Carrie Reynolds has found her Prince Charming, Oliver Phoenix, and will be his wife in a few short weeks. But before the seemingly perfect couple officially tie the knot, they have a joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend at the renowned Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO. One of Carrie’s coworkers, Lana, invites her friend and FBI Agent Andi Castle to tag along, not wanting to attend by herself. Eager to get out of the spotlight from recently catching a serial killer, Andi reluctantly agrees. What starts off as a celebration turns into a murder mystery when someone turns up dead in their hotel room, with multiple stab wounds. And when the only witness is missing, Andi’s thrown back into another case. But as she quickly discovers, everyone has secrets, including the bride and groom. The Wedding Party by L. R. Jones is a thriller novel in which Andi must beat the clock to uncover the truth and solve the murder before the killer stops any other secrets from coming out.
Book
One could say that investigating crimes is in Andi’s blood. Her father is none other than Eddie Castle, an ex-cop who got fired after taking matters into his own hands and assaulted a criminal on the job. Consequently, Andi finds herself ignoring cheap jokes about her father’s history. But she also ensures the Castle name doesn’t go down the drain. And even though this was supposed to be a weekend away, her investigative skills kick in even before the murder takes place. She begins observing the bridesmaids and groomsmen, getting to know them and their personal histories with the happy couple. She also can’t help but notice who is uneasy about the fact that she is an FBI agent.
And when they find the body the next morning, those observations come in handy. The night before, Oliver seemed occupied and stressed about something, though it’s not clear what. Carrie became upset about one of Oliver’s former friends, Brody, attending the party uninvited. Then there’s Oliver’s sister, Natalie, described by most as an unpleasant grouch (to put it nicely). When Andi begins her investigation the next day, she learns more about both Oliver’s and Carrie’s family history and why someone might want to sabotage their nuptials. Or, more interestingly, unearth the secrets that could do just that.
Review
The Wedding Party is the second psychological thriller by Jones. Having read the first, I can confidently say this one is an improvement. The author weaves in more clues and characters to throw the reader off the trail as Andi tries to figure out who committed the murder and why. However, the pace was a bit slow, and the revelations are delivered intermittently between underwhelming dialogue between characters. Most, if not all, of the clues point to one person being the murderer. Even those in the couple’s inner circle seem convinced of the suspect’s guilt. While the author attempts to throw us off, those diversions become plot holes and loose ends once all is uncovered. Not to mention that the final reveal is unfortunately anticlimactic.
I won’t even get into the repetition over Andi’s profession, her forced similarities to her father, and the problematic portrayals of women throughout the entire book. Furthermore, the dual POV between Carrie and Andi doesn’t quite deliver the effect I’m guessing was intended. It added suspense to the story, for sure, but also confused me as a reader after Andi solves the crime. Nevertheless, readers who appreciate Jones’ work will not be disappointed.
L. R. Jones joins the Cantina Book Club podcast for a Cantina Conversation. She shares how her process with this story compared to her previous thriller, and plans for more. Keep an ear out for the interview on a future episode and preorder The Wedding Party, available February 20.
