Mac and Tim are excited about their wedding in a week. But first, they close their businesses and begin cottage renovations. That's when they find a skeleton dressed as a bride hidden in the wall. What happened to her? Mac is determined to find out.
I enjoyed the mystery, even though I figured out the solution early on. And I like that the characters are older (not all in their 20s) and still vibrant, capable and smart. The cultural aspects are also interesting with an eclectic mix of origins and traditions, including one woman who changes her name to reinvent herself.
I didn't connect emotionally with any of the characters, though. And I skimmed the last chapter. Maybe I would have had a stronger connection if I had read earlier books in the series.

⭐⭐ -- Pretty cover on this one!

I like this author and enjoyed the previous book in this series, however this one just wasn't this author's best work. First, the mystery isn't much of a mystery. It's pretty obvious who it is going to be from early on. Second, I did not like Mac in this one at all. First, who starts a home renovation over the holiday season and days before their wedding? This annoyed me. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ Second, she overacted, cried, was depressed, a grinch, for a good portion of this book. Perhaps if she had held off on the renovations until AFTER she was married, she would have been happier! 😂 On a more positive note, I still love the setting and the secondary characters remain strong.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Our heroine Mac Almeida and her fiance Tim are getting married! In the lead up to their New Year's nuptials, they're renovating the house that they'll be living in as a married couple. The old Cape Cod cottage is comfortable but could use a little extra modernization. Mac is most excited at the prospect of installing an en suite bathroom to go with their ground floor master bedroom.

Mac's exuberance swiftly evaporates, however, when demolishing the wall for the en suite uncovers not only a hidden space but a body concealed inside. As if finding a body weren’t bad enough, the skeletal remains are clad in a wedding dress. Worse, the bride was apparently chained to the wall and left to die. Mac isn't the superstitious sort, but she knows that she'll feel like a cloud is hanging over her own wedding if she doesn't figure out beforehand who this poor woman was, and how and why she met her untimely end.

Fortunately, Mac has her Cozy Capers book group to help her gather and sort out the clues. Turns out that the bride was a young woman who was thought to have eloped back in 1940, scandalizing the citizenry of Westham, Massachusetts. Members of her prominent extended family are still in town, with some more reluctant to talk about what happened than others. As Mac juggles wedding errands with inquiries as to the town’s history, she’s surprised by the lengths some people will go to in order to obscure the past. But when her investigations unearth a connection with very modern crimes, will she be able to find peace for the dead bride while still making it to her own wedding safe and sound?

This was another solid installment in the Cozy Capers Book Group mystery series. In all honesty, I felt more suspense at Mac meeting Tim's parents for the first time than at any of the actual criminal activity going on: that's a sign of how invested I am in her relationship! The contrast of her loving extended family with the machinations of Westham's founding families of the 1940s was stark, and made for absorbing reading.

There were five food and drink recipes included, and I decided to try out this dish that was on the menu for Mac and Tim's wedding dinner:

QUOTE
Pasta with Lobster

2 cups cooked lobster meat
1 pound sturdy pasta, like rotini or farfalle
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup halved mixed gold and red cherry tomatoes
½ cup pasta water
Salt and pepper
½ cup basil leaves, slivered
Parmesan cheese

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta.

Pour olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute, without browning. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Add lobster meat, stir to coat, cook 1 minute, then turn off heat and cover until pasta is ready.

When pasta is al dente, add ½ cup of the water to the skillet. Drain pasta, add to skillet, add basil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and transfer to a warmed wide bowl or platter.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a green salad.
END QUOTE

Lobster meat is rather hard to come by in my local grocery stores nowadays, so I used shrimp instead, which makes for a perfectly delicious if admittedly less decadent substitution. I also decided to use some bucatini from my pantry instead of getting a more shaped pasta: the box had a bit of an incident with some green food coloring, but the pasta was otherwise perfect. Speaking of pasta, I discovered that my skillet wasn’t quite large enough to deal with a whole pound of it, so poured the skillet contents into the drained pasta pot instead of the other way around. I’m certain that that had no detrimental effect on the quality of the final dish though.

And what a dish it was! I love how simple this pasta is, yet how rich with flavor. The olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper and tomatoes combine for a very basic yet exceedingly delicious, barely there sauce. I only wish I'd had more basil to hand, as the contrast with the cheese packs a wonderful, aromatic punch.

Next week, we'll be getting in the holiday spirit with a trio of mysteries while baking up a fun alternative to the usual seasonal roast meat recipes. Do join me!

Release Date: September 27, 2022

📖📖📖📖

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in Cape Cottage by Maggie Day. It blended so many interests of mine in one amazing package. Plus I love anything set on Cape Cod! The moment Mac and Tim find a body during their home renovations all the way to the end tying up the loose ends, I was riveted. I loved the way genealogy and history was woven throughout the story so naturally. It gave a wonderful twist to a history of the characters and the town. One of the highlights for me was the Hanukkah party. I love seeing other types of celebrations in novels (more diversity and inclusion!). The twists and red herrings kept me guessing throughout the whole book!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#murderinacapecottage #capecod #cozymystery #bookstagram #cozymysteryseries #netgalleyreads #cozycapper #bookstagram #instareads #kensingtonbooks

Princess Fuzzypants here: Mac and Tim’s big day is fast approaching and they both have closed their businesses to prepare for the wedding and to do renovations. But before they can rebuild, they must tear down. As they knock down walls they make a grisly discovery- a skeleton in a wedding dress who had been chained to a wall and then trapped inside. Mac feels obligated to figure out who this poor victim was and what happened to her.

So while making her last minute plans, she and her team of amateur detectives, search for clues. They are able to learn her identity fairly quickly and the fact that it had been assumed she had eloped with her boyfriend. Sadly, both meet a sad end and the killers were never discovered. That is until Mac put her mind to it.

There are people in town, important people, who many not want the truth to be revealed. Reputations are at risk and those reputations are highly valued. But how far would someone go to protect the identity of the perpetrators of 80 year old murders. Some, it would seem, would go to any length.

This was a moving story and the juxtaposition of the bride who never was with Mac’s own nuptials casts an even sadder pall on the past events. I liked the way Mac goes about solving the crime. She is never stupid or careless and she brings the police in on anything she discovers. It is a strong story with great characters. Five purrs and two paws up.

I absolutely love this series! The characters are so fun, and I love the Cape Cod setting. Mac is a fantastic protagonist, and I enjoyed solving the mystery with her. The murder mystery was fun, and I loved the plot twists!

I enjoyed the previous books in this series. This book was less than fabulous. Mac seriously got on my nerves. Everything was blown out of proportion and the story line dragged. I could do without the political stuff as well. I feel like the series has been sliding down a slippery slope and finally fell over the edge. I simply did not enjoy the book.

A diverse cast of characters makes this cozy the perfect one to read! The author has beautifully crafted a small town with a lot of heart and a cast of book-loving characters that are perfect for those of us who are kindred spirits. This installment starts just after Christmas and just a few days before Mac and Tim are married on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, someone wanting to keep family secrets dead and buried in spite of a skeleton popping out of the wall might just put an end to happy festivities if this cold case isn't solved fast! I seriously love the dynamic group of characters that surround Mac, the main character, and make up her merry band of amateur sleuths! If you haven't started this series, I would highly recommend that you start with the first one so you don't miss a moment of enjoyment nor any of the layered backstory that the author has developed throughout the series! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

It’s the week before Christmas, and Mac is preparing for her wedding. All pre-wedding jitters fade into the background when Mac’s fiancé, Tim, begins a cottage renovation project and opens up a wall to find a skeleton sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned bridal gown. As Mac delves into the decades-old mystery with the help of librarian Flo and her book group, she discovers a story of star-crossed lovers and feuding families. Yet this tale has a modern-day villain still lurking in Mac’s quaint seaside town, ready to make this a murderous Christmas.
This was a great holiday cozy mystery. I love Mac for her tenacity and how she works with the police to discover the identity of the murderer. The plot was enthralling, and I liked every twist and turn. I wish there were more encounters with the book group. Overall, a very satisfying read. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Christmas is coming and so is the wedding of Mac and Tim. However, when Tm begins a cottage renovation, finding a skeleton in a bridal dress changed to the wall was not on the radar. Bringing more than just wedding jitters, Mac knows that she must solve the mystery of the bride before her own wedding day. All indicators point to feuding families and old secret loves. Will she and her book club find the answer before the clock strikes on Mac's day? I have not had the pleasure to read the other books in the series. I plan to return and read them soon. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I really love this cozy mystery series, and this one was an excellent addition to the series! I love the setting and the main character.

Murder in a Cape Cottage: A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery
By Maddie Day
Kensington
October 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Despite having closed her Mac’s Bikes shop for the three weeks following Christmas, Mackenzie “Mac Almeida has never been busier. Not only does she still have to plan for her New Year’s Eve wedding, Mac and her fiancé Tim Brunelle are renovating the bathroom in his one-hundred-year-old cottage. They find more than additional bath space when they tear down a wall though, as hidden behind is a handcuffed skeleton wearing a wedding dress. Tracking down the history of the Westham, Massachusetts cottage leads Mac back to the Swift family, a founding family and many of whose descendants still live in town. Luggage tags near the body seem to identify the body as Della Louise Ruhlen, a woman who went missing in the 1940s and thus makes this a decidedly very Cold Case. In the midst of her own wedding plans and feeling an affinity towards the woman in the bridal dress, Mac is unable to resist investigating and hopefully finding answers for this tragedy of love gone wrong.

Aided by her Cozy Capers book club, Mac tracks down remaining Swift family members and their Winslow relations. Her love of books takes her to the Book Nook, where Barlow Swift happens to not only be the store’s owner, he may hold clues to the events of the former family home. So in addition to recommending cozy book titles for the proprietor to purchase for his store, Mac is able to track down a number of diaries whose authors may have had a hand in the Body Left Behind the Wall. Not all of the Westham Swifts are happy with Mac’s delving into family secrets though, and when there is a modern-day attack she knows that she may be coming too close to revealing unsavory scandals long hidden.

The Cape Cod setting and its diverse population is depicted so delightfully and vividly that readers will immediately feel immersed into the town’s chilly Massachusetts’ winter. The investigations into the past and present are well balanced, but it is truly the star-crossed mystery of the 1940s that draws readers in and proves to be so compelling. While Mac may be that rare bride more concerned about investigating a murder than planning for her immediate wedding, her friends and family will have her back for both. Details about Mac’s Cape Verdean heritage, their Kriolu Portuguese-based creole language, and the Cachupa national dish are fascinating, with recipes of the latter included at the end. Fans of the series will enjoy appearances by Mac’s minister father, African gray parrot Belle, and of course the rest of the Cozy Capers members. The interrupted wedding of the past makes Mac’s and Tim’s ceremony all the more important, and readers will be rewarded with a heart-warming resolution without Della’s tragic past. Weddings, cold cases, and family drama all combine into the coziest of cozy winter mysteries.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

What a great idea for a mystery! I enjoyed visiting Mac and her friends on Cape Cod between Christmas and New Year’s! The crime from the past was shocking, with a unique twist I haven’t seen before. Watching the police – and Mac and the members of her cozy mystery book club, the Cozy Capers – try to solve an extremely cold case was fascinating. Solving the present-day crimes seemed too easy by comparison. The characters are described very well, with conversations, behaviors, and attire reflecting their personalities. Westham, on Cape Cod, has a distinct charm and beauty in the winter.

Mac closed her beloved bicycle shop for three weeks, and her fiancé Tim did the same with his bakery. Their wedding is only days away, and with everything in good order, Tim wanted to start the demo to add a bathroom in their almost hundred-year-old cottage. Mac, no shrinking violet when it comes to getting her hands dirty, helped him until she found the last thing most people would want to find in between the walls of a building. It looked like the skeleton sitting on a chair inside the wall was wearing what was left of a wedding gown. A small suitcase with initials DLR was next to her. This woman had been firmly restrained. Maybe it was because Mac’s wedding was imminent that she felt a kinship with her, but she is determined to get justice for this bride. Preferably before her own wedding day.

When Mac went to get the final fitting on her wedding dress, she learned of the wave of burglaries among several businesses. It became a priority for Mac to make sure both her bike shop and Tim’s bakery get lights and security cameras behind their shops before their honeymoon, as the wily thief entered shops from the back doors without lights or cameras.

Mac and her friends in the Cozy Capers book club maintained an ongoing text thread for mysteries they looked into until resolved; this is not Mac’s first time to help solve a murder. The latest clues are added, and people chip in with comments, suggestions, or research ideas. What they find about this one is particularly chilling. The young woman is very real to Mac, especially when they learn her name, Della, the approximate date of her disappearance, 1940, and how her fiancé, Manny, went missing at the same time. It had been assumed that they eloped as they said they might. That plan was because Manny was a fisherman. Even though he owned a boat with his father, Della’s parents didn’t think he was good enough for their daughter, no matter how much they were in love or how Manny treated Della.

The cottage where Della was entombed had been part of an estate that was split years ago. Once they found out who the owning family was in 1940, they could search further. Descendants of the same family still live in the area. There were two families who were pillars of the village in the early 1900’s. Mac was able to talk with them, folks who did not want any hint of scandal around their families.

The characters have rich lives and backgrounds. Mac had spent two years in the Peace Corps, and several years working in finance in Boston before returning to Cape Cod. Her family, including the still-independent Abo (Grandmother) Reba from Cape Verde, is exceptionally close and loving. Each person is celebrated for who they are, not for whether they live up to anyone’s expectations. Tim’s family has faced challenges in recent years but are still close and loving despite living far from each other. Descendants of Della’s and Manny’s contemporaries still consider themselves to be quite important. Some continue to be wealthy; others have had unfortunate reversals.

The novel is fast-paced, with a lot packed into each of the five days before Tim and Mac’s wedding. There are several plot twists contributing to challenges of solving both the murder from the past and the burglaries and a murder attempt in the present. For my personal preference, the bad guys were almost evident too early. The murder itself makes a compelling tale. There is a good balance between finding the bad guys and finalizing the wedding preparations, making it an overall delightful read. I highly recommend it!

Mackenzie 'Mac' Almeida is getting ready for her wedding to fiancé Tim Brunelle. But before the wedding, they want to at least knock down a few walls in their home to make ready for a new, larger bathroom. Unfortunately, when one of the walls is opened, they discover a skeleton of a woman in what remains of a wedding dress, sitting on a stool. Now Mac is not only horrified, she needs to find out who did this, and why. Delving into the home's past and who owned it at the supposed time of the woman's death is a start...

With the help of her book club members, between them they might just be able to solve this mystery. When they discover her identity, it starts to rock some families in the community. But with her nuptials coming up fast, and meeting Tim's parents for the first time, will Mac be able to solve this? Or will the sad story remain just that...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all. This one is by far my favorite. Anyone who knows me knows that I love a mystery-within-a-mystery, especially if it is from long ago. The moment the skeleton was discovered, I was hooked. I wanted as much as Mac to find the truth in this, and solve it right along with her.

When the clues started turning up, I was mentally keeping them in order, so that I might solve it first. But they were so well done that I really didn't need to. The story is indeed a sad -- albeit horrific -- tale of murder. The motives as old as time itself. But to do such a thing one must have evil inside them, and evil is in the hearts of man, and one cannot see in others' hearts.

The mystery itself was done extremely well. Mac was able to keep her personal life moving smoothly (although it might not have seemed so) at the same time as trying to solve the decades-old murder. She was nervous about her wedding (who isn't?) but managed to make sure everything was in order. At the same time, she was depending on her book club members who were adding what information they could, especially Flo (bless her heart); who, by being a librarian, had access to more than the others.

My only complaint, and this is a personal one, no bearing on the book, is that I have always wondered why these characters drink so much. Never tea nor water, just wine and booze; and no physical complaints from doing so. I guess part of it is because I love iced tea and flavored water, and even milk. The other part is I'd like to see them stay sober once in a while. Ah, well. This is my personal opinion and I would never ding the author for it!

At the end, when we discover the murderer we see how cold-hearted one can be, and what people will do when they think they are doing right. Very sad, but very satisfying as far as ending goes. I do love this series and look forward to the next. Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 4 in the series.

I didn't realize this series was this far along. The first couple of books were released exclusively through Barnes and Noble originally and I rarely go there, so I missed them. Despite being a stand alone story, I felt like I was missing character backstory. I will most likely go read the others in the series before I read any new books in it.

So, what I liked: The setting of a small, fictional Cape Code town. The historical murder mystery was also fun. The main characters were well written.

Overall, I just think this wasn't the place for me to start the series. I'll give the previous books a try.

Mac and Tim are getting married! Everything and everyone is ready to go. And then Tim and Mac find a skeleton walled-up in their house while they're doing some construction. Now the rush is on for Mac and her Cozy Capers book group to find out who the deceased was, why she was dressed like a bride, and who could have committed such a heinous crime...all before Mac and Tim say I Do.

Excellent cozy mystery. I enjoyed how the how author blended the new - Mac getting married - with the old - the "bride" walled-up for 80 years. It was very interesting and clever. I love how patient Tim is and just lets Mac do her sleuthing.
This is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This was a DNF for me. The plot heavy story is not a personal preference of mine and the story was difficult to focus on with all the back history and it didn't feel like anything was getting anywhere or interesting will into the novel. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.

Another great installment! It was so fun to be spending time w/ Mac and Tim just days before their wedding. Things become a little more stressful for the couple when they find a dead gal in the wall while starting renovations on their cottage. I knew Mac would be too fascinated to not get involved in the case!
I myself am not a huge fan of cold cases, but with all the fun family dynamics, amazing setting, wedding prep, and best of all a cozy mystery book club I was engaged from start to finish!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Maddie Day, and the publisher for this opportunity.

this series has fast become a cozy favorite of mine. This is the book with the wedding!!! and a great historical murder mystery. Be careful when doing home renovations.... you never know what's behind a wall. This book is def one of my favorites in the series. I missed having some of the other characters being more involved, but it did not take away anything from the story.

I loved how it all tied into the wedding theme.

I read it in one day. I love Mac and her family and I love her book club circle. This book can be read as a stand alone.

The day after Christmas Mac and Tim are tearing out a wall in the house they are renovating. To their surprise the find a decades old corpse. It's corpse all dressed up in a wedding dress. Mac and her book club start sleuthing. They start discovering all kinds of evidence leading back to the founding family of their town.

This book reminded me a lot of the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries on Hallmark. The book club puts their heads together to solve the mystery. Mac has only a few days to solve the mystery as she is getting married in a few days. It's a nice cozy mystery and was easy to read.

I was given this book by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.