Mystery and Romance? Yes Please!
Marriage and Murder
Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries
Cozy Mystery
Cipher-Naught
March 2, 2021
ebook, audiobook, paperback
275
The Devil is in the details . . .
Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.
On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty.
Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after?
And most importantly, who done it?
‘Marriage and Murder’ is the second book in the cozy mystery series Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries. It is best read after Winston Brothers #3, ‘Beard Science’ (which can be read as a standalone) and Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1, ‘Engagement and Espionage.’
A Perfectly Crafted Mystery
“Having a beautiful future doesn’t lessen what you’ve lived through, it doesn’t mean you’re not grieving hard enough or that you’re ignoring weighty matters…”
Is there anything better than finding out that Penny Reid’s cozy mystery series featuring fan-favorite power couple, Cletus and Jenn, is actually a spicy romance cloaked in mystery and wrapped in intrigue?
I would argue that there isn’t. Marriage and Murder is the third standalone in the interconnected series, Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries, and is equally as swoony as it’s predecessors. I was able to simultaneously devour Marriage and Murder on e-book and audiobook and was equally charmed by both. There is a reason why fans clamor for any and all crumbs related to Cletus, Jenn, and any character in the Green Valley family and that is because a small town set in the Smokey Mountains brings a big heap of drama—especially when a murder occurs during the highly-anticipated engagement party Winston/Sylvester duo.
“…It means you honor everything you’ve been through, all the hellish obstacles, and you recognize that you’re worthy of happiness, of beauty, or peace.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been more invested in a murder mystery than I was while reading Marriage and Murder. I absolutely think that Penny Reid may have missed her calling as a mystery writer because there could be ten more books in this series and if they were written with the carefully crafted and snark-filled details like the first three books, then I would gladly read them. The mystery surrounding the murder is sneakily revealed, chapter by chapter, crumb by crumb. I love that Penny Reid can weave such a great story. Truly her fans are here for whatever spell she weaves within her books.
“I loved his hands. They were big and strong, scarred, rough with calluses, but so incredibly gentle whenever he reached for me, held me, or touched me.”
While murder is the name of the game, love reigns supreme and is the dominant theme. Jenn and Cletus’ love and relationship is the stuff of romance lover’s dreams. Their scenes burn up the pages, and between the dialogue and descriptions while listening to Chris Brinkley and Joy Nash narrate, I found myself blushing like a properly scandalized Southern Women (which I am not btw). Love doesn’t just touch Jenn and Cletus. The love that flows and ebbs between family members, the love of a community, and the love between friends is all key within Marriage and Murder. Isn’t that what a wedding brings to light?
Marriage and Murder is yet another unputdownable book within an unputdownable series. If you’re like me and Penny Reid is an automatic one-click then I don’t need to persuade you to read this series. If you’re new to Penny Reid, you’re in for an absolute treat. Don’t hit the snooze button on this phenomenal author. Marriage and Murder is available now, so look for it on your favorite platforms!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
