Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author Anita Davison for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Murder at the Wedding is the fifth book in Anita Davison’s Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet series. The setting is England during World War I. I read the two books prior to this one, and for the first time, I’d say there are some aspects of this story that I felt I was missing out on. There are many callbacks to events in the first book of the series, which I haven’t read.

Hannah Merrill, a young society woman, is finally marrying Darius Clifford. It won’t be an opulent wedding due to wartime constraints, but it’s a celebration for the two of them nonetheless. On the day of the wedding, the vicar who is to perform the ceremony goes missing. Luckily, Hannah is able to find a substitute at the last minute. While paying tribute to her late best friend following the vows, Hannah and Darius discover the body of the missing vicar. What first looks like a tragic accident on her wedding day is actually a case of murder.

Aunt Violet’s beau, Aiden, works for Scotland Yard, but has been promoted. Although he is the first inspector on site, the investigation into the murder falls to his subordinate, who is not as competent. Feeling invested in the vicar’s death, Hannah and Violet investigate on their own, with some help from a female reporter.

Murder at the Wedding should have felt like a pivotal moment in the series, with Darius and Hannah getting married. Instead, much of the story felt forced. The mystery didn’t flow as well as it did in other books in the series. Hannah and Violet spend much of the book driving around, talking to people, and getting nowhere. There is talk of wartime shortages for things like gasoline, yet it never seems to affect them. Hannah has to adjust to a new life managing the Clifford Household, but shows little interest in doing so. Darius is off working for the Admiralty and appears here and there. Everything just feels quite disjointed. Solving the mystery was impossible until close to the end, as there is information kept back until then.

Good points of the story are how Hannah seems reluctant to treat Darius’ home and property as belonging to her, as Darius reassures her over and over that she doesn’t have to ask his permission. He doesn’t expect her to change into someone different now that she’s married. I also enjoyed learning more about Violet when she was younger and the fun she had. There is lots of talk about the effect of the war on the health of the men who come back, from shell-shock to mustard gas. The start of the flu epidemic also makes it into the story, having a profound effect on one of the ongoing characters. Historically, Davison does a great job.

I did enjoy reading Murder at the Wedding. It is a great, light mystery that feels perfect for a beach day or a cozy evening by the fireplace. I just wish it flowed a bit better. There are also a lot of references back to the first book in the series, which left me lost. I do want to go back and read it eventually, but I haven’t had the time. If you’ve faithfully read every book of the series, you could probably add a star.

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