FATAL FASCINATOR

An invitation to a wedding at an ancient castle lures two London hat-shop owners into a dangerous adventure.

Scarlett Parker—the business half of Mim’s Whims, where her cousin Vivian Tremont is the creative genius—and her photographer friend Andre Eisel have a chance meeting with “Bridus horribilis” Piper May, who’s desperate to have Viv make the fascinators for her bridesmaids. Neither Viv nor Andre wants to leave London, but Scarlett, who’s planning her own wedding to Harrison Wentworth, can’t resist the beauties and amenities of Waverly Castle when Piper invites them all to the wedding. Viv and Andre reluctantly agree after Viv’s tempted by the presence of legendary hatmaker Dominick Falco. The castle and grounds are stunning, the company not so much. Dooney Portis, the obnoxious groom who bullied Andre when they were schoolmates, is marrying for money; Piper’s looking to improve her social status. Bridesmaid Sunny is pregnant by Dooney, which may or may not be the reason Scarlett finds Dooney dead in the library. It all seems like a game of Clue, and at least one of the staff attributes the death to a curse, though the cause turns out to be cyanide poisoning. Histrionics and vitriol abound, but Scarlett and her friends are determined to solve a mystery marked by past and present secrets, hidden passages, and even a maze.

A cast of unlikable suspects makes it easy to enjoy this amusing murder hunt without getting overinvested in anyone.