The Wedding Gift, by Kathleen McKenna

Leeann Worthier and George Willits are both big fish in a small pond.  She is the local beauty queen, and self proclaimed prettiest girl in town.  He is the heir apparent to the family petroleum business, and judging by the family's wealth, business is booming.  It is no shock then, when in the small town of Dalton, these two end up together.  Well, it may have been a shock to his mamma.  She probably saw it as a tragedy, but then again, the Willits family has a lot of tragedies.  George's uncle and cousins were murdered in their home by George's aunt, and other strange things have happened in that house.  So, when George announces that the same house is is wedding gift to Leeann, so that they can have their own home, she is less than thrilled.  Strange and terrible things continue to happen, and Leeann is bound to get to the bottom of things, even if it kills her.

Oh my goodness.  I wish I would have had a paper bag when I read this, because I was laughing so hard at times I was hyperventilating!  Kathleen McKenna sure does know how to write a memorable story!  This is a story involving small town life, with it's scandal and charm, in a Southwestern town that fancies itself more Southern than it really is.  The characters are brilliantly farcical, as are the situations in which they find themselves.  I guffawed several times over Leeann's dialogue, both internal and external, because that girl has quite a way with the words.

In some ways,  Leeann's situation is tragic, and in some ways it's trashy.  I love both aspects.  I do not want to give anything away, because trust me, you want to read this book.  It is sort of like Murder She Wrote meets King of the Hill, all set in Oklahoma.  There are supernatural aspects to the book, which will appeal to paranormal fans, and a touch of mystery, but it is also quite comedic.  There is never a dull moment in this one.  Read it, and see for yourself!




An electronic copy of this book was provided for review purposes courtesy of the author and publisher.