TOUR, REVIEW & #GIVEAWAY - The Wedding Crasher (A Sam Tate Mystery) by Nikki Stern
@partnersincr1me, @hotchoc84 (Charlotte), @realnikkistern
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?
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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.
4 out of 5 (very good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The Wedding Crasher is sharp and intriguing. Sheriff Sam Tate is fab, she's strong, capable and a survivor of a horrific past.....she's likeable and relatable. I found myself rooting for her, not only professionally but on a romantic level......you notice the undercurrent of attraction with Terry.
This well written mystery is full of surprises, twists, turns, romance and a dash of suspense. There's lots of information and subtle clues that cheekily flirt with you and have you questioning many things and people.....I had a ridiculous suspect list!
Read with a light on, beware sassy mature women, treat yourself to a box of chocolates or just a cuppa.....above all be excited because Sam Tate is going to return!! I love it when a great character gets a series.
Although it looks like the story is wrapped up the epilogue sneaks in a cheeky cliffhanger.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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.
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Tour hosted by: Partners in Crime Tours
