Mackinac Island is once more the real star of a mystery. The upcoming wedding between police officer Rex Manning and Allie McMurphy, proprietor of a hotel and fudge shop, is only two weeks away at the start of FUDGE AND MARRIAGE. Little as Allie likes it, her overly fussy mother is taking control of events.
After she returns a stack of wedding magazines, Allie is distraught to discover a senior lady, Velma French, on the ground in the library landscaping area. Allie’s just seen a typical sniping session between Velma and her rival Myrtle Bautita in the library. But surely they wouldn’t come to blows, and anyway, Velma has a large head wound, and there are no blood marks on Myrtle. It looks as though a premeditated murder occurred.
The Candy-Coated Mysteries famously feature Mackinac Island, where few cars are allowed, and tourists flock to sample sailing and fudge each summer. I can’t understand why Allie and Rex are marrying in June, at the height of the busy season, instead of during a quieter time. But maybe they wanted good weather and were tired of waiting. Anyway, all the hostelries are booked, yet Allie’s mother, who isn’t given a first name that I can find, imports a dozen rather snobby aunts and uncles as wedding guests a fortnight ahead of the big day. Much time is taken by this mother of the bride insisting on dress fittings (for a vintage dress, not the one Allie is getting sewn) and makeup sessions (for her daughter the busy fudge maker). Mystery readers will have to put up with the details of preparation, family fussing and fighting, which all remove the stressed Allie from her preferred hobby of crime solving. She does manage to walk her little dog, Mal, the Bichonpoo with a nose for clues. The book club along with Allie’s Aunt Ginny helps to piece together everyone’s movements and motives.
This isn’t the usual fudge shop mystery, then, and new readers will have too many unfamiliar characters and not enough suspects. For this reason, I suggest Nancy CoCo provide a story around the wedding of her two major characters, Allie and Rex, which will suit the longstanding series fans. New readers would do better to start with any of the previous books. FUDGE AND MARRIAGE contains a few of the recipes in use at the hotel, for deliciously sweet goodies which would certainly fuel a stroll around the scenic lake island.
Only two things might ruin fudge maker Allie McMurphy’s wedding: murder—and her mother . . .
June is always beautiful on Mackinac Island, which is why Allie chose this month for her wedding to police officer Rex Manning—definitely Mackinac Island’s finest in more ways than one. But if her mother has her way, that’s the last choice Allie will get to make. Allie’s the furthest thing from a Bridezilla—but it looks like she has a Momzilla on her hands. Why else have her mother and extended family shown up a full two weeks before the nuptials to drive Allie to dizzying distraction?
Honestly, a murder investigation is far less stressful—and as it happens, Allie just found Velma French dead on the ground beside the rock that killed her, with her rival Myrtle sobbing nearby. Things don’t look good for Myrtle, but all may not be what it seems. Allie vows to solve the crime before she walks down the aisle. But a killer has other ideas—and they seem to be focused on Allie herself . . .
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