The Wedding Crasher
by Nikki Stern
on Tour June 1-30, 2019
Synopsis:
A brunette in a bridal gown turns up in Pickett County, Tennessee, throat slit and ring finger missing. She’s the latest victim of the Wedding Crasher, a serial killer who murders women just weeks before their weddings.Samantha Tate is Picket County’s yoga-loving, poker-playing new sheriff, a former Nashville homicide detective who struggles with her inner demons. To catch the meticulous murderer, Sam will have to follow her instincts and ignore her worst impulses. Can she stop the Wedding Crasher before another bride-to-be dies?
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery
Published by: Ruthenia Press
Publication Date: May 8, 2019
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 978-0-9995487-3-8
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
The dead woman lay in the clearing like a macabre version of Sleeping Beauty. She was dressed in a long-sleeved, high-necked ivory gown, set off by luminescent pearl drop earrings and a matching necklace that almost hid the dried blood around her throat. Her head rested on a satin pillow, her silky walnut hair spread behind her like a fan. The right hand held a bouquet of wilted flowers and rested on her chest underneath the left, absent the fourth finger. The ring finger.
Sheriff Sam Tate stood to one side of the grim tableau, arms folded, and took it all in: the victim; the tall white-haired man who knelt by the body; the deputy who walked the scene in throwaway boots, snapping pictures; the pale young man in running gear sitting on a rock, head almost to his knees; the uniformed officer who squatted beside him.
Sam had dressed in her standard uniform of pressed black slacks and a spotless white shirt. A shaft of early-morning sun bounced off the polished badge at her left breast pocket. On her right wrist, she wore a utilitarian watch. Three small studs twinkled along one earlobe, her single visible concession to a rebellious streak. She’d pulled her unruly dark locks into a tight braid. Ray-Bans shielded her green eyes, though not the line that formed between her brows.
One of the victim’s low-heeled white pumps had dropped off to reveal a slim ankle in hosiery. Stockings, not pantyhose, held up by an old-fashioned garter. Sam didn’t need to look.
He’s back, she thought, adding a curse for good measure.
***
Excerpt from The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern. Copyright 2019 by Nikki Stern. Reproduced with permission from Nikki Stern. All rights reserved.
Sheriff Sam Tate stood to one side of the grim tableau, arms folded, and took it all in: the victim; the tall white-haired man who knelt by the body; the deputy who walked the scene in throwaway boots, snapping pictures; the pale young man in running gear sitting on a rock, head almost to his knees; the uniformed officer who squatted beside him.
Sam had dressed in her standard uniform of pressed black slacks and a spotless white shirt. A shaft of early-morning sun bounced off the polished badge at her left breast pocket. On her right wrist, she wore a utilitarian watch. Three small studs twinkled along one earlobe, her single visible concession to a rebellious streak. She’d pulled her unruly dark locks into a tight braid. Ray-Bans shielded her green eyes, though not the line that formed between her brows.
One of the victim’s low-heeled white pumps had dropped off to reveal a slim ankle in hosiery. Stockings, not pantyhose, held up by an old-fashioned garter. Sam didn’t need to look.
He’s back, she thought, adding a curse for good measure.
***
Excerpt from The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern. Copyright 2019 by Nikki Stern. Reproduced with permission from Nikki Stern. All rights reserved.
REVIEW: 3.5 STARS
I was sent this book to review. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal
opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have
sent me books to review.
Have you ever picked up a book and
decided you were just not in the mood for it?
It is me, not you kind of thing!
That is what happened with The Wedding Crasher. At first I thought I was not going to be able
to get into this, but I put it down for a week and when I finally picked it back
up I am glad I did.
I really enjoyed this one. I will say I am not a huge fan of detective
work in stories unless it is done right.
This was done pretty well and I found myself interested in everything
going on and wanting to know how everything was going to unfold. It was not repetitive like some stories that
involve police/investigations.
Like some others mentioned, I also
really appreciated the pacing of this story.
I had no issue wanting to reach for it once I finally got into the
story. I liked the story and the characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and
the writing. I would love to check out
more from the author in the future.
Author Bio:
Nikki Stern is the author of the inspirational HOPE IN SMALL DOSES, a 2015 Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal finalist, and the thriller THE FORMER ASSASSIN, a 2018 Kindle Book Review category finalist. Her essays are included in three anthologies and she co-authored the interactive Café Noir murder mystery series, published by Samuel French. Eight of her short stories have been published in various online journals and she was a Mark Twain Royal Nonesuch finalist for her short story “Long Away and Far Ago.” Nikki is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Catch Up With Nikki Stern On:
nikkistern.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!
Tour Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!06/01 Review @ From the TBR Pile
06/02 Showcase @ Eclectic Moods
06/03 Review @ Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
06/03 Review @ Nesies Place
06/04 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
06/05 Showcase @ Books Direct
06/06 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
06/07 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
06/08 Showcase @ Read and Review
06/09 Review @ EienCafe
06/10 Interview @ Books Chatter
06/11 Review @ Wall-to-wall books
06/12 Review @ Books with Bircky
06/12 Review @ Brooke’s Library
06/13 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
06/13 Showcase @ Loris Reading Corner
06/14 Showcase @ Reading a Page Turner
06/17 Review @ Bless their hearts mom blog
06/18 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf
06/19 Interview @ CMash Reads
06/19 Showcase @ The Reading Frenzy
06/20 Interview @ Reading a Page Turner
06/20 Review @ Cassandra M’s Place
06/21 Review @ Buried Under Books
06/22 Review @ Jessica Rachow
06/23 Review @ Cy Wyss, Author and Artist
06/24 Review @ Simply Kelina
06/25 Review @ Quiet Fury Books
06/26 Review @ The Magic Of Wor(l)ds
06/28 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
06/30 Showcase @ Teatime and Books
This book sounds like the perfect summer read!
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