see the ending coming which is always good with a crime! Although I got a bit bored with the chapters based 'earlier' and didn't feel like quite so much back story was needed. I have another book by Sarah on my library app now so straight onto the next one!
December 17, 2021
I wanted to like this book more than I did but for a book called The Wedding Murders it took like the whole book for there to actually be a murder at this dang wedding...
Libby is a plus one at a fancy wedding for people she doesn’t know... once upon a time in the 90s her boyfriend, Matthew, was in a semi famous pop group and one of his bandmates is getting married. So for the first time the band is back together for a weekend to celebrate. Daniel and his new bride Vicky.. except obviously things don’t quite go to plan... there is a pretty good reason that the band should have stayed away from each other..
The story is told from Libby’s point of view in the present and Matt’s point of view in the past with what was going on with the band and in exerts from the memoir Simon writing. Truth be told there isn’t really much of a mystery to this it’s rather obvious what happened in the past it’s easy to guess what they could have done that they wanted to keep secret. And once you know about the past the present isn’t too much of a surprise though part of it is just like huh? That doesn’t even make sense... but ok. I thought the reveal of the killer was going to be somebody way more interesting than it was but nope!
Libby was a bit annoying but I don’t like journalists so... i mean technically none of this was any of her business and she could have just gone home and didn’t need to involve herself in any of this nonsense. Also Amir’s character was written so weird like most of the time I honestly forgot he even existed and then he would be there and it’s like oh Amir is withdrawn or moody or unpleasant... there was never an explanation of why or anything really about him. In fact his boyfriend got more time in the book than he did. And another thing that REALLY bothered me is why was Natalya so mad at Matthew but part of Daniel’s wedding? What sense did that even make?
There’s a bit of nonsense in this book and some things don’t make sense. And not to be nit picky but no Alex was not texting Phoenix back in the 90s.
It wasn’t a bad book it just wasn’t great either I kept reading I wanted to know what would happen I wasn’t bored. I mean some of Matt’s blah blah blah from the past was dragging a bit. The end was just rather anticlimactic and a let down.
Libby is a plus one at a fancy wedding for people she doesn’t know... once upon a time in the 90s her boyfriend, Matthew, was in a semi famous pop group and one of his bandmates is getting married. So for the first time the band is back together for a weekend to celebrate. Daniel and his new bride Vicky.. except obviously things don’t quite go to plan... there is a pretty good reason that the band should have stayed away from each other..
The story is told from Libby’s point of view in the present and Matt’s point of view in the past with what was going on with the band and in exerts from the memoir Simon writing. Truth be told there isn’t really much of a mystery to this it’s rather obvious what happened in the past it’s easy to guess what they could have done that they wanted to keep secret. And once you know about the past the present isn’t too much of a surprise though part of it is just like huh? That doesn’t even make sense... but ok. I thought the reveal of the killer was going to be somebody way more interesting than it was but nope!
Libby was a bit annoying but I don’t like journalists so... i mean technically none of this was any of her business and she could have just gone home and didn’t need to involve herself in any of this nonsense. Also Amir’s character was written so weird like most of the time I honestly forgot he even existed and then he would be there and it’s like oh Amir is withdrawn or moody or unpleasant... there was never an explanation of why or anything really about him. In fact his boyfriend got more time in the book than he did. And another thing that REALLY bothered me is why was Natalya so mad at Matthew but part of Daniel’s wedding? What sense did that even make?
There’s a bit of nonsense in this book and some things don’t make sense. And not to be nit picky but no Alex was not texting Phoenix back in the 90s.
It wasn’t a bad book it just wasn’t great either I kept reading I wanted to know what would happen I wasn’t bored. I mean some of Matt’s blah blah blah from the past was dragging a bit. The end was just rather anticlimactic and a let down.
February 13, 2022
This book was a major disappointment. I was enticed in by the title and the synopsis but the actual content didn't measure up.
None of the characters were likeable, even Libby who I think we were supposed to be rooting for was just so dull that I just couldn't take it.
I have no issues with dual timelines in books but in this book I felt it just didn't work. The POV of Matthew in the past was boring and when I turned a page and found we were back then I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes; I also felt the excerpts from Simon's book was unnecessary. For a book being titled The Wedding Murders we spent very little time in that timeline which was disappointing; although the last 60 pages or so picked up in pace and plot by that time it was too late and I just couldn't have cared less what happened.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Sarah Linley for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*
None of the characters were likeable, even Libby who I think we were supposed to be rooting for was just so dull that I just couldn't take it.
I have no issues with dual timelines in books but in this book I felt it just didn't work. The POV of Matthew in the past was boring and when I turned a page and found we were back then I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes; I also felt the excerpts from Simon's book was unnecessary. For a book being titled The Wedding Murders we spent very little time in that timeline which was disappointing; although the last 60 pages or so picked up in pace and plot by that time it was too late and I just couldn't have cared less what happened.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Sarah Linley for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*
February 5, 2022
First of all, I did not hate this book. I just didn't think it was well-written. And the ending was a bit abrupt. The mystery didn't really make sense to me. And the culprits are a bit ridiculous. Libby and Matt are invited to the wedding of Daniel and Vicky. It's a bit of a celebrity wedding because Daniel seems to be a sort-of British Ryan Seascrest. He and Matt were also in a band together in the 90s that had been quite a success. Until something mysterious happened and they all broke up.
I did like the way it went from Libby in the present day, explaining what was going on at the wedding to Matt in the 90s talking about the band's success (and excess) and Simon's unpublished memoir.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.*
I did like the way it went from Libby in the present day, explaining what was going on at the wedding to Matt in the 90s talking about the band's success (and excess) and Simon's unpublished memoir.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.*
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February 11, 2022With thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The title is a little misleading and may do the book a disservice. Yes there are murders and yes they happen at a wedding, but the real story here is in the 1990s timeline about a pop band. Perfect for fans of mysteries that feature sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
The title is a little misleading and may do the book a disservice. Yes there are murders and yes they happen at a wedding, but the real story here is in the 1990s timeline about a pop band. Perfect for fans of mysteries that feature sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
November 14, 2022
*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
A group of ex-boyband members with dark secrets in their past reunite for the wedding of one of them, but the old tensions simmer and eventually implode into murder, betrayal and all sorts of skeletons falling out of old closets.
As far as murder mysteries go, this was a perfectly okay one but it didn’t really blow me away, mainly because I didn’t feel any sort of connection – emotional or otherwise – to any of the characters, and the end reveal felt extremely far-fetched… I have no idea how the murderer intended to pull the whole thing off successfully!
It was an easy and entertaining read though, and I did enjoy the way the flashbacks to their music industry past of the Nineties were slipped into the modern day narrative to create an additional level of mystery.
I’d be likely to recommend this to someone looking for a quick, unrealistic murder mystery thriller with a touch of Nineties nostalgia.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
A group of ex-boyband members with dark secrets in their past reunite for the wedding of one of them, but the old tensions simmer and eventually implode into murder, betrayal and all sorts of skeletons falling out of old closets.
As far as murder mysteries go, this was a perfectly okay one but it didn’t really blow me away, mainly because I didn’t feel any sort of connection – emotional or otherwise – to any of the characters, and the end reveal felt extremely far-fetched… I have no idea how the murderer intended to pull the whole thing off successfully!
It was an easy and entertaining read though, and I did enjoy the way the flashbacks to their music industry past of the Nineties were slipped into the modern day narrative to create an additional level of mystery.
I’d be likely to recommend this to someone looking for a quick, unrealistic murder mystery thriller with a touch of Nineties nostalgia.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
June 4, 2022
Wedding Murders sound like an intriguing title and it did. The plot is an interesting one but the narration is not.
A band that’s already broken due to past secrets get together for the wedding of one member. Matthew is a member of this band and he goes to an English hotel for the wedding of their band leader. Libby is a journalist and she starts to investigate when the chief bridesmaid goes missing. Things start to go downhill with several other incidences start to occur and Libby can’t solve it because none of the band members are ready to speak about their past.
This book could have been better if not for the narration. The book is narrated in the POV of Libby. But I couldn’t follow most of the characters and Libby was one of them. The story was having too many plot lines and secrets and made it a bit complex.
All thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.
A band that’s already broken due to past secrets get together for the wedding of one member. Matthew is a member of this band and he goes to an English hotel for the wedding of their band leader. Libby is a journalist and she starts to investigate when the chief bridesmaid goes missing. Things start to go downhill with several other incidences start to occur and Libby can’t solve it because none of the band members are ready to speak about their past.
This book could have been better if not for the narration. The book is narrated in the POV of Libby. But I couldn’t follow most of the characters and Libby was one of them. The story was having too many plot lines and secrets and made it a bit complex.
All thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.
May 3, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. This book is an interesting one: It did several things that usually annoys me in books (e.g. ) but somehow did enough to keep me entertained and invested. More thoughts to follow.
June 30, 2025
DNF 190 pages in. I was expecting so much more by now! 190 pages in and nothing ‘mysterious’ or remotely thriller related has happened. This book’s sole focus is about a boy band from the 90’s… that is all. I just can’t with this book.
January 9, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the story as a whole and how it went back and forth. Showing what had happened to get them to this point.
February 8, 2022
There is a Wedding and there are Murders, so no attempt to mislead the reader. Who’s getting married and who’s getting murdered are the questions to be answered. The first question is easy: Daniel, a former rock star who is now a TV personality, is marrying Vicky, who works in marketing, at a palatial hotel in Yorkshire. The rock group had been formed nearly thirty years ago by a bunch of sixteen year old schoolboys (Daniel, Simon, Amir and Matt) in Leeds and had gained traction when they added Alex, a slightly older girl with a phenomenal voice. After ten years the band had broken up acrimoniously and the wedding is the first time they have been together since then. Alex is the only missing member because she had died of an overdose six months after the break-up. Matt is accompanied by his newish girlfriend, Libby, a mid-twenties journalist, Amir is with his boyfriend, Peter, and Simon is on his own but his ex-wife, Natalya, is one of the bridesmaids. Simon is writing a book which will reveal all about the band’s history including secrets best left buried, and the others are trying to dissuade him. As to the murders, the story opens with Libby, covered in blood, stumbling through woodland in the dark. Why is she in this situation? Whose blood is it? What is the big secret that Simon must not reveal in his book? Are those last two questions linked or co-incidental?
The book is written from three main perspectives: Matt’s experiences during his time with the band, extracts from Simon’s angry book of drug addled memories, and Libby’s inquisitive search for the truth about Matt which carries all of the present day events and is the focus for the reader as the plot unwinds. On the whole Matt’s sections work best – convincing emotions and authoritative descriptions of the crazy world he lives in; Simon’s also work well, regretful but also cathartic; Libby’s actions are more than usually erratic. It is a common feature of thrillers that the hero(ine) has to venture where logic says they shouldn’t but she seems to be acting out of character. The denouement sequences are quite suspenseful, but I think they would have taken much longer in reality than the elapsed time allowed in the story. So an entertaining and easy read, without too much thinking required.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
The book is written from three main perspectives: Matt’s experiences during his time with the band, extracts from Simon’s angry book of drug addled memories, and Libby’s inquisitive search for the truth about Matt which carries all of the present day events and is the focus for the reader as the plot unwinds. On the whole Matt’s sections work best – convincing emotions and authoritative descriptions of the crazy world he lives in; Simon’s also work well, regretful but also cathartic; Libby’s actions are more than usually erratic. It is a common feature of thrillers that the hero(ine) has to venture where logic says they shouldn’t but she seems to be acting out of character. The denouement sequences are quite suspenseful, but I think they would have taken much longer in reality than the elapsed time allowed in the story. So an entertaining and easy read, without too much thinking required.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
January 21, 2022
The cover and title looked intriguing, and the mention of a 90s band sealed the deal, but ultimately The Wedding Murders proved a little unsatisfying.
The protagonist is Libby, a young journalist and single mum whose older boyfriend, Matthew, was once part of a successful (if mysteriously nameless) band. When, in the present day, one of his former bandmates gets married, the band reconvene for the wedding, but there are (of course) secrets in the past and danger lurking in the present, beginning with the disappearance of a bridesmaid.
While the sections set in the past, following the band's rise to success, are quite enjoyable to read, it all felt a bit clichéd and the big secret, when revealed, had been pretty clearly signposted.
I learned virtually nothing about the band apart from who was in it and which instruments they played. I didn't know what kind of music the band played, the titles of any of their songs, or even their name. Indeed I spent far too long trying to figure out who to compare them to. Take That are mentioned a few times but the band are clearly not quite a boy band of that ilk (they have a female lead singer, for a start), though they seem more pop than indie, loved by teenage girls and their grannies. A reference to Sleeper felt more as if the author had googled "90s bands with female singers" than any kind of direct comparison. And I couldn't understand at all why the name of the band was withheld, unless the author just couldn't think of one.
This all bothered me more than, to be fair, it probably should have done.
I never felt I got a grip on Libby's character either, and the writing style felt very "tell, don't show" and never really seemed to flow. There was too much explanation in some areas and not enough in others. Ultimately it was a bit of a slog to get through and rather fizzled out in the end.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
The protagonist is Libby, a young journalist and single mum whose older boyfriend, Matthew, was once part of a successful (if mysteriously nameless) band. When, in the present day, one of his former bandmates gets married, the band reconvene for the wedding, but there are (of course) secrets in the past and danger lurking in the present, beginning with the disappearance of a bridesmaid.
While the sections set in the past, following the band's rise to success, are quite enjoyable to read, it all felt a bit clichéd and the big secret, when revealed, had been pretty clearly signposted.
I learned virtually nothing about the band apart from who was in it and which instruments they played. I didn't know what kind of music the band played, the titles of any of their songs, or even their name. Indeed I spent far too long trying to figure out who to compare them to. Take That are mentioned a few times but the band are clearly not quite a boy band of that ilk (they have a female lead singer, for a start), though they seem more pop than indie, loved by teenage girls and their grannies. A reference to Sleeper felt more as if the author had googled "90s bands with female singers" than any kind of direct comparison. And I couldn't understand at all why the name of the band was withheld, unless the author just couldn't think of one.
This all bothered me more than, to be fair, it probably should have done.
I never felt I got a grip on Libby's character either, and the writing style felt very "tell, don't show" and never really seemed to flow. There was too much explanation in some areas and not enough in others. Ultimately it was a bit of a slog to get through and rather fizzled out in the end.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
April 12, 2022
Rock stars ...celebrity weddings ...a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside ... rags to riches success stories - the stuff fairy tales are made of .. more like the stuff dreams are made of as this literally bored me to sleep.
How can so many exciting topics be made so dull?
I did not care for any of the characters, most of the accents and for a story a young band plucked from obscurity then rocketed to fame, who reunite for a celebrity wedding in which madness and mayhem ensue,it was just so very very dull. I did not get any real idea of what the "grand manor house" was like - I just remember a lot of people hanging around the woodland and possibly a lake.
I had been hoping for a fabulous vicarious luxury mini break and lavish wedding but all I seemed to get was a bit of skulking around the shrubbery, grotty flats and an overwhelming feeling of anti-climax.
I can safely say I have been to more exciting weddings myself without a celeb or luxurious destination wedding venue in sight.
I had this on pre-order so very very disappointed after a run of bad luck with "The Curfew" by TM Logan, "The Club" by Ellery Lloyd, Just Another Liar by Mandy Byatt and quite a few more. I am actually wondering if the pandemic has had a very negative effect on many authors as some of my tried and trusted go-to faves are really letting me down.
Luckily my run of bad book luck has now broken and I am LOVING the sun-soaked luxurious destination thriller "The Cove" by Alice Clark-Platts which is just so beautifully written and has everything I look for and much much more.
If this is the kind of book you think you would be interested in then "The Wedding Murders" will not be for you as just so very dreary - I gave up before I knew whodunnit as I just could not seem to care.
How can so many exciting topics be made so dull?
I did not care for any of the characters, most of the accents and for a story a young band plucked from obscurity then rocketed to fame, who reunite for a celebrity wedding in which madness and mayhem ensue,it was just so very very dull. I did not get any real idea of what the "grand manor house" was like - I just remember a lot of people hanging around the woodland and possibly a lake.
I had been hoping for a fabulous vicarious luxury mini break and lavish wedding but all I seemed to get was a bit of skulking around the shrubbery, grotty flats and an overwhelming feeling of anti-climax.
I can safely say I have been to more exciting weddings myself without a celeb or luxurious destination wedding venue in sight.
I had this on pre-order so very very disappointed after a run of bad luck with "The Curfew" by TM Logan, "The Club" by Ellery Lloyd, Just Another Liar by Mandy Byatt and quite a few more. I am actually wondering if the pandemic has had a very negative effect on many authors as some of my tried and trusted go-to faves are really letting me down.
Luckily my run of bad book luck has now broken and I am LOVING the sun-soaked luxurious destination thriller "The Cove" by Alice Clark-Platts which is just so beautifully written and has everything I look for and much much more.
If this is the kind of book you think you would be interested in then "The Wedding Murders" will not be for you as just so very dreary - I gave up before I knew whodunnit as I just could not seem to care.
February 6, 2022
Perfect read for a wet and windy weekend and finished in record time as I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.
Set over a dual timeline this is the story of how events in the past can come back to haunt you. Libby and Matthew seem very happy and when he invites her to a wedding of a friend that he was in a successful band with in the 1990’s she is happy to go. In present day Matthew is a successful businessman and as Libby is younger than him she cannot remember him as part of the once famous group. At the hotel on the Eve of the wedding the band mates meet and tensions are high, making Libby wonder how and why things went so wrong. Back in the 90’s we see the tale unfold as mostly told by Matthew. His unrequited love for band mate Alex, their spiral into excess and her eventual death, which led to the band splitting up. Well that is the official story anyway.
Back in present day and Simon has decided to sell the story of the band, including the parts the others definitely want to forget. Then the murders start.
This is a great and fast paced book with good characters and a different and idea using the band and their global success to chart the direction of the story. I enjoyed the titbits that were dropped with each chapter and although I felt the ending was a little rushed I thought it was a good thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and will be recommending.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Set over a dual timeline this is the story of how events in the past can come back to haunt you. Libby and Matthew seem very happy and when he invites her to a wedding of a friend that he was in a successful band with in the 1990’s she is happy to go. In present day Matthew is a successful businessman and as Libby is younger than him she cannot remember him as part of the once famous group. At the hotel on the Eve of the wedding the band mates meet and tensions are high, making Libby wonder how and why things went so wrong. Back in the 90’s we see the tale unfold as mostly told by Matthew. His unrequited love for band mate Alex, their spiral into excess and her eventual death, which led to the band splitting up. Well that is the official story anyway.
Back in present day and Simon has decided to sell the story of the band, including the parts the others definitely want to forget. Then the murders start.
This is a great and fast paced book with good characters and a different and idea using the band and their global success to chart the direction of the story. I enjoyed the titbits that were dropped with each chapter and although I felt the ending was a little rushed I thought it was a good thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and will be recommending.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2022
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the electronic copy.
This is rather an intriguing story which did hold my attention. In the present, from Libby's point of view, she and boyfriend Matthew go to Yorkshire to attend Vicky and Daniel's wedding. Matthew and Daniel, together with Simon and Amir formed a pop band in the early 1990s whilst still at school. Simon was the driving force behind them, writing their songs, and Daniel was lead singer - but they hadn't been in touch since the band broke up after several years.
At a dinner the night before the wedding Simon announces he's written a book about them; Libby witnesses the acrimony that follows. What secrets are they all keeping? Then, on the wedding day, the chief bridesmaid disappears, but Libby's certain that she heard a gunshot somewhere in the hotel grounds.
The narrative also gives us Matthew's point of view on the band's route to stardom to the point of the disaster which tore the band apart.
Intermittently there are extracts from Simon's memoires - again charting their route to success, but detailing his personal decent when enthralled to drink and drugs.
Libby spends her whole time trying to uncover the secret they all hold as well as playing detective to find out what happened to the bridesmaid, and although she was obviously a caring character, her worries and musings became repetitive.
When it all comes to a conclusion I thought it was somewhat rushed; I didn't expect that outcome - and I was left feeling like I'd missed something along the way.
This is rather an intriguing story which did hold my attention. In the present, from Libby's point of view, she and boyfriend Matthew go to Yorkshire to attend Vicky and Daniel's wedding. Matthew and Daniel, together with Simon and Amir formed a pop band in the early 1990s whilst still at school. Simon was the driving force behind them, writing their songs, and Daniel was lead singer - but they hadn't been in touch since the band broke up after several years.
At a dinner the night before the wedding Simon announces he's written a book about them; Libby witnesses the acrimony that follows. What secrets are they all keeping? Then, on the wedding day, the chief bridesmaid disappears, but Libby's certain that she heard a gunshot somewhere in the hotel grounds.
The narrative also gives us Matthew's point of view on the band's route to stardom to the point of the disaster which tore the band apart.
Intermittently there are extracts from Simon's memoires - again charting their route to success, but detailing his personal decent when enthralled to drink and drugs.
Libby spends her whole time trying to uncover the secret they all hold as well as playing detective to find out what happened to the bridesmaid, and although she was obviously a caring character, her worries and musings became repetitive.
When it all comes to a conclusion I thought it was somewhat rushed; I didn't expect that outcome - and I was left feeling like I'd missed something along the way.
February 7, 2022
I received a gifted copy of ‘The Wedding Murders’ by Sarah Linley in return for my honest review.
This book follows Libby, a journalist who is invited to a wedding as the partner of ex-popstar Matthew.
Matthew hasn’t seen his band mates in a long time, but on the first evening tensions start to show, as it is revealed that Simon has written a memoir which will expose a shocking secret.
It is the morning of the wedding and Libby takes a morning jog awkwardly bumping into one of the bridesmaids. On her return to the hotel, she hears a gun shot. Is she being paranoid, or has something devastating happened to the bridesmaid?
The journalist in Libby starts to investigate to try and find out where the missing bridesmaid has gone and to discover the secret the ex-band members are so keen to keep hidden.
Will she find out the secret before anyone else gets hurt?
This book is split between Libby at the wedding, the band’s journey, and Simon’s memoir. This gives a few different sides, and slowly leads up to the big reveal.
I enjoyed reading and it kept me guessing until the end, I didn’t know who could be trusted.
I did feel for Libby as she was put in an awkward situation, not only did she not know anyone but Matthew, but she was made to feel as if she was being paranoid. At least she followed her gut instinct and investigated even after being warned.
Overall, a slow building mystery exposing the secrets of a nineties pop band.
This book follows Libby, a journalist who is invited to a wedding as the partner of ex-popstar Matthew.
Matthew hasn’t seen his band mates in a long time, but on the first evening tensions start to show, as it is revealed that Simon has written a memoir which will expose a shocking secret.
It is the morning of the wedding and Libby takes a morning jog awkwardly bumping into one of the bridesmaids. On her return to the hotel, she hears a gun shot. Is she being paranoid, or has something devastating happened to the bridesmaid?
The journalist in Libby starts to investigate to try and find out where the missing bridesmaid has gone and to discover the secret the ex-band members are so keen to keep hidden.
Will she find out the secret before anyone else gets hurt?
This book is split between Libby at the wedding, the band’s journey, and Simon’s memoir. This gives a few different sides, and slowly leads up to the big reveal.
I enjoyed reading and it kept me guessing until the end, I didn’t know who could be trusted.
I did feel for Libby as she was put in an awkward situation, not only did she not know anyone but Matthew, but she was made to feel as if she was being paranoid. At least she followed her gut instinct and investigated even after being warned.
Overall, a slow building mystery exposing the secrets of a nineties pop band.
January 24, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book!
When you think of a wedding, you would normally think about joy and laughter and tears (happy tears), but this is the complete opposite. If you had any doubt in your mind about the trust you have in your partner, would you accompany them to a wedding near the woods for someone they no longer talk or associate with anymore? Who can you really trust?
They say two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, but what if multiple people know the secret? What would you do to keep that secret and what would you be prepared to do if said secret got out? That’s the overall journey of what our protagonist is trying to uncover.
This story goes back and forth between storylines and timelines so that you can attempt to get the full picture of what happened. I was left with many questions I had hoped would be flushed out to get the full picture of each character, but enjoyed the dual timeframes as well. Some characteristics of the band members seemed to be stereotypical and could have been a little more dynamic.
Without giving away the big reveal, you’re left with one major question: would destroying someone else to bolster your reputation be worth it?
When you think of a wedding, you would normally think about joy and laughter and tears (happy tears), but this is the complete opposite. If you had any doubt in your mind about the trust you have in your partner, would you accompany them to a wedding near the woods for someone they no longer talk or associate with anymore? Who can you really trust?
They say two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, but what if multiple people know the secret? What would you do to keep that secret and what would you be prepared to do if said secret got out? That’s the overall journey of what our protagonist is trying to uncover.
This story goes back and forth between storylines and timelines so that you can attempt to get the full picture of what happened. I was left with many questions I had hoped would be flushed out to get the full picture of each character, but enjoyed the dual timeframes as well. Some characteristics of the band members seemed to be stereotypical and could have been a little more dynamic.
Without giving away the big reveal, you’re left with one major question: would destroying someone else to bolster your reputation be worth it?
February 13, 2022
Libby is attending a celebrity wedding with Matthew, her celebrity boyfriend, a former pop star. Thinking it will be nothing more than a weekend away from her life and her son, Libby is soon thrust into a mystery that has roots to the past, a past that includes things about Matthew that she had no idea about, a past that has a body count that is continuing to grow. Full of stardom, drug abuse, disappearance and death, Libby feels the need to uncover the truth before the truth causes more harm and destruction.
The Wedding Murders was an okay novel; it was a bit predictible, but it was still enjoyable for the most part. I liked the way Linley set up the narrative. It jumps from the present to the past, with some bits of a memoir thrown in, and all these pieces cohere together nicely to tell the story. I liked Libby; her strength and determination are admirable qualities and I found myself rooting for her. The portrayal of the band–its successes and struggles–seemed honest, as well as interesting. While I enjoyed the story, it wasn’t the page-turner that I had hoped it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for gifting to me an early electronic copy of The Wedding Murders, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
The Wedding Murders was an okay novel; it was a bit predictible, but it was still enjoyable for the most part. I liked the way Linley set up the narrative. It jumps from the present to the past, with some bits of a memoir thrown in, and all these pieces cohere together nicely to tell the story. I liked Libby; her strength and determination are admirable qualities and I found myself rooting for her. The portrayal of the band–its successes and struggles–seemed honest, as well as interesting. While I enjoyed the story, it wasn’t the page-turner that I had hoped it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for gifting to me an early electronic copy of The Wedding Murders, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
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