There's just something about a mystery revolving around nuptials
that makes it a must-read for me. So imagine my delight when I saw
that a favorite author, Carol Higgins Clark, chose to make that the
theme of her newest novel, HITCHED.

Private investigator Regan Reilly has traveled from Los Angeles to
her parents' house in Summit, New Jersey and is getting ready to
marry her soulmate, NYPD detective Jack Reilly. Heck, it must be
fate because, coincidentally, they already have the same last name.
Nothing is going to mar the way Regan feels about marrying this
wonderful man (or so she thinks). After all, when a woman gets to
31 with no hint of marriage in sight and then meets the man of her
dreams, that's something to celebrate!

It's the Saturday before the wedding when Regan, her mom Nora, and
best friend Kit traipse into Little Italy to pick up Regan's
couture gown. When they get there, rather than finding the gown of
Regan's dreams, they discover Alfred and Charisse, designers
extraordinaire, bound and gagged. Along with a considerable stash
of cash, four wedding dresses have been stolen and another one
slashed, mutilated and smeared with blood.

Now it's time for Regan to kick it into high gear and find the
answer to this horrible puzzle. While she spends her time looking
into the missing wedding dresses, fiancé Jack has his hands
full trying to solve a string of bank robberies. Could things get
any more hectic right before the impending nuptials? You bet!

Amidst an amusing cast of characters are the other four brides,
also known as the April brides, each more intriguing than the next.
We have Brianne, the bridezilla who demands a full refund and sets
off in search of another dress; Tracy, the ballistic businesslike
bride whose fiancé broke their engagement when he heard the
news; Victoria, the bride who is marrying a man she met on the
Internet and is planning to continue living separately from him
even after they wed; and Shauna, the laid back, nature-loving bride
who shows little concern at the news her dress is missing.

Not only is the theft of the dresses a major blow to the brides, it
garners major media attention; before long, a simple little mystery
to solve is turning into a three-ring circus.

HITCHED is a great, fun read and I didn't want to put the book down
until I was done. Carol Higgins Clark takes the reader on a crazy
roller-coaster ride that includes stops in New York City, Atlantic
City, and last but not least, Las Vegas. I highly recommend
HITCHED, as well as the eight previous books in this series.