Just finished reading...

The Wedding Shawl by Sally Goldenbaum.*

In the fifth of the Seaside Knitters series the women are preparing for Izzy and Sam's wedding, to be held in Nell and Ben's garden, which is being given a face lift for the occasion. Meanwhile, Nell and her friends are knitting a shawl for Izzy to wear on her wedding day.

The planning is marred by the death of Tiffany Ciccolo, the stylist who was to do the hair and makeup for the women in the wedding party. Coincidentally, Tiffany's best friend in high school, Harmony Farrow, had been killed on their graduation night 15 years earlier, and the case had never been solved.

Another connection between the two deaths was Andy Risso whose high school girlfriend had been Harmony, and who had been also been seeing Tiffany. Tiffany was obviously more serious about Andy than he was about her, and they were seen publicly arguing the day before she was killed.

Andy had been the chief suspect for Harmony's death, but his involvement couldn't be proven, so the case was shelved. Now, he's the chief suspect in Tiffany's death. Nell, Birdie and Cass are certain that he's innocent, and are determined to prove it before the wedding so it won't cast a pall on the happy day.

The relationship between Nell and Birdie is wonderful. The women have known each other for so long that they can almost read each other's mind. And their friendship has grown to include Nell's niece Izzy and her friend Cass. The descriptions of their social gatherings are envy-inducing, as is the way their respective menfolk look after them.

The book is written in a matter-of-fact style that makes the reader feel as if s/he's conversing with the narrator. Be prepared to want to snack while reading this book: their many feasts are described in mouthwatering detail.

*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.