The most dramatic season of the year is upon us: wedding season! I’m not sure there hasn’t been one wedding without at least a smidgeon of drama. Whether it comes from family, friends, loved ones, or the vendors, weddings are a flash point for high expectations, past disappointments, and maybe even old resentments to rear their heads. All of this of course makes for an excellent setting for a novel, specifically murder mysteries and thrillers. Crimes set against the lush and beautiful backdrops of weddings, and especially love, make for fantastic reads. I hope you enjoy these books which show that sometimes dark desires lie behind the happiest moments. 

One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke
Set on a stunning, sun-soaked Greek Island, this bachelorette party ends in murder. Six different women, each with their own secret, travel to celebrate Lexi’s wedding, although it begins to seem too good to be true. This thriller explores female friendships and the deadly consequences when something goes wrong. 

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
When wedding photographer Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, she calls her mother and her aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately it is harder to dispose of a body than they think, as it inadvertently gets shipped to the over-the-top wedding where they will all be working. When her ex enters the picture at the wedding, Meddy and her aunts must pull off a stunning wedding while avoiding murder charges. This humorous novel has a fun follow-up in Four Aunties and a Wedding. 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
This is the book that was the inspiration for this article. It is set on a deserted island off the coast of Ireland, where someone is gravely injured at the reception. The novel then returns to the beginning of the wedding weekend and illustrates who would want a member of the wedding party dead. 

Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison
Set on a stunning island off the coast of Italy, and owned by the wealthy Compton family, painter Claire will marry Jack Compton. However, when she arrives, she discovers that skeletal remains have just been found. There are menacing texts, a ruined wedding dress, and a mystery involving Jack’s first wife. 

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen
Mira hasn’t returned to her hometown since she left more than a decade ago. Running from old friends, the boy she loved, haunting memories, and the sinister plantation nearby, she is finally returning for her childhood friend’s wedding. Mira wants to make amends if she can, but the plantation setting for the wedding unnerves her with the ominous echoes of the past and the horrifying reenactments. As the wedding weekends unfolds, Mira and her friends must deal with the past before they can move forward. 

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
Amaya hasn’t heard from her childhood friend, Kaavi, for quite some time, until she is unexpectedly invited to Kaavi’s wedding. The wedding will be over-the-top and the groom just so happens to be Amaya’s ex-boyfriend and Amaya wants to make sure the wedding doesn’t happen. However, once she arrives, she notices that rumors about her are abundant and when Kaavi goes missing, all evidence points to Amaya, so she must be the one to figure out what’s really going on. 

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Abigail’s dream honeymoon is becomes a nightmare when a man she had a regrettable one-night stand with at her bachelorette party shows up out of the blue. He believes that their night was the beginning of something special, and he has tracked her down to prove it. Torn between ruining her perfect honeymoon (and possibly her marriage) and dealing with it herself, the twists and turns make this a psychological page turner. 

Happy Reading!