Rosalee is madly in love with Asher, a handsome, successful lawyer who is absolutely crazy about her - so naturally when he proposes she says yes. They've purchased a beautiful old farmhouse, they're blissfully in love, it's just too bad there's drama surrounding them - and because Rosalee is too damn nice for her own good, that drama is coming to her bachelorette party in New Orleans.
The guest list for a fun-filled (sarcasm) weekend is as follows:
Elizabeth: Rosalee's soon-to-be mother-in-law, a total bitch who has been taking not-so-subtle jabs at Rosalee because she KNOWS she's not good enough for her precious baby boy. The woman he should be marrying and giving her grandchildren is his best friend, but more on her in a minute....
Bri: Asher's sister, Elizabeth's daughter. She's not the girly, feminine daughter of Elizabeth's dreams. She's built like her father, tall, square jaw, broad shoulders, and not the least bit interested in marriage or babies. No, Bri is a computer genius and has her own start-up. Like her mother she's not a big fan of Rosalee.
Mara: Rosalee's BFF from college and the only character who just might be a bigger bitch than Elizabeth. She's fiercely protective and loyal to Rosalee, and is part street fighter, part mean girl. This is a woman you do not want to cross and she planned the entire bachelorette weekend.
Tinsley: Rosalee's cousin. When Rosalee's parents died in a car accident when she was younger, she went to live with her aunt and Tinsley. The two are more like sisters, very close, but having drifted apart when Rosalee went to college and hitched her wagon to Mara. Tinsley is the co-planner of the weekend and is already a little hot under the collar, having max'ed out her credit cards to pay for the party with Mara promising to "pay her back."
Georgia: Asher's best friend since childhood. Former nurse, now owner of a struggling yoga studio, impossibly gorgeous and the woman who Elizabeth thinks her son should be marrying. Too nice Rosalee has asked Georgia to be a bridesmaid even as she struggles with doubts that Georgia and Asher are "just friends."
The book opens up with a local New Orleans detective walking the crime scene at the mansion where the bachelorette party was staying. A dead body having been found, hung by a noose from the rafters in the dining hall. Then the author backtracks, introducing the reader to all the characters and the drama that unfolds leading up to the discovery of the body. Half the fun of this story is that the reader doesn't know who the victim is until the final third of the book as the detective has hauled in members of the bachelorette party for questioning. They all have secrets, many of them hinted at as the drama preceding the murder unfolds, and it's in this final third when it all comes spilling out.
Sometimes when I read a book I'm struck by vibes, or a feeling, that I can't quite articulate in a meaningful way and that's what's going on with me here. This story read young to me. As in impossibly young women squee'ing about it on TikTok and making me feel like the embittered old crone I'm beginning to suspect I'm becoming. This smacked of a TikTok book to me, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a good time reading it even if it did make me feel old (for some reason?) and even though it didn't change my life.
First, we have a creepy mansion in New Orleans as the setting. I can't say no to that. Second, there's a dead body but you don't know who the dead body is until the final chapters of the book which makes for riveting reading especially since you kind of dislike or outright hate every character. Seriously any of them could have been the victim and it would have made me happy. Lastly, this is a short, fast read. Less than 300 pages. No filler, no fluff, just get down to business with the sniping, passive aggressive behavior and secrets.
I wasn't totally in love with the ending but the author throws in a twist at the end to keep things interesting and just reaffirms what a nest of vipers this crew is. I was entertained and you know what? That's good enough for me. I'd never heard of Lynch before picking up this book but I've heard of her now. I'll read more.
Final Grade = B-
2 comments:
Well, well, I'm honestly intrigued--the whole "we don't know who's dead until the last third"? oh yeah, aztec catnip.
My only problem is the "they sound young" thing. Must read the sample at least, before anything else.
And WOOT WOOT! Another highly-graded read for you, yay!
AL: Yes, big fan of reading samples. I can't articulate why, but this just felt "young" to me. I have no doubt 20-something Wendy would have loved every word but it kind of made present day Wendy feel old for some weird reason....
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