a fun quick read of a bridezilla who ends up solving a murder. I must admit her mindset irritated me a bit at first, as I have met a few of these types in real life and found them a waste of time. Why do some women get like this? Anyway, overall a good read and would recommend.

I had high expectations for this book but it didn't keep my attention.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Lexy was the last person I thought would morph into a Bridezilla! But when Taylor popped the question they had their ideal wedding planned out - small, intimate and a blend of them. Now it's coordinated everything, Lexy is having a meltdown over fairy lights and to top it off - the wedding planner has just been found dead!

Then we go back in time and see how Lexy, Taylor and co from the Last Ditch ended up in this mess! We see the fervour take hold of Lexy and poor Taylor has to walk on eggshells around her. The mystery at the graveyard intertwines with the wedding story and we see how Sister Sunshine gets involved with Lexy's big day.

I must admit I love all the snarking, b*tchy humour between the Last Ditch Crew. They all have flaws and foibles and they just live loud and proud with their weirdness. When Lexy snaps out of her "coma" you can feel the sense of relief from the gang. There were plenty of twists and turns and Sgt Molly is at her snarky best.

It's true that no-one can write a Scot quite as well as another Scot and that shines through in this book. All the wee Scottishisms and idioms sprinkled through gave me a smile. I know more than a few folk who fill their suitcases with foodstuffs to take on holiday - they're going to mainland Europe, not the moon and Lexy's parents are just as quirky.

I loved the wee reveal at the end - I had a bit of a sniffle I'll admit and I just can't wait to see what happens with my favourite expat next!

This series is full of humour, mostly derived from the culture shock of a down-to-earth Scots woman who finds herself living within a community of Californians who have a very alternative view of Life. What prevents this from being a snide-fest is the warmth of the friendships that were cemented through the pandemic and have forged a strong bond among this disparate group of quirky characters.

This time around, the group have returned to California after their Christmas adventures in Scotland, visiting Lexy’s mum and dad – and Lexy is planning her wedding. However, after announcing to anyone who’ll listen that she’s going to stay grounded and sensible throughout, after hiring a wedding planner called Sister Sunshine, Lexy loses the plot.

McPherson’s depiction of a bride-to-be who has lost all sense of perspective is extremely funny – more especially as the book is written in first-person viewpoint. It takes skilled writing to give the reader an insight into a protagonist who isn’t behaving very well, without having her lose the reader’s sympathy. It helps that this is the seventh book in the series, so I know Lexy fairly well and generally like her very much.

Meanwhile, the mystery the investigative team are working on is frankly bonkers. They are trying to discover the identity of someone who is defacing certain graves at the local cemetery, having been hired by a quartet of local historians who are passionate about protecting the dignity of the hapless inhabitants of said cemetery. As with all the Last Ditch adventures, while the mystery gives the group a purpose and provides some of the action and pace within the story – the narrative is actually all about the people within the group. This time around, the focus is on Lexy and Taylor’s wedding – or rather, Lexy’s wedding. Taylor isn’t having all that much to do with it, other than looking a tad worried and tip-toeing around his beloved bride.

I wasn’t particularly convinced by the murder mystery, either – which verges on being plain ridiculous. And I didn’t care one little bit. I giggled and grinned through all the daftness finding the story a heap of fun and hoping that I don’t have to wait too long before I’m treated to another yarn featuring Lexy and her wonderfully eccentric family – including her parents and her tight-knit found family. Highly recommended for mystery fans who like their cosies with a large dollop of amusing quirkiness. While I obtained an arc of Scotzilla from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

Lexy Campbell & Taylor are getting married but who knew that our bride-to-be would become a bridezilla in the six months leading up to the midsummer solstice event? But quirky wedding celebrant Sister Sunshine is found strangled with the fairy lights before she could perform the ceremony. Meanwhile, Trinity Investigations have been hired to investigate a series of weird pranks at the Cuento's cemetery. They eventually link the pranks to Lexy's wedding day.
Can they solve the case allowing Lexy & Taylor to get married?

This was another hilarious entry in the Last Ditch mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Severn House. All opinions are my own.

approaching and this entry in the series really delivers. I’ve always loved this series. From the quirky and lovable characters to the solid mystery filled with red herrings, sprinkled with humor and endearing moments as well. Each entry in the series leaves me satisfied.

Shenanigans Aplenty..
The seventh outing in the Last Ditch series of mysteries finds Lexy Campbell about to tie the proverbial knot. What could possibly go wrong? Murder most foul, of course. As her wedding venue rapidly turns crime scene, chaos soon ensues. With a glorious cast of characters, shenanigans aplenty and quick witted banter this is another enjoyable and entertaining instalment to this long running series.

I love this series, with all the quirky characters that I will leave you to meet at your leisure... Obviously, it's book 7 of a series and we all know what that means by now. Especially as it is a cracking series, once I got into it, after a mixed reaction to book one, it really did take off and not I look forward to each new release...
So... Lexy's big day is approaching and doesn't EVERYONE know about it. Her parents finally got over the fact that she wasn't going "home" to Scotland for the shindig, agreed to fly in early enough to assist with the "arrangements".
But the big day doesn't go according to plan. When does it ever in fiction?! But it is not Lexy with the cold feet. No, it's Sister Sunshine the "wedding planner" who has them. And they are cold because she is dead!
We then go back in time to see more of the run up to the big day. About how Lexy and her crew get involved in weird shenanigans that are occurring in and around the local graveyard.
But I am going to leave the rest for you to discover as the author intends. As fun and frolics and shenanigans more definitely occur. Some very funny, others rather tragic.
I love these books. The characters are quirky and the plots a bit bonkers. And I mean both those things in a really good way! I especially loved Lexy in this book as she turned into bridezilla in the run-up to what she wanted to be the perfect wedding for her and Taylor, in spite of everything being thrown at her...
And with scant waffle and no padding, the author really packs a lot into the book. Not a single word is wasted which means that it gets on with itself very well indeed. Apart from a wee slower bit at the beginning when things are setting up (a refresher for some, an introduction for others) but after this is done it's away we go...
To be honest, as things started getting juicy, I was trying to work out where in the heck we would end up, but it all kicked off very well and, eventually, became a race to the very satisfying ending. Which left me sitting back and applauding the author for her juggling skills with the plot and ability to bring it all together at the end!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive series, roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Lexy is getting married, but before that happens, a murder occurs and everything is up in the air. Her parents are in town and I just love them and they have a pivotal role in this latest adventure. A solidly wicked whodunit that I could not put down until all was said and done. And that little twist at the end…Nice!

I love a good cozy that also makes me laugh. Lexy is such a well written character and we love diving into whatever shenanigans she and her crew are up to.

Are we finally going to have a wedding? After all these months of planning, stressing, and maybe being a bridezilla it looks like she may get down the aisle yet!

But when is anything that easy? And of course someone gets themselves killed at the wedding venue! Now it’s a crime scene. One she is not going to delve into. With her crew looking into the weirdness happening at the cemetery, it kind of leads back to her wedding. Now she has to jump in.

One of the best cozies out there!


NetGalley/ Severn House December 03, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

I LOVED this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but then boom I was hooked!! I finished it in one sitting! My first by this author but will not be my last!!

This was a great seventh entry in the Last Ditch Mystery series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the plot of this book. It uses the mystery element in a way that I was hoping for and enjoyed the way the characters were written. Catriona McPherson wrote this well and was glad it was so well done.