Land development, wedding bells and a hit and run mystery. Jill is busy. ( )

Jill's best friend, Amy is getting married and as the maid of honor Jill is responsible for the helping get things ready for the wedding as well as the bachelorette extravaganza in Las Vegas. juggling these should be enough but Jill also witnessed a hit-and-run accident of the man who was trying to help her have the wall on her property declared a national landmark. Not being able to turn her back on a mystery, Jill starts investigating that as well.

I love all the characters and the setting in this series but this time it wasn't quite as good - there were just too many things going on that sometimes it was difficult to keep track. ( )

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon is the 11th novel in A Tourist Trap Mystery series. Jill Gardner has her hands full. Jill is Amy’s maid-of-honor and she had no idea that Amy would become consumed with the wedding. It seems that all Amy can talk about is the wedding (decorations, where to sit people at the reception, linen colors, table decorations). Jill is trying to plan a bachelorette party in Vegas while handling extra duties at work. Aunt Jackie is wrapped up in Harrold and plans for her own upcoming nuptials. Jill must deal with Sabotage, complaining emails, persistent realtors, a travel writer, and a developer. Just after Jill talks with Frank Gleason from the South Cove Heritage Society, a car hits the man and then takes off. Detective Greg King, Jill’s beau, is investigating, but the leads are sparse. I was surprised that Greg accepted Jill’s help (he normally tells her to stay out of the case). Jill digs into Frank’s background and speaks with his first wife. I found Murder in Waiting to be disjointed with so much going on. The mystery tied together in the end (mostly). I wanted it to be the focus not a side story (which is what it felt like to me). Eating seemed to be have a higher priority than the whodunit (there is a lot of food consumed in this book). I then felt the wrap up was rushed with an odd chase scene. The mystery can easily be solved before the solution is revealed. The trip to Vegas seemed so out of character for Amy and Justin who prefer outdoor activities. I am curious how they can afford a $40,000 wedding (I could not help but wonder considering their occupations). A Tourist Trap Mystery series is character driven. Jill, Aunt Jackie, Toby, Greg, Amy, and the gang are what make this an enjoyable series to read. I like visiting them in each book to see what they are up to. It is nice to see Aunt Jackie happy with Harrold. Emma, of course, continues to be a highlight. It is wonderful that Jill loves books and reading. I like how it is featured in the series. Jill gets ARCs that she devours and she even comments how she loves the smell of books (I concur). Murder in Waiting can be read as a standalone for those new to A Tourist Trap Mystery series. Murder in Waiting is a blithe cozy mystery with a determined developer, an assertive realtor, a scheming saboteur, party planning problems, work worries, and a bridezilla bestie. ( )

Jill Gardner owns Coffee, Books, & More in small-town South Cove, California. She has a house facing the beach that was left to her in a friend's will, and is living with Greg Kill, Sheriff of South Cove. Life is good. Or, at least it would be, if problems didn't keep cropping up around her.

She's doing her best as maid-of-honor to her best friend Amy, but Jill's not good at planning events. In fact, she's terrible at it. Which is why she's more than happy to leave it to her Aunt Jackie or her employee Deek at her shop. Unfortunately, they can't help her with this and since Amy wants her bachelorette party in Las Vegas, Jill's stuck. But there are other things she has to worry about at the present...

Like the realtors who want to buy her house...and the letter she received from the city council blaming her shop on fees being raised for the members...and the fact that she received a letter from the historical society stating that her mission wall wasn't going to be considered for historical significance anymore...or the author who creeps her out...or the attacks on her shop...or even the fact that Frank Gleason, who works for the Heritage Society, was just run down in front of her shop...

Now Jill has so much on her plate that it's not only running over, it's tipping upside down. And if she doesn't get everything straightened out and soon, not only will Amy's party be put on hold, but so will her life...permanently...

I have to say that I absolutely love this series and have been waiting for the next book to arrive. I've missed spending time with Jill and friends. For anyone who's read any of these, this one doesn't disappoint. There's quite a bit going on, and it all tangles up together like knotted thread and you have to patiently separate the pieces to see what belongs and what doesn't. It's a delightful mix of mystery, intrigue, and promises of what will come that pull you in from the beginning and keep you reading until the end.

I also have to disclose that I live in Las Vegas, so while I had to disagree with Jill about some of the best buffets (and we would never go to Fremont street since it smells like skunk permanently now), there's always something to do and things you see that make me just say "...only in Vegas..." I do like the fact that she realizes our police officers are right on the ball and have a strong presence here. I appreciate our men and women in blue like no other.

Okay, done with my opinions and back to the book: while Jill is confused about who is doing what when it comes to the Heritage Society, she doesn't understand why people think she'd even consider selling her home. And she seems to meet the mysterious author everywhere, even though she'd rather not. Once she figures out who might be behind some of it, she's able to get a handle on things and keep something under control, while trying to stay out of Greg's investigation.

I love the fact that Harrold has lessened Jackie's snarkiness toward people; he's a good influence on her, and Deek is beginning to grow on me, too. These are people I'd like to spend time with, and perhaps that's why I love this series so much.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, I did have an inkling that I might know who it was, and I'm happy to say I was right (but then again, I read a lot of mysteries so oh, well); yet it was put together delightfully and there was just enough to make it believable and enjoyable. The ending left us another surprise which I think anyone who knows these characters knew what it was leading up to anyway, and it gave us something else to look forward to in the long run. So now I have to wait patiently (unfortunately) for the next one to bring me back to South Cove. Highly recommended. ( )