Laura Durham

Meh. Seriously, the characters were well-drawn and likeable, but the plot was ridiculous. I am prepared to suspend a certain amount of disbelief when reading cozies, but this had zero plausibility. Detective Reese would have shut Annabelle down so fast, it would make your head spin. This isn't some podunk town where everybody knows everybody. It's Washington DC and I would suppose the cops would be a bit more professional than Reese and company. And I think Boyd was a cabinet member or some show more such. That would have been a big bloody deal and Annabelle, Kate and Richard would all have been taken in for questioning. Honestly, don't write down to your readers. show less

STORY-LNE:

Annabelle Archer, the wedding planner to the rich, latest wedding, includes a gay groomzilla who would put the worse bridezilla to shame; as well as groomsmaids, and a drag queen officiant. Finding the officiant strangled just tops off her day. When the deaths keep coming, Annabelle and friends must try to solve the mystery before the next body falls. My book reviews follow.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT

As always Laura Durham created an intriguing storyline, fascinating show more characters, and a unique "whodunit." Her characters are wonderfully original and interesting as she gives us a glimpse into the world of wedding planning, murder solving, and the gay and drag queen world. Annabelle's gang of friends reappear in each novel as Laura Durham enlarges their personalities and traits. I think it would be a toss-up to name my favorite character; they are all "over the top" and hoots.

Durham's plotting is excellent, and as always, the storyline has a lot of action from a gay wedding, suspense, the drag scene, to Annabelle's romance with the "hunky hot cop." She had me continuously laughing as I raced through this tale. With scenes which transition smoothly and writing which flowed well, Durham created an entertaining storyline. By holding the identity of the culprit close to her chest, Durham's dramatic ending to this hilarious tale is a huge surprise.

MY OPINION:

Every time I pick up an Annabelle Archer novel, I know I am in store for snarky comments, a fast pace, laughs galore, and a mystery which will keep me enthralled from start to finish. Each book keeps getting better and better as Durham creates the story of Annabelle and her gay friends solving murder after murder. Annabelle's love life has expanded as have the storylines. I love each character; I feel I have come to know them personally and have become involved in their lives. I look forward to the next Annabelle Archer mystery novel and would not hesitate to buy this tale of murder and mayhem for myself or a friend.

GROOMED FOR MURDER RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE:

Additionally, I received a copy from the author. I chose to review with honest romance book reviews voluntarily. Lastly, reviews of any novel are dependent on the author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews online and under my name, are my opinions. show less

IT DOES INDEED END WELL!

From reading her highly entertaining Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Mystery Series, author Laura Durham has brought innumerable laughs and entertainment to my life. She has just released Book 20, Aisle’s Well That Ends Well, which completes this series. She ends the series with an excellent plot to keep readers engaged from the first page to the last! Durham’s fun cast of characters consists of wedding planner Annabelle Archer, her longtime assistant and now show more business partner, Kate, Richard Gerard, their caterer, Fern, the most sought-after hairdresser to all their brides, and Christian biker florists Buster and Mack. This time, the gang is working to pull off the “perfect” New Year’s Eve Wedding for Kate, and Annabelle, who is eight months pregnant, is the Matron of Honor! Can this group, with an unfortunate reputation for finding murderers, make it through Kate’s wedding without finding one? That would make Annabelle’s husband, the police detective, very happy! However, murderers never seem to take a holiday, and readers will discover that Durham is masterful in her descriptions of people, places, and things. She gives you the feeling of being “in the moment” with the telling of the story. I highly recommend this book and this entire series! show less

I enjoyed this book not just because the mystery was fun but because the characters were well-developed (for the 1st in the series) as well as the setting - right in my neighborhood so the little details of road names and getting around in traffic were spot on.

Annabelle Archer is a wedding planner and we all know how family and wedding party members can be a bit over the top, so when the MOB is found dead before the cake is cut, the wedding planner (Annabelle) has some damage control to show more handle.

Will definitely be looking for the next in the series. show less