It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it.Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic.Jenna’s mother, … panic.
Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation.
With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.
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I love Nancy Robards Thompson’s romances and now I have a new series of cozy mysteries to read! I loved Slay Bells Ring. I really had no idea who dunnit until the very end. Deftly plotted with wonderful characters who I’m sure will be great fun to follow. I also enjoyed the touches of romance she threw in. Slay Bells Ring is a fun story that cozy mystery lovers will love.
Jenna Bell has moved back to her small hometown and is trying to get her wedding and event planning business off the ground. Her current wedding could secure her position, even if it is the wedding of her ex-boyfriend. While everyone keeps reminding her it could be her wedding, Jenna does what she can to keep the focus on the bride and get the wedding off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the groom is found dead on his wedding day and Jenna was the last person known to have seen him. Maddie may be Jenna’s mother, but she knows her daughter is innocent. Maddie is a bridal shop owner by day and a cozy mystery writer by night. When her daughter becomes the prime suspect, she knows it’s up to them to prove to the Sheriff (and hopeful love interest, at least on his side) that her daughter is innocent.
It was entertaining and interesting to watch these two work to unravel the mystery, while recruiting their friends and others to help them. I loved the dynamic between Maddie and Jenna. The mother and daughter have been through so much that has shaped them, but they are close and respectful of both their past and their current relationship as adults. I also enjoyed the role the small town played in the novel. Everyone knows everyone else and their business, so the gossip mill was front and center.
This is Nancy Robards Thompson’s first foray into cozy mysteries, and I am excited to see where she goes next.
#SlayBellsRing #NancyRobardsThompson #TuleMystery
I loved reading Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson, book one in her The Wedding Bells Mysteries. Wedding Planner Jenna Bell is organizing the wedding of her former high school sweetheart, which is to be their small town’s event of the year. When the groom is a no-show, she doesn’t panic, at least until he turns up dead and she becomes the number one suspect. Jenna’s mother, Maddie, decides to put her cozy mystery writing skills to use in order to clear her daughter’s name. This does not bode well with her boyfriend, Chief of Police Jackson Bradley. No matter how much he cares for her, he does not want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation. What’s a sleuth to do? Especially when nearly the entire town is picking sides and the Gossip Brigade is churning out rumors. Maddie and Jenna soon discover that this mystery is far from cozy when it hits too close to home.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this funny, sweet and intriguing book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms Robards Thompson kept me on my toes guessing who the killer was, until I turned the last page. Her writing had me feeling as if I was there, watching the events unfold. I never suspected the person who was the murderer. Great job stumping me!! I highly recommend Slay Bells Ring to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I loved this book especially the mother-daughter dynamic. Don’t miss this one if you like cozy mysteries!!!
Addictive and entertaining.
Sometimes a review is hard for me to write without giving away too much of the story. This is one of those books. But I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the story. This book really kept me guessing. I enjoyed Jenna and Maddie’s mother/daughter dynamics and seeing how they worked together to solve the murder of a man who was Jenna’s high school boyfriend. The author did a great job with the plot and keeping the characters interesting while holding my attention throughout the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a cozy mystery.
4 1/2 STARS!
This small town cozy mystery is sure to delight! SLAY BELLS RING is the first book in The Wedding Bell Mysteries series by Nancy Robard Thompson and it definitely kept me guessing right up until the end. An intriguing plot was quick to catch my attention and the delightful cast of family, friends and townsfolk had a witty charm that carried the storyline well. I’m looking forward to more in the series.
Maddie and Jenna Bell make an adorable mother/daughter team in wedding planning and mystery solving in this delightful small town gem. The wedding of the year is all they’ve been working on but when the groom and Jenna’s ex-boyfriend winds up dead, this dynamic duo will be stepping on Maddie’s suitor and chief of police Jackson’s toes to follow the clues.
Murder mystery with the wedding planner and her mom playing detective. Fun read and quick! I enjoyed this one!
Slay Bells Ring is the first book in Nancy Robarts Thompson’s new cozy mystery series. The novel features Maddie Bell and her daughter Jenna. The close relationship between Maddie and Jenna drew me into this fast- paced mystery which is set in Hemlock, North Carolina.
Jenna Bell has returned home to start an event planning business. She shares an office with her Mom who runs a bridal shop. Loved that Maddie wrote cozy mysteries and had a crush on the town’s new police chief. Loved the mother- daughter conversations which showed how much they cared for each other. The author’s dialogue between Maddie and Jenna is spot on; at times their conversations are laugh out loud funny, caring and thoughtful in nature—all of the elements of a real mother daughter relationship.
Slay Bells Rings has all of the elements of a novel that I adore. It is set in a small town, filled with fun characters (think Gossip brigade!), entertaining dialogue, friendship, love. Slay Bells Ring has a bridezilla, a reluctant groom, two corgis, a missing Rolex and a murder!I have been a fan of Nancy Robarts Thompson books for several years. I love the characters and the small town settings in her novels. Am so glad she decided to write a cozy mystery and can’t wait to see if Maddie and Chief Bradley go out on a date, if Jenna and Ian have a friends to lovers relationship, and to learn more about Val or Alicia.
To keep my review spoiler free, I am not going to reveal who was murdered or whodunit. I loved how they story played out. Each detail, each fact added to the big reveal. Nancy Robards Thompson does a fabulous job balancing the intrigue and keeps the reader in suspense. I will admit that I did not figure out the identity the killer.
If you are looking for a fun, enjoyable read filled with fabulous characters-pick up Slay Bells Ring!
Loved this cozy mystery!! Jenna is the wedding planner for the wedding of her former high school sweetheart but when he fails to show up the wedding, the investigating begins. Jenna joins forces her mother, an amateur investigator. Even better yet, her mom needs to clear Jenna’s name from the list of suspects.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and could not put it down. It kept me guessing until the end. A great start to a new series.
Slay Bells Ring is my new favorite NRT book. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of Nancy Robards Thompson’s romances but her latest is my new favorite. I loved this cozy mystery.
A wedding planner that is working her small town’s event of year, the missing groom turning up dead just happens to be her ex has Jenna the prime suspect. Add in a mystery writing mom that is going to clear her daughter and Slay Bells Ring is a fun whodunit that might keep you guessing.
I’m hoping this is only the first of many more cozy NRT mysteries.
Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson is a fun Southern cozy mystery. Take a few years off of Jessica Fletcher, move her South, give her a daughter who is also her best friend, then you would have an idea of this cozy mystery. The holidays do not affect this story as much as the murder. Still it is an excellent introduction to what I hope will bring many more books.
Told in dual POV of mother and daughter, this story brings out the best of both generations. The event planner and the bridal shop owner make a great pair of small-town sleuths as they try to solve the murder case when the daughter, Jenna Bell is accused of committing. Her mother Maddie is writing a mystery so of course, she tries her hand as actually solving the case. Along with friends these two dive right into the case.
An interesting story that shows some of the bad sides of life in a small town such as gossiping and superior attitude that some of the community can have. It also shows a wonderful relationship between the mother and daughter that is rare. While there is a hint of romance, it is mother and daughter that make this book so entertaining.
4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I, Jenna, am the wedding planner for the wedding of Grace Marie and Riley. Riley just happens to be an ex boyfriend of mine and his mother is throwing this wedding and wants me to see what I missed by not marrying her son.
Grace Marie is not from around here so the Gossip Brigade has started rumors that this wedding should be between Riley and myself since I am a home town girl. This wedding is supposed to be the one that makes my company a big success but if things continue the way they have been going that may not happen.
This is a really good book that I think you will thoroughly enjoy, all the twists and turns keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing until the very end.
Slay Bells Ring is a surprisingly entertaining and engaging cozy murder mystery with a mother daughter as amateur detectives out to solve a small town murder. When Jenna’s ex boyfriend, who also happens to be the groom at the wedding event she’s planning, ends up dead on his wedding day, all eyes are on her! Their small town starts taking sides and pretty soon, Jenna and her mom Maddie are trying to find the murderer. There is a lot of interesting side characters and a lot of plot twists that keeps you turning the page and you can’t help but cheer on this mother-daughter duo to solve the mystery. I do love Maddie and Jenna’s relationship and like all small town series, you can’t help but be curious about the other characters that reside in the town of Hemlock. The case is harder to solve and the clues are all there waiting to be discovered and its up to Maddie and Jenna to save the day.
I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. I found this book to be very entertaining and enjoyable to read. The writer’s style was refreshing in alternating chapters between the mothe Maddie and the daughter Jenna’s telling of the events. I enjoyed that there were some light and humorous moments throughout the book. Then there was the telling of the events as they were unfolding as well as the interviews with the various characters.
The plot was quite original in my opinion. Jenna is an events planner and her ex boyfriend Riley is getting married and she was hired to handle the wedding. Jenna’s mom owns a bridal shop and is writing a mystery book but is always around to work with her and discuss theories. We realize there is a problem with. The bride and groom to be when they show up for final planning and the bride has a meltdown. Then after the rehearsal dinner the groom to be goes out drinking with his brother and the best man and ends up at Jenna’s house drunk as a skunk. He talks about still loving Jenna, etc. She ends up driving him home and leaving him passed out in his apartment. The next day he doesn’t show up at the wedding and his dad, brother and best man go to look for him and he’s been murdered.
The author describes all the character interactions as they learn of his death and have to face up to what really happened to him. The author discussed Jenna and her mom and the other characters guess at what happened. In addition Jenna is thought to be the prime suspect as she was the last to see him alive. It is fun to read how they try to figure out whodunnit and the background story. I will look for the next book as this was so enjoyable to read.
This is a wonderful small town comfortable mystery There is no blood and gore and is perfect for the person like sweet mysteries.
Jenna is the wedding planner for the wedding of the season in her small town and she isn’t that worried when the groom is late arriving That is until she finds his body and she is the number one suspect. Soon her mother Maddie steps up to the plate determined to prove her daughters innocence even if that means stepping on the toes of the local sheriff Jackson Bradley. He may be sweet on Maddie but that doesn’t mean he won’t charge her daughter if she is guilty With the whole town getting involved and the rumour mill running hot will they solve who murdered the groom.
I really enjoyed reading this new cozy mystery series by Nancy Robards Thompson.I love reading about small towns you get to know the townsfolk better,where everyone knows your name and greets you when they see you.I loved Police Chief Jackson Bradley’s character the best,even though he was sweet on Maddie he didn’t let that interfere with his investigation.I look forward to reading more in this book series.
I love a really good cozy mystery and do not read them often enough. This will change because of author Nancy Robards Thompson’s book Slay Bells Ring. I will read this series and any of her other books as well. I enjoyed the mother/daughter combo. How they love each other, yet true to life got on each other’s nerves from time to time. BUT if push comes to shove, no one messes with mama bear’s daughter. The claws will come out! I have to say I did not figure out who done it exactly myself so I will leave most things out in my review. This book is a wonderful cozy mystery that I enjoyed reading and look forward to more from this series, hopefully quickly.