Bride and Doom

Part of the Irish House series, this mind-boggling mystery begins with the preparations of Tess Darby's wedding to her beloved Luke Fredrik. A bridal shower is held at the Victoria Springs Country Club. From the start, tempers flare as the club chef, Julian Walker, despises anyone stepping foot in his kitchen domain-most of all the Irish House cook, Gertie Bogart. Then Julian is found murdered and the finger is pointed to Gertie. In two weeks Tess rushes to clear the name of her dear friend and cook by diving into an investigation of her own to determine who the real killer is. As the suspect list begins to grow, postponing her wedding seems inevitable.Jean Hager has created a wonderful amateur sleuth mystery full of likely suspects that will keep you guessing until the final page. Each character is developed to the max explaining their hopes, their fears, and touching emotions. While the victim is obvious from the start, solving the murder proves to be a difficult task for even the best mystery minds. A thrilling, captivating read!

The Iris House B & B would be a great place to spend a few days. It might not be terribly relaxing, but if the stories set there are any indication, one would be treated to a beautifully decorated, very comfortable room; prize-winning cuisine; a cozy library up in the remodeled attic--and possibly a real-life mystery or two. The previous books in this series have introduced us to Tess Darcy, the owner of Iris House, which was a surprise bequest. Not knowing what to do with it, she converted it into the B & B, and has managed to fill it with various groups of intriguing and sometimes murderous clients. Along the way, she has become engaged to the handsome Luke Fredrik, added an apartment for them to the original house, and acquainted us with her staff and family--those who still live in Victoria Springs and her father's second family, now residing in France. Of course, there is a somewhat bumbling chief of police who really doesn't like Tess very much, and who can blame him, when she's so much more intelligent and logical than he is? Even so, Tess never comes across as a know-it-all; rather, more like a woman any other woman would be pleased to call 'friend'. Certainly, any woman in trouble would like such a friend. As one might guess from the title, this book centers around the wedding of Tess and Luke. A bridal shower is being given at the country club, and when the officious master chef is found with his own butcher knife in his chest, everyone present takes a turn at being the main suspect. It's a near thing, though, for Gertie Bogart, the cook at Iris House. Finally, however, all the clues fall into place, and the wedding takes place as scheduled. This reader hopes that marriage and a family do not spell retirement for Tess. At least, not until I can go spend some time there. I highly recommend Iris House for any reader of cozy mystery novels, especially, but I'm sure anyone would be made welcome!

As Tess Darcy prepares for her upcoming wedding, she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery as she tries to clear her cook, Gertie from being the prime suspect. This is a very enjoyable book with an interesting plot and likable characters. The story moves along at a good pace without unnecessary, diverting details, and the subplot of Tess'wedding adds a cozy feel. I highly recommend this book for those mystery fans who like light, cozy stories.