It's my understanding that the previous books have some good humor in it. I didn't see so much of that in this book. I'll have to start from the beginning of the series. I absolutely love Freddie and Erica. The best friends everyone wants to be apart of. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good funny, cozy mystery.

Another fun read with Erica and Freddie. Helps to read others in the series, but overall a good cozy mystery. Would recommend. Especially like the crazy characters in the town. Fun read.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Erica, Freddie and Rhonda are involved in a murder investigation when their friend, Candace has a dead Maid of Honor the day before her wedding. This series, Otter Lake Mystery, is funny and a great cozy, no terrible violence. Grady makes an appearance but is on "vacation" for much of the story. This book can be read as a stand alone but you would miss all the funny background and friendship builders from the previous 4 books. Mom and the twins also make appearances and you'll love the interaction between all the great characters set in the small town of Otter Lake. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I've enjoyed this series from the very first page of book 1, but this was the best entry in this series yet! I love everything about this story. I couldn't stop laughing at the events that unfolded and I couldn't wait to see what the heck Grady was up to on his "vacation". Freddie and Erica are out to solve the murder of the maid of honor for the upcoming nuptials of Grady's ex-girlfriend to local ex-con Joey. They are in love and nothing will stop this wedding, but is someone trying to get in the way of their happily ever after? Don't miss Fredding and Erica's shenanigans, Rhonda's new possible romance who she should be investigating for insurance fraud, mom's possible new love interest in the guru who's hosting the current retreat, and all of our other favorite characters of Otter Lake. If you like the hilarious stories of Janet Evanovich, Leslie Meier, and Libby Klein, you will want to pick this series up as soon as you can! Thank you #netgalley!

What fun! This book is a fun cozy wedding mystery . Does it get any better? I loved it. Will be reading all the books in this series! Thanks netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and share my opinion

This definitely falls into the very humorous cozy category. The characters are all quite funny in their own ways. A wedding creates the scene for murder, cold feet and general chaos as Erica tries to suss out who dunnit.

Down the Aisle with Murder was a cute little book. The characters were fully realized and the plot was strong. A cute addition to my reading list!

I really enjoyed this book in this series. I am looking forward to reading the rest of them. The relationship between Erica and Freddie makes me wish for a friendship like this. I also applaud Erica's sense of duty in doing the right thing by the friends and family in her community.

This is my first book in this series and first time reading this author. But, it won’t be my last. I am looking forward to reading the beginning of this series.

I must admit it took me about a 25% of the way through to really get into this book. That could be because I hadn’t read the beginning of the series though. But, I must say, once I got into it I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

The character development in this book was really amazing. I laughed at Erica and Freddie’s childish fights and antics. I felt like I was a friend of theirs. Really well developed plot as well mixing love and a murder mystery together. Well done with a bit of romance and mystery while being fun.

#DownTheAisleWithMurder

#AuraleeWallace


#NetGalley

Erica's friend Candace is getting married, but after a wild bachlorette party, Candace's maid of honor is found dead. Erica works to solve the case, make sure Candace has a wedding, and figure out where she stands with the love of her life.

This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series! I love the characters, I love the romance, I love the humor, and I love the mysteries. I've read every entry so far, and they never disappoint.

I wanted more Grady! I love him, and I love his relationship with Erica.

Start at the beginning of this series for sure, and I bet you will get hooked like I did!

I haven't read any other stories in this series, but oh how I want to just reading the shenanigans Erica and her friends get into.

And the people that are part of her mom's retreat! They are hysterical!! Kit Kat was just too dang funny. Although I sort of pictured this retreat as almost a cult commune. Possibly I've watched too much true crime lately.

I definitely will be going back to read the first books in this series and keep an eye on it in the future. I need to know how her and Grady's relationship goes.

A new to me author and series but definitely not going to be the last I read of her.

I haven’t laughed so hard reading a book in years. Truly, I was snorting and crying from the laughs I had. Some may question how does one laugh through a murder mystery, but with characters like Erica and Freddie there isn’t a chance that you will get through this book with a straight face. I am very ready to read all the books in this series and look forward to the next.

Down the Aisle with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the 5th book in the Otter Lake Mystery series. This was a quick fun read. This is the only book I have read but now I want to read the previous 4. This book made me laugh out loud. I loved all the fun that the characters were having and the humor. It is definitely an enjoyable read. I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the previous books.

“Some wedding stories are so bizarre that you can’t even make them up.” What a perfect summation of Down the Aisle with Murder. Auralee Wallace deftly juggles many interrelated storylines that circle back to Erica Bloom and Freddie and Rhonda, her two business partners and best friends. The trio is trying to get their fledgling company, Otter Lake Security, off the ground.

Candace, who once dated Sheriff Grady Forrester (the off-and-on love of Erica Bloom’s life), is getting married to ex-con Joey. The story opens with a rollicking description of what happens when a wild and wooly bachelorette party takes over the Dawg, “the only bar slash restaurant in Otter Lake, ‘Live Free or Die’ New Hampshire.” Lyssa, the bride’s BFF/wedding planner/Maid of Honor, whoops it up on the mechanical bull, to the bemusement of the town folks who come for a beer and stay to gawk. Unfortunately, Lyssa is nowhere to be found on the wedding day—until she’s found dead. The wedding is postponed, and Freddy promises Candace they’ll solve the crime and put on a new wedding—at no cost! This surprises Erica since he, “had insisted pro bono is a no-no be our number one rule at Otter Lake Security.”

The core of Down the Aisle with Murder is a humorous, occasionally uncomfortable look at three 30-somethings—Erica, Freddy, and Rhonda—and their relationship growing pains. Erica labels what she’s going through with Freddy as a “friend divorce.” It’s nothing minor. There are other complexities too—like renegotiating mother/daughter patterns (Erica), making room for love without losing friendships (all three), and figuring out how to be private detectives without antagonizing the local constabulary—all against the backdrop of an idyllic lake community. Albeit one that experiences more than its share of murder.

Every series has long-standing gags and unresolved complexities, but Down the Aisle with Murder, the 5th in the Otter Lake Mystery series, confronts life head-on. Life isn’t static, and watching Erica and her pals try to live through the uncomfortableness of shedding old roles adds unexpected depth to a light-hearted tale of murder.

Let’s get specific about the chaos bleeding into Erica’s investigation. Erica lives with her mother, who runs a retreat center.

My mother had a best-selling author slash guru coming this week, and she was kind of nervous about it.

The retreat is sold out, and if it is a success, she “might be able to attract even more big names in the self-help field.” Erica takes the theme of the retreat personally—how could she not? The title of Zaki’s book (a guru with a “certain charisma”) is Why Are You Still Single?. She can’t confide in Freddy, her BFF since high school, because he’s despondent when he isn’t acting crazy. Why would he offer to take over Candace’s wedding? Where’s Freddy’s boyfriend?

Murder equals off-kilter in Erica’s life. No one disturbs her equilibrium more than Sheriff Grady Forrester. She expected she’d work alongside him because of the murder, but no. He’s taking a vacation. His substitute is an unforgettable dame of a certain age, Sheriff Bigly. She pulls no punches when putting Otter Lake Security on notice to stay away, far away, from her investigation. Erica protests, “Otter Lake is a special kind of place.” Bigly’s not buying it.

“Ms. Bloom, I’m not playing. You take one step over the line,” she said, pointing at the dirt. I took a quick look down. There wasn’t a line but part of me wouldn’t have been surprised if there was. The dirt might have done it to itself out of fear. “I will take you down. You’ve already ruined one sheriff’s reputation. I won’t let you near mine.”

If only, Erica thinks (disingenuously), Grady was out of town—instead, he’s enjoying a staycation, and she runs into him constantly. “Runs into him?” Hmmm, stalks him in a bumbling, adorable way. Like peeking through his window. What’s up with that?

“Fine, I was, but it was a total accident. I saw you knitting naked, well, not naked, and totally by accident, and I thought, Oh, I wonder if Grady is okay?” I said, nodding. “Because not a lot of sheriffs knit. Naked or otherwise.”

Nothing. Just the stare-down.

An apt metaphor for Down the Aisle with Murder is the fusillade of golf balls that Erica copes with when she tries to interrogate Tommy Forrester. Truthfully, so many balls are in the air being whipped at Erica, that it’s difficult to envision a satisfactory ending—one that brings closure both to the murder and her personal tribulations. In the end, though, it’s a pleasure to congratulate Auralee Wallace for how cleverly she wraps up this “bizarre” wedding story.

Down the Aisle with Murder: An Otter Lake Mystery
By Auralee Wallace
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
May 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Erica Bloom does not have an issue with weddings. She just doesn’t like the dresses, flowers, gifts, music, centerpieces… So, maybe the nauseous look she gets when the topic comes up is why she is not asked to be the maid of honor for rival-turned-friend Candace, who instead turns to college friend Lyssa to help her walk down the aisle. It seems Lyssa has not changed since their college life, which is why the tightly-wound Candace looks so miserable as she watches her drunken bridal party get tossed off a bar bull while wearing hats featuring certain male anatomy. At least it looks as though this is the last of Lyssa’s very un-Candace wedding plans, since the maid of honor has just been found dead, with the scene of the crime unfortunately being the site of the upcoming wedding ceremony.

Feeling a little guilty and with a lot of prodding from her bestie and security company business partner Freddie Ng, Erica finds herself agreeing not just to investigate the death but volunteering to be the replacement maid of honor. That means not just attempting to plan a wedding in two weeks, but having to discover whether the disproving families may have taken extreme measures to stop the lovebirds from uniting. Rivaling the mystery of who offed the unlikable maid of dubious honor is (1) why Sheriff Grady Forrester is on vacation practicing yoga and learning how to craft (2) who is the visiting guru charming Erica’s mother, and (2) what is making BFF Freddie act so Mean Girl and attempting to shame her for snarkery?

This continues to be one of the most exuberant, laugh-out-loud mystery series being written today. Erica somehow manages to land herself in the middle of absurd adventures while ostensibly being the sanest of Otter Lake residents. The friendships that have been forged within these five novels of the series continue to grow, expanding upon the characters and revealing their complexities. There is an ironic reason why Freddie is being such a tool, but it is firmly grounded in their strong, long-lasting relationship. Erica is still somewhat floundering in her tentative romance with the sheriff, yet readers will be entirely sympathetic and rooting for love to win. It can’t be emphasized enough just how much humor and joy this series contains, even as it takes time to allow characters to breath and experience true emotions. Readers will love this latest Otter Lake mystery as much as Erica has come to adore Otter Lake itself, and spending time there again is always a pleasure.

This is book five in the Otter Lake mystery series. I have enjoyed the entire series and highly recommend the series. This is fun and funny series that is always delightful to read !
In this next in series our protagonist Ericka is involved with the murder of a maid of honor. Was it a Bachlorette party gone awry, a accident or was it murder? Ericka is sure it was murder. Her best friend Freddie is providing humor and and assistance while Ericka is sure she can solve this murder both for the bride and the family of the deceased.
I love the humor in these books. I find myself laughing out loud at the antics, the town and the funny characters. its a delight to read this next in series and I look forward to the next book.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my personal review.

Down the Aisle with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the 5th book in the Otter Lake Mystery series, and a terrific fun read. I love this book and can't wait for the next adventure. Erica Bloom is asked to be her friend's maid of honor, when the first girl asked goes missing. I loved all the well developed quirky characters in this book. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading it until I was done. This book also made me laugh out loud. Not only is this book an exciting mystery but also very refreshing and a quick read. If you love funny cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book. It is strongly recommended, the book and the series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Erica Bloom is tempted to ride the mechanical bull at Candace's wild bachelorette party. She does and regrets it the next morning. Erica is also shocked to learn the maid of honor, Lyssa, has died. Now Erica and her BFF Freddie Ng have decided to step as both wedding planners and amateur sleuths to salvage Candace's wedding and to solve Lyssa's murder. Erica's on-again, off-again lover, Sheriff Grady is off on a rare vacation so the dynamic duo has to deal his sub, no-nonsense Sheriff Bigly. This is another hilarious, fun read in the Otter Lake mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

This is a fun and funny cozy series that sometimes gets close to but never goes over the top. This time around, our intrepid Erica is investigating the death of Lyssa, who was supposed to be them if of honor at a wedding Erica's wondering why she's attending. Her BFF Freddie helps (also with the dialogue). Her love interest Grady is absent but that doesn't mean Erica's not thinking about him. You'l chuckle about her mom. Well done, nicely written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is one where it helps, I think, to have read at least one of the preceding books but if not you'll still enjoy it.