Relationship problems with Dutch, a friend's wedding out-of-town, and missing bridesmaids, it all means another winner of a story. ( )

Fieldnotes:
Denver, Colorado, Contemporary (p.2006)

1 Dire Opening Foretelling the Author's Death

1 Very Bad Valentine's Day Present (Useful Variety)
Several Over the Top Valentine's Day Presents (Too Much)
1 Pseudo-Maybe-Not-Quite Break-up

1 Childhood Best Friend's Wedding
1 Hot Law Enforcement Brother
1 Kooky Aunt
Several Missing Bridesmaids

1 Deranged Killer About
1 Framed? Fiance
1 Kidnapper

Very Bad Driving
Blank Premonitions
Lengthy Afterlife? Scene

The Short Version
Not one of the strongest in this series, we don't really get much in the way of visions/help from Abby's crew. Just a lot of prophetic death dreams - which we KNOW because the book opens with Abby being killed.

We get nowhere on the relationship front since Abby high-tails it out to Denver for a best friend's wedding to get over the heartache of thinking she and Dutch have broken up without ever actually talking things through like a pair of adults. And the replacement version is just Imitation Dutch, basically. Hot law enforcement prone to scolding her (though a bit more prone to believing in her powers)...

The mystery and the culprit felt fairly predictable, which wouldn't have been a problem if we had had more interaction with side characters I enjoy (Dave, Cat), but being in a new place, we didn't have much there either. ( )

Very good (I have to confess to almost detracting a star for last page comment from Dutch with "Vegas" in the sentence). More steadily on mystery than first books without Abby's usual appointments. Trip to best friends wedding a good way to fill in some of Abby's backstory but a little convenient and formulaic--not real believable that none of these close-as-family wedding party members heard of in previous books (ok, occasional text/email/mention of Ellie I vaguely remember). Wasn't sure who the bad guy was until last chapters; but, made sense--I blame lack of sleep from too many pre-orders hitting my ereader at once.

Abby character still her usual quirky self and why I am enjoying this series (a good judge of that is that I have pre-ordered the July 2012 release of the new one).

Would have rated higher if Abby had stayed more in character. I mean, it's believable that you do weird things when you breakup with someone; but, the sudden start/stop thing with old crush so out of character for someone who previously took 3 books to get somewhere in the romance department. The seeing connected energy thing if people involved came out of nowhere unless I missed something in first books (that is, a ghostly/foggy image of loved one showing over a person's shoulder--seems like could have simplified everyone's love life including Abby's already). ( )

Great twist! ( )

Good for light vacation reading. Little bit of wedding drama, didn't quite see whodunnit (so I guess I'm no "psychic eye!") ( )