Murder in a Cape Cottage by Maddie Day is the fourth book in A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series. I love the setup for this cozy mystery series. Mackenzie "Mac" Almeida is the main amateur sleuth but her book group friends contribute a lot to solving the cases. In this book they solve a cold case. Days before Mac's wedding to Tim Brunelle, while doing demo work on their cottage, they discover a skeleton in a wedding dress seated in a walled-off area. The skeleton's hands are handcuffed behind her back with a chain attached bolted to the wall. How brutal. There's more to this mystery but Mac and her friends in the Cozy Capers book group work so well together developing clues. This is a fast-paced, well-written whodunit!

I received an ARC and this is y honest review.

The fourth book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series opens with Mac and her fiance Tim just days away from their New Year’s Eve wedding. They have closed their businesses for the holidays and are hard at work renovating Tim’s cottage into their new home. But their pre-wedding bliss is threatened when a skeleton dressed in a wedding gown is found chained to the wall in a secret room in the cottage. Mac and her Cozy Capers book group jump into the decades old case to figure out who murdered a woman on the way to her wedding. They discover star-crossed lovers, family feuds, and mean girls who date back eighty years, but modern day break-ins and threats give them a sense of urgency to solve the mystery so Mac and Tim can safely walk down the aisle into wedded happiness.

Maddie Day’s books are some of my favorites, and I love that this one had me so immersed in the story that I forgot it’s the dog days of August outside as snow flies and temps are frigid in this newest book.

This is definitely one of the series of Cozies that I find myself thinking about as I go about my days.I don’t just read the books then move on to the next. I study how the author crafts her plots and plot twists, how she writes such larger than life characters. Ms. Day writes the settings so well that I never forget what the town looks like, or where the buildings are situated.

I very much enjoyed Murder in a Cape Cottage, and can’t wait to see what’s next for Mac and her family and friends!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for allowing me to read and enjoy this book. I’m happy leaving my thoughts and opinions on Maddy Day’s book.

Mac and her Fiance are preparing for their wedding and also begin a cottage renovation project. During that project they open up a wall to find a skeleton—sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned bridal gown. The skeleton is chained to the wall!
With the help of the Cozy Capers book group, Mac discovers the secrets of this skeleton.
I prefer Maddie Day’s country store series over this one. The setting is fantastic but I’m not the biggest fan of Mac. I’m sure other people enjoy Mac, but her personality is just not for me. The book does read fast and I did appreciate the unique mystery!
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

‘Mac’ MacKenzie Almeda, and her fiancé, Tim Brunelle, are readying for their wedding which is only five days away. They live in Westham, Massachusetts where both own successful businesses and have busy, active lives in the community. Mac has moved into Tim’s hundred-year-old cottage and they decide to get started knocking down a wall for planned renovations to enlargen the space. After a couple of sledgehammer whams, Mac is horrified to discover female skeletal remains when she peeks behind the wall. The woman was obviously left there to perish as someone walled her in with no way to escape. The local police detective gets right on the job of identifying the Jane Doe, or Bridey, as Mac refers to her. Author Maddie Day immediately captured my attention with the creation of this splendid plot to entertain readers!

Fans of the previous Cozy Capers Book Group series will recognize Mac’s family members who support her at all times; plus the members of the Book Group who enjoy aiding in murder investigations. (I loved that the group was reading a Krista Davis cozy!) Several suspect characters are introduced that could be possible killers, and as the list grows, multiple names move to the top and stunning revelations lead to more than one arrest! Shock, after shocking reveal wraps up the final mysteries for a fantastic ending. Delicious recipes are added for readers, too. I highly recommend this story and the previous three novels to cozy mystery fans.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Murder in a Cape Cottage is a light, cozy mystery novel that follows Mac and the Cozy Capers Book Group as they investigate an 80-year-old murder, while simultaneously getting ready for Mac's New Year's Eve wedding. This was my first Cozy Capers read and I definitely enjoyed it. The small town setting where everyone knows everyone is perfect and the characters are well-developed and fun. The pacing was a bit slow throughout the book with the ending feeling a bit rushed. However, overall it was exactly what I was looking for in a cozy mystery, and I loved the recipes at the end. 3.5 star read rounded up to 4.

How did a skeleton in a wedding dress end up chained to the wall of a closed up area of the house Mac (Makenzie) and Tim are starting their life together in. That's what Mac needs to find out before the wedding in a week. Doing her research, Mac is able to find out who the woman was, and that her family thought she had eloped with a man her family didn't like. But, since she didn't run away, where is her fiancé? More sleuthing by Mac and her book club sleuths find out that the man met a similar fate as the bride and who committed the acts.

I struggled with Mac's negativity in Maddie Day's latest Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series offering, 'Murder in a Cape Cottage.' I just don't understand all of her angst. The story involved a skeleton buried behind the wall of Tim's home that is revealed as a remodel is occurring prior to Mac and Tim's wedding. I did learn a little more about Cape Verde as I tried to keep up with all of the book's characters, but overall I was left with a unhappy feeling that even the wedding couldn't lift. I hope the next one is more cheerful.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I am new to this author and did not find this book over inspiring. There were so many characters with names that could be either men or women I found it difficult to differentiate between everyone. I found the story a bit slow paced and the thought of a DIY project a week before a wedding unlikely. Not the best I have read recently.

While I've only read part of this series, I have enjoyed it even if finding a skeleton in a wall is enough to shake anyone, this is an interesting mystery with plenty of twist and turns and fun characters.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…intrigue and mystery…friends and family…this author is talented at writing a story of intrigue.

When I think of cozy mysteries, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels, thrills and can satisfies just about every reader's heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.

I've enjoyed the previous installments in this series, with Mac the bike shop owner and her constellation of loved ones. I didn't love this one, though. The killers in the past are <spoiler>basically exactly who everyone suspects they were all along--jealous, rich, snobby young people in the bride's social set.</spoiler> No other real possibilities are ever mentioned, I don't think. And because that's kind of a foregone conclusion, it makes the modern-day attacker too easy to spot, as well. And the idea that Mac would be spending all her time on this in the week before her wedding is just too outlandish. [Though I do love the image of the bride's skeleton, still in her gown, bricked in behind a wall of Tim's house. Very gothic.] For me, there's just not enough suspense nor true mystery in this one.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Mac Almeida is getting ready for her wedding day when she'll walk down the aisle with Tim Brunelle. It's a week away, but they have decided to demolish a wall in the cottage they'll share to add a bathroom to the downstairs bedroom. Seems easy, right? Instead, they discover another bride, only this one was placed inside the wall to die. Who was she and how did this happen?

As if Mac doesn't have enough to do with her own wedding coming up, she decides to research who this bride could have been. She enlists the help of her friends and the local library to follow the clues. And what great clues they are including some perfectly placed red herrings. The murder goes back to the 1940s.

Loved this cozy mystery. The characters are delightful, the pacing of the plot is page-turning, and the setting is one of those places you'd like to visit. Maddie Day has done it again. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for allowing me to read this ahead of its launch. The views expressed are my own.

Mac Almeida—owner of Mac’s Bikes in Westham, Massachusetts—and her soon-to-be-husband, Tim Brunelle are demolishing inside their cottage when they discover a human skeleton in a wedding dress, with her hands chained to the wall.

Quickly Mac calls Westham Police Department to report the human remains. Who’s the bride and why is she chained to the wall?

Includes recipes such as Blue Scones, Honey-Spice Hanukkah Cookies 🍪, Pasta with Lobster 🦞 🍝

Thank you to Maddie Day, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book

What a great cozy mystery!
The week before Tim and Mac are set to get marries, they begin demo on their house to add a new bathroom. But, as the wall is being torn down, the skeletal remains of a bride are found, along with her suitcase. Determined to unearth who the poor bride was, and what happened to her, Mac and her Cozy Mystery friends do a bunch of sleuthing. What they uncover will be a shock to many people in the town.
Love the characters, the plot is captivating and fun, and there is nothing better than some good recipes at the end. Enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. Looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mac and Tim decide to do a bit of DIY renovation the week of their wedding and find an eerie skeleton behind the wall they destroy to make room for a new bathroom. The skeleton is clothed in an elaborate wedding dress and sitting in a chair with her hands chained to the wall behind her.

Now the race is on to find who the murdered skeleton is and who murdered her. Forensics dates the death to 1940, and Mac enlists the assistance of her Cozy Capers Book Group and Flo, the local librarian, in her search for answers.

Maddie Day writes an intriguing mystery as she juxtaposes the secret 1940 murder of a bride with Mac and Tim’s upcoming nuptials. The plot is well-conceived, and the pace is consistent. Murder in a Cape Cottage is a strong entry in Ms. Day’s series.

MacKenzie (Mac) and Tim start a remodeling project a week before their wedding. When they open up the wall they find an old skeleton dressed in an old fashioned wedding dress and she's chained to the wall. Mac doesnt think the police are interested in solving such a cold case and she is determined to solve this case before her own New Years Eve wedding. Mac and her book club, plus librarian Flo, work together to do some research of the former owners of their home and question some of the older residents of their town. Thank you to the publishers and to netgalley for letting me read an advance copy. This was an enjoyable book with likeable characters and lots of red herrings. I can't wait til the next book in this series.

'

Maddie Day is one of my favorite light read, cozy mystery writers.
Murder in a Cape Cottage is set during the Christmas season. Mac, who heads the book group and is the protagonist, chose a soothing mystery to color for the month. Her bike shop is busy and she is also planning a wedding
She is also busy planning a holiday wedding while her fiancee is working on a local cottage. When he tears down one of the walls he finds a skeleton.
It is up to Mac and her book club (including the local librarian) to solve the mystery.

The characters in this book are quite enjoyable, clever and well-read. They are as delightful in this book as they are in all of the rest.

Thanks to Kensington Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC

4.5 Stars!

It's a cozy read, perfect to get readers into a winter mood. The mystery, story, and characters kept me reading from start to finish. I kept wondering if the protagonist Mac will be able to solve this latest case before her rapidly approaching wedding date. Who did it?
I found this story wonderful and I think the author, Maddie Day did a great job with the storytelling.

My thanks to Kensington Publishing for a digital copy of this book for my review. I can't wait to read more of A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for providing me with an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had not read this author before, and I liked the book. It was a quick and engaging read, which is what you want from a cozy mystery. It is a 3.5 star book.

Mac and Tim have closed their businesses in a small (invented) Cape Cod town to get ready for their wedding, which includes a bit of home renovation. When they smash through the wall in a closet, they find a skeleton of what appears to be a bride. A little disconcerting, but Mac, with help from her friends in the Cozy Mystery book club, sets out to solve the mystery -- and she wants it solved in the four days remaining before her wedding. That sets the pace for the book, which moves pretty quickly. The plot is a bit unusual, and the characters, while not quite three dimensional, are interesting, and a few of them, like Mac's grandmother and parrot, are great.

Cozy fans will like this book, and probably the whole series. [book:Murder on Cape Cod|45008162] is the first in the series; the author also has another, the Country Store series [book:Flipped for Murder|24612181] is the first in that series.

#CozyMystery #CapeCod #Bicycles #Wedding #MurderInACapeCottage