"The Wedding Party" by L.R. Jones

 

"The Wedding Party" by L.R. Jones is a psychological thriller revolving around a pre-wedding party gone wrong. The premise sounded promising, so I decided to give it a shot.

Carrie, a nurse, is engaged to Oliver, a successful businessman. They decided to combine their bachelor/bachelorette party and host it at the Historic Stanley Hotel located in Estes Park, Colorado. Lana, a good friend of the bride, invites FBI profiler Andi to come with her as her plus one, and after much hesitation, Andi accepts. She needs a break after all from her last case and from the constant references to her father, who was kicked out of the police force and opened his own agency. He is called Frank Castle, no less (is taking the name of the character Punisher even legal?). The plot thickens when a murder is committed at that weekend getaway. As Andi starts digging, curious tidbits pop up, befuddling the investigation.

The book opens with a bang, a murder that took place six months previously, then fast-forwards to the present. The book is written in the first-person POV, alternating between Carrie and Andi. I didn't connect to any of the characters, and some of Andi's methods of investigation made me raise an eyebrow. I liked the wink to the Punisher, but it seems odd to name a character after a TV series character. Also, to nickname a serial murderer 'Spiderman' seems a bit too much.

While this story has a lot of potential and is certainly entertaining, it does have its flaws. There were some plot holes - it wasn't clear why Oliver was bothered by Andy's presence at the party, for example, and the ending felt a bit abrupt, leaving me wishing for more closure.

I liked the dynamics between Andi and her father, but him calling her "daughter" all the time seems a bit strange. No one calls his daughter "daughter" while conversing with her. It doesn't ring true. Also, the repeated references to her father's conduct and to her being an FBI agent were redundant. We got it, she is an FBI agent, and he is like the Punisher. No need to rub it in our faces. Also, the writing was a bit stilted at times, and some of the dialogue didn't flow or feel natural.

Overall, I enjoyed the book despite it all. The execution of it was perhaps a bit lax in places, but I still enjoyed the journey and can forgive its flaws. I didn't guess the identity of the murderer, although I had my suspicions, and there were some interesting twists to the story I didn't see coming.

While I wasn't completely captivated by the tale, I wasn't bored by it either. I think the book does have potential, and straightening out its kinks will make this a better read. Until then, I rate the book 3.5 out of 4 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for some light reading in this genre. Just don't come with high expectations.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Wedding Party" by L.R. Jones