When the groom's mother arrives on a yacht in the harbor, Lucy wonders how much Sidra and Ron really have in common, and also wonders how Sue can let this stranger walk all over her and take away the planning of her daughter's wedding. Sue and her husband, Sid, are not entirely sure about their future son-in-law, a supposed computer genius. Some call Ron a successor to Bill Gates.

Soon Sidra's urban friends have invaded the small coastal town, and Sue seems to be growing more and more desperate as Sidra's mother-in-law to be begins to plan an elaborate, costly wedding. When Sue gets drunk at her daughter's Fourth of July shower on her fiancé’s yacht, Lucy realizes how upset Sue is with all these plans. As Lucy is helping Sue onto the deck for some fresh air, she looks over the railing and sees Ron's body floating in the harbor.

Lucy soon learns that Ron was not who he presented himself to be, and confronted with this information, Sidra seems quite relieved, an odd reaction to someone who expected the wedding of her dreams within the month. A snooping reporter from a hip computer magazine, the bride's father who has disappeared with his gun, and disgruntled harbor workers all make possible suspects to the murder of a man who was not what he seemed.

Usually a delightful series, this book is not as well constructed as the past entries. The atmosphere is very appealing, a small, cozy town in Maine, full of local characters. Lucy and her family are a model family, arguing at the right time, but mostly getting along, though Bill seems to be distant from Lucy during this episode, something that bothers Lucy, but something she doesn't seem interested in investing a lot of time in right now. Also, Lucy realizes that Toby is doing underage drinking, but isn't active in warning him of the dangers of alcohol.

The mystery is pretty straight forward, though there is plenty going on in Tinker's Cove to confuse, including a dispute over many of the locals’ livelihood, the lobster industry. The characters used in this mystery, Ron's overdressed, easily impressed mother, and the smarmy reporter, seem to be caricatures and do not add much to the plot. While Wedding Day Murder is not one of the best entries in a normally very entertaining series, it is one loyal fans will not want to miss.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry