Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of A Killer Wedding by Joan O’Leary due to be published September 23, 2025.

Christine is reviewing the wedding of a lifetime for the magazine she works for – Bespoke. The wedding is not what she thought, though. Will she even survive?

This one is chock full of so many secrets and lies it is hard to keep up with who is playing whom against each other! Rich people, undercover detectives, lots of family backstabbing and murders – what’s not to love! Looking forward to reading more books from this author!


#NetGalley #JoanOLeary #AKillerWedding #WilliamMorrow

An action packed, locked room mystery, who done it, that keeps you guessing until the end. This was one wild ride as the Beaufort family is filthy rich as Gloria Beaufort founded a beauty line Glo. The Beaufort family gave off Sucession vibes as each family member has secrets and wants to keep living their comfortable life. Christine Russo is so happy to be picked by Gloria to write about the wedding of the season. Now she gets to stay in a castle in Ireland and live the life of luxury.

Christine may have gotten more than she bargained for when Gloria dies suspiciously. The family wants to keep this fact hidden and let the wedding go on. A toxic family with so much to loose as the tensions build to the reveal who was the master mind behind it all.

This book hooks you in and keeps you engaged until the last page. It is one debut novel that you don't want to miss and can't wait to see what this author writes next.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this title! What a wild ride!

Rich people behaving badly! That’s what is happening here. This book had me hooked from the beginning. The twist and turns were not at all what I expected and you definitely won’t see the ending coming. People for those who love a great whodunit in a creepy Irish castle with unlimited funds. Solid 4 stars!

I received an ARC of A Killer Wedding from the publisher and NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty mystery. A morally bankrupt, wildly wealthy family and a naive but ambitious reporter thrown together for a lavish wedding weekend in an Irish castle — it reads like the setup for the latest Netflix miniseries.

The atmosphere is deliciously gothic and tense, with secrets lurking in every shadowed hallway. The family is the perfect blend of despicable and fascinating, and watching the reporter try to navigate their tangled lies kept me hooked.

If you love modern whodunits with sharp social commentary, opulent settings, and characters you love to hate, this is one to add to your list. I can’t wait to see what Joan O’Leary writes next!

Fun and smart murder mystery with twists, turns and secrets. Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

Who wouldn’t want to attend an opulent, over the top wedding in an Irish Castle. Then throw in a murder and chaos ensues. Through twists, turns and flashbacks a cast of complicated character’s unfold as we go through the wedding weekend. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from Joan O’leary

This was an interesting read. I felt that the characters were believable and annoying. I kept reading to see how the story tied up, but it wasn't the best read for me. I have very mixed opinions about this book and I am struggling to put them into words.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for sending this eARC for review consideration. “A Killer Wedding,” by Joan O’Leary out September 23,2025. All opinions are my own!

Book Review: 🔪💍A Killer Wedding – 4/5 Stars 🔪💍
Okayyy book besties, this one had me spiraling 😵‍💫. I was side-eyeing everyone in this book like… are you the killer?? Or?? 👀 Just when I thought I had it figured out, the author threw in another detail that made me second-guess myself— and yes, I gasped out loud a couple times.

Not going to lie, I was lowkey confused at first with all the characters and POV switches 😅 but once I got into the groove, I was investeddd. I couldn't stop flipping pages like my life depended on it—I had to know what happened next. Major Clue in couture vibes and BIG Murder Mystery energy and I was living for the chaos 🕵️‍♀️💅

O’Leary served up sabotage, drama, secrets, and immaculate scandal.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – if you love twisty plots, wedding day secrets, and guessing games with ✨vibes✨, this one’s for you 📚

#AKillerWedding #JoanOLeary #BookReview #WeddingThriller #CozyMystery #Bookstagram #WhoDunItVibes #MurderMeetsMarriage #ReadWithMe #BookishBesties #ThrillerTokApproved #NetGalley

I just finished A Killer Wedding by procrastinating on doing any of the chores I really should be doing. This rollicking ride of a mystery/suspense novel is great fun and unputdownable.

Newly promoted senior editor, Christine, is sent to an Irish castle to cover the nuptials of the grandson of glamorous and insanely wealthy Gloria Beaufort. Gloria single-handedly built up one of the world’s leading beauty brands. Okay, so that is the premise. Then, the author deftly uses the chapters to show the points of views of the different characters and incidents from different time periods. This may sound confusing, but it absolutely is not. Instead, the plot quickly moves along, and the reader gets completely absorbed with the story.

There are murders, secrets, an undercover detective, a movie star and rich people behaving badly. Actually, there are some poor people behaving badly as well. This was all delicious fun!

What a fun unique thriller. I love all the twists. Everyone should read this when it publishes. Thank you William Morrow and HarperCollins for my arc, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for this ARC.

This was an incredible debut novel. This will be an auto buy author for me from now on. The setting was amazing and I felt so immersed in the hotel/castle. The characters were so believable. Each flashback was done so well. I was at the edge of my seat till the end of the book. So well done and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

A Killer Wedding is an off the wall thriller comedy, perfect for fans of Knives Out, Clue, Murder by Death and other mysteries that don’t take themselves or murder quite seriously.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and William Morrow (the Publisher), for providing me with a complimentary advance digital / e-copy of A Killer Wedding by Joan O’Leary coming out on September 23, 2025 in exchange for my honest review.

My Thoughts
What an absolute ride. A Killer Wedding sparkles with high-society glamour while cutting deep with suspense and wit. Joan O’Leary manages to craft a murder mystery that is equal parts stylish and sinister and I was hooked from the moment Christine stepped foot in that castle.

Christine is such a standout narrator: sharp, ambitious, and wry in all the best ways. Her commentary adds this addictive layer of dry humor, which perfectly offsets the glittering excess around her. She’s smart enough to know she’s in over her head, but determined enough to stay anyway and that tension makes her journey utterly unputdownable.

The atmosphere is pure indulgence: we’re talking an ancient Irish castle, extravagant pre-wedding events dripping with old money, and a family so wealthy their cocktail hours are more curated than couture runways. But beneath the surface lies this deliciously tense, slow-unraveling web of secrets. I loved the way the story built up, never confusing, even with its multiple perspectives and timelines and always teasing just enough to keep you guessing.

The family drama is intense, laced with betrayal, ambition, and toxic loyalty. Gloria’s death becomes the fuse that lights everything on fire, and Christine’s role as both observer and reluctant participant adds real depth. Why doesn’t she walk away? Because ambition is a powerful motivator and when you’re one story away from the top, it’s not easy to let go.

This felt like Knives Out meets Big Little Lies with a touch of The White Lotus, satirical, sharp, and brimming with twisted charm. The pacing is fast, the turns keep coming, and the emotional undercurrent around identity, control, and the price of success is surprisingly poignant.

Who Should Read It?
-Fans of glitzy murder mysteries with a dark comedic edge
-Anyone obsessed with influencer culture and family dynasties
-Mystery readers who like their thrills with a side of champagne and secrets

Final Verdict
A Killer Wedding is a glitzy, gripping page-turner that pulls back the curtain on wealth, image, and all the deadly secrets people will kill to protect. Joan O’Leary’s debut is fun, fierce, and full of bite.

Grateful to NetGalley, William Morrow and Joan O’Leary for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Good fun! An original locked room mystery. The setting and location made the story even better. I usually don’t love multi character multi timeline structure, but it works in this book, I didn’t figure it out, which I always like :). Thanks for letting me read!

As a fan of both Agatha Christie and Succession, this one was right up my alley. A locked room murder mystery, located in an old Irish castle, with plenty of filthy rich suspects convening for a wedding and a journalist, working for a bridal publication, who's thrilled to be covering the event. The matriarch of the family shows up dead and the amateur sleuthing begins. Fairly predictable but fun enough, with a lot of fashion name dropping and bad behavior, plus that fabulous setting.

My Rating: ⭐️ 5 /5

FMC: Christine Russo

POV: Third person

Narratives: Multiple POVs

Timeline: Nonlinear – includes flashbacks and past-set chapters that reveal secrets, motives, and character backstory

Structure: Hybrid narrative – anchored in a present-day plotline, supported by past-set chapters that expand the mystery

Main Setting: Ballymoon Castle Hotel, Ireland

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Themes: whodunit, destination, lavish location, high society, dysfunctional family dynamics, fake identity, family business, manipulation, secret passageways, sabotage, severe weather, dark family history, hidden agendas

CWs/Potential Triggers: murder, blood, manipulation, gaslighting, alcoholism, infidelity, emotional abuse

Summary: Christine Russo is a fashion journalist and headed to a lavish castle in Ireland as the lead editor on Bespoke Weddings’ biggest feature of the year: the wedding of Jane Murphy and Dr. Graham Ripton, courtesy of an invitation from the Groom’s powerhouse grandmother, Gloria Beaufort. But before the festivities begin, Gloria turns up dead. Now Christine’s stuck in a castle full of rich, dysfunctional suspects who want her to keep quiet and let the wedding go on like nothing happened. The guest list is stacked with shady relatives: a son tangled in lawsuits with the family business, a bitter daughter-in-law, a grandson with a rap sheet, his sketchy influencer wife, and a golden-boy groom who might not be so golden.

Christine’s instincts, and her career (thanks to a pesky and jealous boss) won’t let her walk away from the mystery, especially when the clues start piling up and strange things keep happening around the castle. It’s all secrets, sabotage, and social-climbing drama behind the castle doors.
A sharp, stylish whodunnit with biting humor, messy family dynamics, and a heroine who refuses to stay in her lane.

My Thoughts: Christine, our fashion journo-turned-amateur sleuth, is equal parts smart, observant, and done with everyone’s BS. She walks into what’s supposed to be a chic wedding assignment and ends up in the middle of a high-society cover-up. And we learn that every member of this toxic, wildly privileged family is a suspect, each one messier than the last, and I loved it.

The timeline hops between the present weekend chaos and past POVs that slowly peel back the layers, revealing motive after motive until everything clicks together in the juiciest way. I thought the pacing was perfect and the tone was witty, dry, and dark in all the right places. And the mystery was solidly plotted with red herrings, gasp-worthy reveals, cliffhanging chapters, and an ending that lands just right. Seriously, there were so many things I didn’t see coming that made me keep turning the page because I was completely absorbed in the story!

If you’re into twisty murder mysteries with flair, bite, and family drama, this one absolutely delivers!

Thank you William Morrow for providing me a copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Killer Wedding by Joan O'Leary is a murder mystery following Christine, a reporter invited to cover a wedding by Gloria, founder of a billion-dollar fashion company and the generationally-wealthy matriach of the groom's family. But, as tends to happen with murder mysteries, she's soon found dead, leaving Christine to investigate the murder amidst the most extravagant wedding she's ever been to.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It didn't fit into the standard mystery formula I'm used to: having mostly read Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot books, which tend to pair an experienced detective with a hapless sidekick (usually the narrator)[1]; instead the main character of this book is the primary investigator but is also way out of her depth and certainly no Poirot or Holmes; the book was also unusual in that it used a number of POVs other than the main one, typically flashbacks to the pasts of various suspects.

Overall, I thought this was a really fun read. It took a while to get going: the first third of the book is quite slow, and takes its time with introducing the plethora of insufferable family members that form the majority of the cast. Personally, as someone who has a hard time reading unlikeable characters, it definitely took me a while to warm up to the characters. The beginning also felt extra-slow because of how much time we spend getting to know Gloria before the murder happened, with the inciting murder happening sometime between the 20% and 30% points.

Once we got into it, though, I had a blast—the book was so gripping that I read the final two-thirds of the book in just one day. And while at first I wasn't sold on the non-Christine (flashback) chapters, they definitely won me over by the end, offering snippets of interesting information that furthered the plot while also fleshing out the characters and their relationship with Gloria; each flashback gave some character a level of depth beyond "family (of friend) to the murdered billionaire". O'Leary also definitely perfected the art of chapter ordering: each flashback was perfectly placed to relate to the present-day investigation and drop important information just at the right moment, without having to provide a contrived reason for Christine to discover said information.

Perhaps the only major gripe I had with the book was it's cliffhanger-y nature. Most chapters, especially the flashbacks, end with a mini-cliffhanger, revealing some bombshell that we couldn't have predicted. It worked: I binged the book as a result of these cliffhangers, but they definitely frustrated me at times. It got a little much, ending each flashback with a twist, and in some cases I felt that information had to be unnecessarily withheld for the sake of the twist. For instance, early on in the book there's a character who laments a discussion he had with another character, and a couple chapters later someone else finds out about the conversation: in both chapters, though, O'Leary goes out of her way to not mention the identity of this other character, simply so it can be a twist later in the book. This happened a couple of other times in the book, which ultimately left me feeling a little strung-along.

Fortunately, though, the ending itself was well-crafted. I didn't manage to guess it, and wouldn't really expect many readers to do so, but it never felt implausible. There were some parts that stretched credibility a little bit, but overall I thought it did a great job of tying together all the numerous loose threads that had been laid out, bringing them together in a way that was cohesive and consistent, believable yet still a plot twist.

Final Score: 4.5/5

[1] There are, of course, a couple of exceptions to this formula, but the only ones I can think of are intentional subversions by Agatha Christie herself.

A mix of clue and your favorite trashy soap opera! The Ripton family is wealthy, powerful, and completely spoiled! Christine is delighted when she makes her way to the top and gets the chance to cover the upcoming wedding of one of the Ripton heirs, she knows this is her opportunity to claim her throne. But before the festivities can begin, the matriarch of the family is found dead. Is one of her bratty heirs to blame?

This was a twisty locked room mystery full of drama and secrets that keeps you guessing!

Thank you NetGalley, Joan O’Leary, and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A locked room wedding mystery full of toxic family members and secrets. Christine can’t believe her luck. She works for a you would do anything to have your wedding covered in this wedding magazine and has been chosen to cover the wedding of Gloria Beaufort’s grandson. Gloria is a beauty icon. This will make her career and as a bonus she gets to stay at a castle in Ireland for free. But then there’s a murder and it’s not such a glorious trip anymore. Gloria is found dead and the family want her to keep it secret. It cannot get out that she’s dead before the wedding happens. Their life of luxury depends on it. But when told to keep quiet, Christine can’t help but wonder if someone in this family is responsible. Definitely an entertaining read and great debut.

This twisty mystery is set in at a wedding that is taking place at a castle in Ireland. The groom’s grandmother gets murdered and there are lots of suspects. This mystery is told from the perspective of multiple unreliable characters. I enjoyed this thrilling tale.