Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger

Published: August 2, 2022
Berkley
Pages: 272
Genre: Cozy Mystery
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Mimi Granger began her publishing career writing historical romance. Many years later, there’s still nothing she likes better than a happily-ever-after…as long as there’s a little murder and mayhem thrown in. Her Love is Murder mystery series provides the perfect opportunity to salute the two genres she loves most—romance and mystery—and to play out every reader’s dream of owning a fabulous bookstore. Mimi lives outside of Cleveland with her own personal romance hero and two dogs: Eliot, an enthusiastic Airedale, and Lucy, who provides the inspiration for Violet in her stories (including the incredible amount of shed fur).

Lizzie is surprised when Al Little, the owner of the local hardware store, asks Lizzie and her aunt Charmaine to help Svetlana, his new bride straight from Russia, to settle into Tinker’s Creek, but they agree.
Everything is going swimmingly—until a wrench gets thrown into their plans when Svetlana is found drowned in the creek.
With Al’s suspicious best friend—who has his own mysterious mail-order bride—and the secretive matchmaker who put them together, Lizzie’s got more suspects than she knows what to do with. But she’ll have to nail down who the killer is fast, before someone else winds up dead.
“The next day was the wedding. Things had to get better. Right?”
Lexie is working in her shop when another business owner comes in and asks her for help. He’s met someone online, and she’s coming to town! There is a wedding to plan and no time to waste. When the bride ends up face down in the canal after the wedding, everyone is stunned. There is a murderer somewhere on the loose and, of course, a grieving groom to console. Lizzie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, but this time there is a target on her back.
This series is so good! We are back with our characters, diving deeper into the town’s history and the connections between the past and present.
We get to know Lizzie so much more in this second novel, which is fantastic. The chemistry with Max is strong as ever, and I am ready for someone to make a move- and more than just the cowboy boogie.
I enjoyed getting to know other citizens of Tinker’s Creek. Al was such a sweet character, hardworking and kind. Otis was a crabby old man who was selfish and mean-spirited. Galina was a mail-order bride who was not the warmest neighbor in the town.
I am enjoying the dynamic between Max and Lizzie and am looking forward to what happens between them. Again, Violet was a cute side character, and I’m glad she was given more of a showcase in this book.
I am ready for book 3! Hopefully, we won’t have to wait a whole year to discover what is happening in this charming small town.