For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls

by Nancy Mehl

Book Overview

Ivy Towers is getting married to the love of her life. . .but she finds that trying to run a rare bookstore and plan her upcoming nuptials is more than she can handle. In steps Delaphine Shackleford,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1602601321
• ISBN13: 9781602601321
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.1" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Witty, warm-hearted and well-written

Things are going well for bookstore owner Ivy Towers. She's found her God-given career, is marrying her childhood sweetheart and settling in a charming little town. If only she could find a way to back out of the plans floated by well-meaning volunteer wedding planner Delaphine Shackleford, whose "out there" ideas threaten to overwhelm Ivy's dream of a sweet, simple wedding. When someone murders Dela in a particularly bizarre manner, Ivy is on the list of suspects and there'll be another death before the frightening mystery is solved. Endearing characters, witty dialogue, a tantalizing puzzle that plays fair with the reader (ie. all the clues are there), set in a Mitford-like community; these are the elements I require in a fine cozy mystery, and FOR WHOM THE WEDDING BELL TOLLS, the third in Nancy Mehl's "Cozy in Kansas" trilogy, has them all. Author Mehl populates her fictional town Winter Break with three-dimensional, imperfect (and sometimes comically named) people, similar to those you've known all your life. The places, too, have texture and substance. Ruby's Redbird Cafe, especially, is a place where I'd really love to eat. The Christian message in the story is woven seamlessly into the characters' lives and side plots serve as natural parables that reflect God's love. For good measure, Nancy Mehl actually shares Ivy's favorite wedding present with the reader. (While FOR WHOM is the last in the "Cozy in Kansas" anthology, there is also a Winter Break sequel, THERE GOES SANTA CLAUS, featuring newlyweds Ivy and Amos.)

Another Nancy Mehl winner

Nancy Mehl is quickly becoming known as the queen of cozy! Love, love, love this writer! Her down-to-earth characters and realistic settings make me feel as though I've stepped into the perfect little town-one I've always longed to live in. Winter Break, Kansas is filled with people we all know. I could not put the book down. This is the third book in her Ivy Towers series and (good grief) I hope not the last. These characters jumped right off the page and into my heart. Sometimes, mysteries tend to become sluggish toward the middle. Not this one! The pacing is perfect and the characters are so enthralling it kept me turning the pages to the very end. Not very conducive to getting any housecleaning chores finished, but GREAT for an exciting read! Love the romance. Adore Ivy and Amos and that sweet, homeless little dog. PLUS, there's the added bonus of Ruby's Redbird Burger recipe tucked away at the end of the book. Oh, my goodness. Highly recommend this book, this writer, and that burger! Thank you, Ms. Mehl!

delightful cozy mystery

Book 3 of the Ivy Towers series continues the saga with panache. I'm not particularly a mystery fan but thoroughly enjoy this series for several reasons: Ivy Towers is a delightful, realistic character who has become my friend; Winter Break is so typically small town Kansas that I smile every time I read about its quirks and follies; the citizens of Winter Break are so appealing, with all their foibles and eccentricities, that I want to meet them; and....I desperately long to eat one of Ruby's Redbird burgers. Nancy Mehl has done an exceptional job of bringing Ivy, Amos, Winter Break, and its citizens to vibrant life in this series. It's been a long wait since their teenage years, but Ivy and Deputy Amos Parker are finally planning a February wedding. Between running her successful bookstore and struggling to focus on other responsibilities, Ivy can't seem to do any actual planning. The wedding is only a couple months away and all Ivy knows is that she wants a church wedding. Enter Delaphine Shackleford, Society Queen and Wedding Planner. Delaphine and her husband J.D. are new to Winter Break. She doesn't really enjoy small town life and thinks planning Ivy's wedding will be a welcome distraction. Her flamboyant wedding plans drive Ivy nuts, but their association does not last long. Very soon, "murder victim" is added to Delaphine's resume. Who would murder the harmless Society Queen with a bronze chopstick, in Ivy's driveway no less? And why? And who will plan Ivy's wedding, now that Delaphine is dead? Rumors abound at the town's gathering spot, Ruby's Redbird Cafe. Ivy seems to attract murder victims like a magnet and this crime has her stumped. The Sheriff and Deputy Parker now have a murder to investigate along with bank robberies around the county. Are the crimes connected? Readers will find clues and the usual red herrings as they assist Ivy in solving the mysteries. Mehl keeps us on our toes as we follow every lead to the final solution. The author also provides a couple interesting sub plots to entertain us. As an added bonus, readers finally discover the secret ingredient that makes Ruby's Redbird Burgers so delicious! Cozy mystery fans will be thrilled as they snuggle into their favorite chair with a cup of hot chocolate and help Ivy solve this one. I'll hate to see this exceptional series end.