UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER

A deluxe Massachusetts seaside wedding leads to murder.

Bookstore owner Addie Greybourne is thrilled that her best friend, Serena Chandler, is marrying Zach Ludlow. But Addie’s excitement pales beside that of Zach’s stepmother, Veronica. Her Ladyship, as her staff calls her, was once married to a member of the nobility. Now she’s giving Zach’s dad, Oliver, a run for his money—lots of his money—as she strives to make her stepson’s nuptials as lavish as possible. Serena had hoped to keep the hoopla quotient down by getting married in her little hometown of Greybourne Harbor, but Veronica has her foxed on that one, too. She commissions her six-story yacht, the Lady V, to dock in the harbor, offering multiple ballrooms and staffed by her personal chef, Jean Pierre Gagneux, to provide nonstop food and liquor to the wedding guests. A weekend of French cuisine and shipboard accommodations doesn’t sound bad to Addie. When Lacey Davenport turns up, however, Addie’s mood sours. Lacey once dated Serena’s brother, Marc, Addie’s ex-fiance, and although both women have moved on, their rivalry hasn’t. When Lacey turns up dead, Addie faces an endless cruise since the police lock down the Lady V and refuse to let any of the guests leave. Now Addie’s determined to crack the case, not only to help Marc, who’s the police chief, but to get back to shore again.

Shipboard shenanigans with a bit of sleuthing on the side.