You are cordially invited to a destination wedding to die for… Welcome to Bocas del Toro, a remote chain of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Five days of glorious sun and lush rainforest await the forty guests celebrating Bridezilla Olivia’s dream wedding—but will a grisly murder sink the catered affair? Before anyone’s got time to start working on a tan, an unfortunate snorkeling accident eliminates a member of the wedding party. Maid of honor Lexie Marino smells trouble, and takes it upon herself to investigate, hoping to solve the case before her bestie’s trip down the aisle gets tropically derailed.
Lexie’s a little too tall, a little too awkward, and a little too brokenhearted, but she’s determined to nail the real killer. Can this unlikely sleuth stay afloat as she’s hit by wave after wave of wildly entertaining characters, including an alpha bride, surfing detectives, and a high school flame long forgotten? You’ll find yourself laughing until the very end of Drowning Lessons, a debut cozy mystery that makes the perfect beach read. Rub in some coconut oil, dangle your feet in the crystal-blue waters of Starfish Beach, and sip a cool drink as Lexie discovers the deductive superpowers she never knew she had. Let the party begin!
This is the first book of five in the Red Frog Beach Mystery Series.
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Review by Brandy
I received this book for an honest review.
I will admit that I don’t read many mystery novels. The ones I do read though, usually end up
being interesting and this one is no exception. What’s more interesting than a bunch of
strangers shoved together for a destination wedding that has a giant bridezilla? Ones that have
skeletons and secrets in their closets that they are trying to hide when the best man gets
murdered.
Poor Lexi is the maid of honor for her best friend Olivia’s wedding. Olivia is taking bridezilla to
the next level with her destination wedding weeklong schedule. Lexi is trying desperately to
keep everything from becoming a disaster when Olivia decides that nobody needs to know that
the best man has been murdered, and that the wedding must go on. When Olivia’s sister shows
up with a plan to ruin the wedding that includes an ex that broke her sister’s heart, Lexi’s
problems hit nuclear level. Between love, lies, murder and lots of secrets Lexi learns a lot about
herself and her best friend.
There are some really interesting characters in this book that have some surprises up their
sleeve. The world building is pretty good, and I felt like I could feel the ocean breeze and picture
the small coastal town so clearly. I mostly gave this book five stars because I was drawn into the
story not just because of the murder mystery but because of Lexi’s struggles to come to terms
with truths about herself, her best friend, and what she really wanted in her life.
Rachel Neuburger Reynolds is the author of The Red Frog Beach Mystery Series. As a playwright, her plays have had been produced in London, Edinburgh and New York. After 25-years in New York City, she now resides with her husband between London and St Leonards-on-Sea in England. For news about Rachel and the upcoming Red Frog Beach Mysteries, check her out at RachelNeuburger.com.
