Mysterious Reviews Home

The Bride Will Keep Her Name

by Jan Goldstein

The Bride Will Keep Her Name by Jan Goldstein

Review: Just a week before her dream wedding, Madison Mandelbaum begins receiving troubling messages asking the question, "Do you really know the man you are about to marry?", in The Bride Will Keep Her Name, a novel by Jan Goldstein.

"Be careful what you wish for," Madison's mother was fond of saying. Like all young girls, Madison wished for a man who was tall, dark and handsome, one who would sweep her off her feet, fall in love with her and she with him. Her wish is about to come true, she is going to marry Colin Darcy, the man of her dreams. But a week before the wedding Madison receives a mysterious unidentifiable e-mail, the first of many that suggest Colin was involved with the murder of a call girl less than a year ago. Even details that seem to support the accusations are provided. She could not face Colin with her suspicions. Not yet. Together with her best friends since childhood, she begins an investigation. The more clues they find, the more guilty Colin looked. As the days dwindle down to the ceremonial festivities, Madison finally confronts Colin. He admits lying to her about some of his past. He even admits that he knew the dead girl and was with her the day before she was murdered, a crime that remains unsolved. He denies, however, having any part in the murder. Colin has no proof of his innocence and is suddenly arrested for the murder. Madison wants to believe him. Madison's grandmother tells her to let her head follow her heart. But can she?

The Bride Will Keep Her Name is a briskly paced cross-genre novel, a chick-lit style mystery with generous amounts of good humor. The love between Madison and Colin is genuinely expressed and the secrets exposed just days before their wedding are both shocking and from unexpected sources. It's all quite entertaining and makes for a perfect summer read.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Bride Will Keep Her Name.

Acknowledgment: Goldberg McDuffie Communications provided a copy of The Bride Will Keep Her Name for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

Location(s) referenced in The Bride Will Keep Her Name:

— ♦ —

The Bride Will Keep Her Name by Jan Goldstein

The Bride Will Keep Her Name by

Publisher: Shaye Areheart
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0-307-34592-9
Publication Date:
List Price: $24.00

Buy the Book (purchase options)