5 Must-Read Novels If You're Into Weddings, Secrets, and Mystery
Weddings are often sold to us as joyful, photo-op soirees, with roses, champagne, lace dresses, and joyful tears. But let's be real: beneath all the satin and sparkle, there's sometimes drama, secrets, and a scandal or two. And that's precisely why wedding-themed mystery books are such terrific page-turners. Their contents centre on the glamour of "I do" alongside the intrigue of "but what's really going on here?
If you're the kind of reader who loves romance but likes your love stories with a little secret, family drama, or an unexpected plot twist, this list is for you. We've rounded up five captivating novels where weddings, marriages, and mysteries collide. Some are chilling whodunits, others are biting social commentaries, but all of them promise to keep you turning pages until the very end.
1. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty has built a career on taking ordinary families and making them explosive mysteries, and Apples Never Fall is no exception. There isn't a wedding at its centre, but marriage and family are the backdrop on which secrets come undone.
Stan and Joy Delaney, well-liked in their community after forty years of running a tennis academy, should be living their golden years. But their marriage is strained, and their home is suffocatingly silent. When a stranger, Savannah, shows up at their doorstep bruised and in need of help, the Delaneys welcome her in. Then Joy vanishes without a word, and so does Savannah.
What follows is a riveting family drama as the Delaneys' four adult children navigate suspicion, loyalty, and the possibility that their father is not as innocent as he claims. Apples Never Fall is perfect if you like mysteries that are family-centric, where the very people you trust could be hiding the darkest of secrets.
)
Photo: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
You can download an e-copy here.
2. You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
Imagine being invited to your former best friend’s extravagant wedding, only to discover she’s marrying your ex-boyfriend. That’s the deliciously scandalous setup for Amanda Jayatissa’s You’re Invited.
Amaya, still reeling from past heartbreak and estrangement, arrives in Sri Lanka determined to stop the wedding. But the opulent week-long celebration quickly turns sinister. Rumours spread, tensions rise, and when the bride-to-be goes missing, Amaya becomes the prime suspect.
The brilliance of Jayatissa's prose is in the shifting suspicions, because every single person at this wedding has something to hide. Grudges, secrets, and agendas are brought along by the guests in this salacious blend of drama and suspense. If you like the setup of a wedding that's Instagram-perfect but festering underneath, You're Invited will keep you on the edge of your seat.
)
You can download an e-copy here.
READ MORE: These Outdoor Wedding Venues in Lagos Help You Say “I Do” in Style
3. So Happy for You by Celia Laskey
4. The Unwedding by Ally Condie
5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley