For Better or Hearse: An Annabelle Archer Mystery    by Laura Durham Order:  USA  Can Avon, 2006 (2006) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Annabelle Archer is a wedding planner in Washington, D.C.. As if it weren't enough of a hassle dealing with distraught brides who want to change all the arrangements made over the preceding nine months, paranoid mothers who are sure nothing is being done right, and bridesmaids who think the whole thing is a lark, Annabelle is chased from the kitchen of a posh hotel by a chef wielding a knife. After said chef is found (by Annabelle) impaled on an ice sculpture, naturally the police look at her as the impaler. When, instead, a fellow wedding planner is charged with the crime, Annabelle feels duty bound to find the real killer. This leads to a series of events that tickle the funny bone as well as quickening the breath. The wedding planning that must go on in this world is mind boggling. (The author is, in reality, a wedding planner, so the book might be considered as coming from the horse's mouth.) Should I ever remarry (stranger things have happened) I shall do us all a favor and slip away quietly. Annabelle's assistant is a hoot with her malapropisms and salacious clothing. As are Annabelle's heartthrobs – one a suit and tie hunk of a D.C. detective, the other a kilt wearing, tatooed, red-haired Scot. Don't miss this second book in the series, the first being Better Off Wed. In fact, don't miss either. Sheer fun. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews