Residents of the small town of Sitting Marsh in England are looking for a distraction from the worries of World War II and find it during the wedding of Priscilla Pierce and Captain Willy Carbunkle. The residents band together, even donating their own rations, to give Priscilla and Wally a perfect wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding celebration is marred by the stabbing death of a stranger who wasn't even invited to the wedding. When it turns out that the victim was the boyfriend of one of the bridesmaids and they had been seen arguing earlier, suspicion falls on her and her family. But Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton has solved a few mysteries in the past and isn't convinced the police have the right suspects and decides to investigate the murder herself.

This is yet another delightful entry in Kate Kingsbury's Manor House mystery series. The mystery was intriguing and well plotted and Kingsbury threw in a nifty red herring that had me convinced early on that I knew who the murdered was, but I was totally wrong. The historical background is interesting, especially the details of rationing and blackouts. The real strength in these books are the characters: Lady Elizabeth struggling with her duties as Lady of the Manor and her love for Major Earl Monroe (who is regrettably in the background for much of this book); her faithful servants Violet and Martin; the various village ladies; and, of course, Sadie and Polly, young girls looking for love in war torn England.

Unfortunately, this is the second to last book in the Manor House series. The series will be missed, but this gives Kingsbury a chance to tie together the many themes that have gone on through all the books, including the identity of the "three musketeers" and a resolution of Elizabeth's relationship with Earl. ( )

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