For Better or Hearse

by Laura Durham

Book Overview

Iced! Wedding planner extraordinaire Annabelle Archer is used to dealing with difficult personalities -- neurotic brides, despotic mothers, and prima donna bridesmaids. However, being chased from a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060739045
• ISBN13: 9780060739041
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Cozy Wedding Atmosphere

Annabelle Archer is a wedding planner. Her assistant is Kate. This book had all the essential people involved in weddings - chefs, florists, videographer, hair designer, brides, mother of the brides, etc. Murder(s) take place. Annabelle and her friends are determined to figure it all out. Characterization is vivid, so you feel you know these people. I love Annabelle. Her nutty neighbor Leatrice is interesting. At the end of the book, Annabelle pieced it all together. She was clever to figure it out. She figured out some interesting facts, and it all pieced together interestingly. The ending was very interesting and clever. I was satisfied. This book kept reminding me of a cozy wedding I attended several years ago. So those memories enhanced the atmosphere of the book for me, even though it would have been cozy and fun anyway.

An amusing read

This was entertaining and fun to read. I enjoyed reading this series.

Who "Iced" Chef Henri?

Annabelle Archer, Washington D.C. wedding planner, and her sleuthing friends return in a hilarious second mystery which is even funnier than the fantastic debut in this series. While making last-minute preparations for an oh-so-fabulous wedding reception at the swanky Fairmont Hotel, Annabelle herself discovers the Hotel's cantankerous Chef Henri impaled on the ice sculpture centerpiece for the reception. With signature flair and humor, author Durham provides a wild and funny read following Annabelle's antics in first clearing herself of the murder and then trying to clear her friend Georgia Rhodes. Georgia, an old college friend of Annabelle's, is the head even planner at the Fairmont Hotel and appears to have been framed for the murder by someone. As the story progresses, though, the list of possible suspects grows shorter as the body count grows higher. The ending was quite a surprise in this well-plotted mystery. In addition to the hilarious cast of characters introduced in "Better Off Wed", we meet some more lovable eccentrics. My favorites were the Harley riding florists who dubbed themselves the "Mighty Morphin Flower Arrangers". Author Durham has a great sense of humor, and this book was a joy to read! The over-the-top weddings featured in this story were really well described. I notice that Ms. Durham was just nominated for an Agatha award for her first book "Better Off Wed". I felt that "For Better or Hearse" is even more entertaining than the first one. This series is starting to remind me a bit of the Madeline Bean catering mysteries, which is a great series to emulate.

awesome Annabelle Archer mystery

Washington DC wedding planner Annabelle Archer is hosing a wedding at the Fairmont Hotel but she is having a problem with one of the chefs. Chef Henri came after her with a knife when she went into his kitchen to talk about changing the serving of an appetizer. Working around the problem, Annabelle awaits for the newly married couple to arrive from the church at the reception from the church when she sees Chef Henri impaled on the ice tiger. Georgia Rhodes, the catering executive at the Fairmont for years is afraid the general manager, who hates her, will use the murder as an attempt to fire her. Nobody is more surprised than Annabelle when Georgia is arrested because the police have evidence, a motive (they argued just before he was killed) and plenty of opportunity. She asks Annabelle to help clear her name. In the course of the investigation evidence Annabelle collects and give to he police mysteriously disappears; two more employees of the Fairmont are killed and her car disappears in the valet parking lot. FOR BETTER OR HEARSE is an awesome Annabelle Archer mystery because everyone who knew the victim hated him so there are a lot of suspects for the heroine to eliminate. The plot is filled with humor especially during scenes when the newlyweds decide on wedding details. Annabelle's loyalty to Georgia is strong because her friend helped her when she first started her company even if it means putting her own life in danger. Laura Durham has a hit series on her hands. Harriet Klausner