First Comes Marriage...Then Comes Murder - by Donna Mumma (Paperback)

I was excited to revisit the nostalgia of the 50’s and Wynton’s Department Store as I enjoyed the previous book in A Women of Wynton’s Mystery series. I love these women and their friendships that do whatever they can to support each other through the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugliness of life. This is a cozy mystery of murder and mayhem without anything that makes you squirm. You will turn pages quickly to see if your guess of whom the culprit is and the why. This book also tackles one of the harder issues of racism which was a part of the times, but shows that change is starting to take place. I love these women descriptions of the clothing as I’m a big fan of vintage clothing and could picture it in my mind. Great character development and growth you can see from the first book. Although this could be read as a stand-alone I recommend reading the first book so you can get to know these friends and how their friendships began. Each chapter is labeled with which woman’s point of view is being written about. I enjoyed this book as it was different. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/ Barbour Publishing. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

The ladies at the Wynton's Department Store are at it again, this time trying to stop a smear campaign that involves the much-loved Miss Vivien who runs the bridal department. For years, she has been a fixture in this small Florida town, but evidently not everyone loves her. That is because someone is killing brides who wed while wearing one of Miss Vivien's custom gowns. The killer is attempting to ruin Miss Vivien's reputation, and put the bridal department out of business. People desert Miss Vivien in droves, both customers, and even her long-time supporters. If they don't get to the bottom of this soon, the bridal department will be gone, and Miss Vivien will resign. This killer is crafty, smart, and full of hate, finding him or her will not be easy. This is the second installment in the series, but this story stands alone. But go back and read the first one, it will help you understand how these very different ladies end up becoming friends. The author does a great job making you feel like it is the 1950's. Lots of twists and turns, along with red herrings, will keep you turning the pages to discover the identity of the bad guy. This clean whodunit will leave you satisfied with the ending, but, at the same time, longing for another adventure with these ladies. I highly recommend this five-star book, you will love it. Thanks to Barbour Books for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.

What a great follow up to book 1, The Women of Wynton’s. You will want to read that first as we are following the same women at the same store. You won’t understand a lot in this book if you don’t. First Comes Marriage…Then Comes Murder will make you laugh, will frustrate you, and will keep you turning pages. Author Donna Mumma writes some great characters you will come to love. A 1950s murder mystery, I enjoyed reading about the fashion at Wynton’s. In many ways it brought back memories of the large department stores my hometown used to have. Mumma kept me guessing about “whodunit”. She threw in a lot of red herrings, very successfully. I just needed to know! Such a good read if you enjoy mystery, fashion, and characters who continue to grow and change. And the audio of both books is very well done. I highly recommend it! I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review. All thoughts are my own.

I loved another chance to spend time with the women at Wynton's Department store! This second book in the Women of Wynton's Mystery series allowed me to learn more about the personal lives of Miss Vivian, Audrey, Mary Jo, Gigi, and Mirette, as they worked to solve a troubling mystery. Why were brides around Levy City being murdered, and why were the clues pointing to Miss Vivian? Who was trying to ruin her bridal business? Author Donna Mumma guided me on a trip down memory lane, back to 1956, with mentions of department stores, fashionable attire, popular movies, and TV shows of that period. Most of all, I enjoyed the well-defined characters and the special friendship that these women shared, along with their efforts to find the killer and prevent more damage to Miss Vivian's reputation. If you enjoy mystery, history, and characters you'd love to have as friends, grab a copy of this book. I look forward to more of Mumma's stories! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Loved this engaging cozy mystery, sequel to The Women of Wynton's! I loved the group of women who befriended and bonded in the first book -united also by a mystery at the department store- and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered there would be another book! The year is 1956 in Levy City, Florida. Vivien Sheffield, a prestigious bridal gown designer and advisor for Wynton’s Department Store, is confronted with the toughest test of her professional life. A mysterious killer has been targeting brides who wore her uniquely designed wedding dresses! Vivien’s colleagues and close friends—Audrey, Mary Jo, and Gigi—along with her assistant Mirette, quickly band together to protect Miss Vivien and the brides of Levy City before the murderer can ruin both Vivien’s career at Wynton’s and her hard-earned reputation. Totally loved this! The plot has a good pace and the mystery has unexpected twists I didn’t see coming. Very unpredictable! And intriguing! The setting and the time period was also very interesting. I have read very few books set during the 1950’s, and I loved all the details about fashion during those times, the way the department stores functioned, etc. But my favorite part was the characters. I was already in love with Miss Vivien, Audrey, Gigi, Mary Jo and Mirette, since the previous book. I love how different they are, yet how relatable and realistic they feel. The friendship between them -that was not instant in the first book-, is sweet and inspiring, and it grows stronger in this story. And I like having the point of view of each of the four main characters. The way each one reflects their struggles and victories of their personal lives, their work relationships, their insecurities, through their own point of view makes the book more engaging. I love their banter and how they have each other backs, and how they all want to protect Miss Vivien. All in all, a story I truly enjoyed and highly recommend. It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend to read The Women of Wynston's, if you want to get to know the characters better and know how their friendship started. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

The Women of Wynton have to try to figure out why a string of murders keeps occurring in their little Florida town. Young brides seem to be the victims. The story is like a family, as all the friends rally around each other to help encourage them with their job, home, and work problems. Much thought and research went into the details of fashion during the 1950s, a pivotal era in history. A fun read.

This is a lovely read, historical Christian fiction. This is the second in the series but it can be read as a stand alone as I didn't read the first one and did just fine. I loved the multiple POVs. Thanks to Net galley and the author for the arc.

What a delightful story! Donna Mumma shares an enticing mystery about murdered brides. Miss Vivien runs Vivien’s Bridal Creations in the Wynton’s Department Store. Several of her past brides end up murdered, and all signs point to Miss Vivien. She, her assistant, Mirette, and their friends Audrey, Mary Jo, and Gigi, set out to discover who’s behind the murders. One thing I really enjoyed about the book is the author’s inclusion of products popular in that time period. I took a trip down memory lane as she referred to popular items from that time that no longer are produced. Kinda made me feel really old! I highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery very much. The story follows a strange occurrence with the brides who purchase specialty designed bridal gowns from Miss Vivien's bridal shop within Wynton's Department Store. You can't help but become invested in trying to figure out if this is just a coincidence or if not, what is the killer after? I highly recommend this story. Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this from the publisher with no expectation in return. The thoughts and comments above are my own and I voluntarily shared them.

This was the perfect summer read-or anytime! Whimsical, Southern characters who capture your heart and draw you into their town, its history-both good and bad-and their stories. Each chapter unveiling details of the characters’ lives along with the bridal gowns and the eventual motive for murder. Your heart aches with them for their losses and cheers them on as they search for the criminal.

I usually don't read books not set in this decade, but I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone. I was born in the 50's and didn't know a lot of the social issues that were going on. This book reveals about society trends and racial issues and how awareness was changing. Then add in some murders and you really have a game changer. Five ladies bond together more than usual to stop this murderer from striking again. You won't figure out till the end why this person is killing brides. I was given an advance copy of this book by the author, but these are my words. Highly recommend you add this to you TBR list.