Death at an English Wedding by Sara Rosett

"Death at an English Wedding" is the sixth book in the “Murder on Location” series, featuring location scouts Kate Sharp and Alex Norcutt. This installment sees the pair getting married in the English village of Nether Woodsmoor. The body of an unknown man is found on the grounds the morning after the wedding, and with suspicion falling on Kate’s parents, Kate and Alex’s honeymoon is postponed. I have not read any of the previous books in the series, and despite this I didn’t feel that I was missing any critical details. The author did a great job of introducing (or re-introducing) all the supporting characters. Kate seemed a little flat to me at first, until I realized that she is a reserved woman. I have to say I did appreciate the level-headed way in which she handled the discovery of a dead body the morning after her wedding and the postponement of her honeymoon. I loved Kate and Alex’s relationship and how they complement each other; Kate is organized, but Alex is more observant of people. They truly are a team. The mystery itself had enough suspects and clues to keep it interesting; I did think that the discovery of who the murderer is relied a little too heavily on a coincidence, but that did not detract much from my enjoyment of the story. The gently humorous moments, particularly between Kate and her mother, also made the story enjoyable. An observation: the author, Sara Rosett, mentioned at the end of the story that all the previous books have plots in which Jane Austen themes figure heavily. I also noticed some resemblances to Agatha Christie mysteries: the small charming English village with quirky inhabitants, and the tying up of loose ends to all the interested parties after the murderer was apprehended. I really want to read Books One - Five to find out more about Kate and Alex’s location scouting job, as well as the beginning and development of their relationship. I would definitely recommend this book to friends.