”Awesome. She never wanted to go into the wedding planning business but pressure from the other has her finally agreeing. After all it is only for a party of twelve - how hard can it be. Add in a hitman, masked intruders and other underhand tricks for an enthralling read. Great plot and wonderful characters make this a must read.”
How challenging can it be for the owners of this small bed-and-breakfast establishment to prepare for a wedding with a guest list of twelve? It hardly seems like a difficult task.
When Scarlet Wilson is asked to host Annalee Pinault and Gunnar Magnusdotter’s nuptials at the Four Acorns Inn, she never expects it to start a war of matrimonial madness. Three senior citizens want Scarlet to get into the wedding business and they aren't willing to take no for an answer. It doesn't take long for things to spiral out of control. Someone wants to stop Scarlet and the gang, and before long, the dirty tricks turn dangerous! As the day of the wedding approaches, things go from bad to worse. Her mother, Laurel, and Cousin Lacey are ready to pack up and flee to Bermuda...or Tahiti...anywhere their stalker can't find them. Poor Jenny, her assistant, thinks it's her fault these terrible things are happening. And Scarlet? She can't fight an enemy she can't see. Who's behind this horrible campaign of mayhem being waged on the residents of the inn? As tensions and tempers rise, one thing becomes clear -- someone's willing to do just about anything to prevent Scarlet Wilson from hosting weddings at the Four Acorns Inn. Does that include kidnapping the bride?
I love to write, so you will find I am the author of several fast-paced cozy mysteries featuring lively characters like Scarlet Wilson. These tales are laced with humor and romance, but they are of the traditional style of cozy mysteries. The amateur sleuths typically reside in small towns and villages. The crime could take place in your neck of the woods. It could be your next-door neighbor who is found in a heap on the side of the road. It could be your dog that gets the first whiff of that cadaver and alerts you to its presence.
My determined crime solvers might not be trained to tackle big cases, but they do rub elbows with investigators who are used to dealing with wily criminals…and not exactly enthusiastic about having amateur sleuths along for the ride, even clever ones!
While some of the cases are heinous, there is rarely a need to go into detail about any murder scene. To me, that’s like rubbernecking at a traffic accident. If it’s not pertinent to the case, why get gruesome? Nor will you normally hear my cozy mystery characters swear. That doesn’t mean they won’t bicker or get snarky.
As S. M. Barton, I write espionage thrillers. These are not necessarily for the faint of heart. Spies do what they do to achieve their goals. There is normally a lot of excitement, some very hairy twists and turns, and some unconscionable behavior. These are adventures driven by circumstances beyond the control of the protagonists. Survival is the name of the game. It’s not always easy to know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, let alone what kind of havoc that will result from all the mayhem, murder, and madness. If intrigue is your thing, you will want to check these out.