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Holly Winter has finally published her book, 101 WAYS TO COOK LIVER, and has started a publicity tour in conjunction with Mac McCloud's latest book, ASK DR MAC. At the same time, she is finalizing the arrangements for her long-delayed wedding to Steve Delaney. Each event alone would be chaotic enough, but Holly also has to deal with her friend Rita's painful breakup and the fear sweeping Cambridge as a serial killer bludgeons women right outside their homes. At first Holly feels safe enough -- after all, everywhere she goes, she's accompanied by at least one huge malamute. But then she starts to realize that the victims aren't all strangers. The killer is starting to prey on women that she knows. BRIDE AND GROOM, the 16th Dog Lover mystery by Conant, is full of what the readers have come to expect -- a quirky cozy, well-coated in dog hair. Holly, who can be holier-than-thou, is pleasant and skips the canine lectures in favor of a little self-depreciating writer's humor. "I was doing a book signing to which no one had come. At last I was undeniably a real author!" Unfortunately, it is far from the best book in the series. For some reason, Conant decided to present the exposition as a series of dossiers. These chapters just serve to bring the narrative flow to a screeching halt without adding anything we don't also learn in the main plot. Because Holly is more focused on her wedding than solving the mystery, we don't know why she even has these files until the end. Worst of all, halfway through the book they start appearing before the murders, spoiling the suspense. Conant has never had trouble with exposition before; I don't know why she changed a formula that worked for 15 books. But that is not my main objection, which is to part of the resolution. I cannot go into too much detail without spoiling the plot, but I can say this: while it's fine that Holly thinks dogs are as good as if not better than people, I was appalled when one character is ultimately treated like an animal. Worse, this dehumanization was described by the doer as an act of love and caring. (I may love my pets like my family members, but there is no way I could stomach treating my family members like my pets!) So, to long-time readers of the series, I'll say "Reader, she married him" and suggest they move on to the next book in either her Dog Lover's or her new Cat Lover's mysteries. To new readers, I will reluctantly admit that it is possible to start with BRIDE AND GROOM -- everything you need to know about the characters will be there -- but I strongly suggest starting with different books in the series, perhaps BLACK RIBBON or THE BARKER STREET IRREGULARS.
Reviewed by Linnea Dodson, January 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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