Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: To Love and to Perish - 3rd in the Annabelle Archer Mystery series
Author: Laura Durham
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0-0607-3908-8
Release Date: January 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Mystery/Chicklit
Year/Setting: Present Day - Washington D.C.
Overall rating: 4.9
Sexual Content Rating: None (alluded to/innuendo)
Language (Profanity) Content Rating: None/Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Laura's Website:
www.lauradurham.com
Annabelle Archer has all the fun. Or maybe she has all the bad luck. Not only does she find the body of a fellow wedding planner scant hours before the Persian themed wedding Annabelle planned is about to start, she finds her hanging directly over the ceremony stage.
Thus the chaos begins, even though Annabelle is fairly determined to stay on the sidelines, let the police handle the investigation. She really meant to, but when she discovers another body, another wedding planner, at a holiday party murdered in the same MO, well, that’s a "house of a different color" isn’t it? (no that’s not a type-o)
Now, not only does Annabelle have to deal with over the top mother’s and bride-to-be’s (Wow!), it’s time to subtly ask some questions, figure things out. In other words, snoop. After all it’s possibly a matter of life or death. Her death. But with her assistant, Kate, and friends Richard and Fern(ando) "helping", there’s no such thing as subtly. Only drama and flamboyance.
It comes down to time being of the essence, as the wedding planning industry of D.C., and the killer, somehow found out she’s trying to find the killer, trying to put the pieces together. However the pieces she has doesn’t seem to fit. There’s something she’s missing, but will she figure it out before the life is choked out of her?
With a fabulous, fleshed out ensemble that surrounds Annabelle, you’ll find yourself not only smiling and shaking your head in wonder; you’ll find yourself analyzing the scenes along with the characters. Provided you don’t read too fast, causing you to miss the subtle, yet visible clues. And even then you wonder if you’re headed down the right track.
To Love and to Perish starts off with a bang and ends with a bang (figuratively-kind of) and sandwiched in between is pure suspenseful, dramatic, fast-paced fun. This book ended all too soon.
Laura Durham has created a brilliant series. The plots are unique and slightly off the wall. Her writing is tight, full of sass and wit, suspense and intrigue, and just enough wacky danger. Is it any wonder she’s come to be an automatic buy?
The only problem? How long we have to wait for the next Annabelle Archer Mystery!
Connie
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