MayDay!: 5 (The Juniper Junction Cozy Holiday Mystery Series) Paperback – 19 April 2021

When I see a book cover in ice cream colors (preferably with a cupcake or a cat), I know the tropes I’ll find inside. And in her latest Juniper Junction holiday mystery, author Amy Reade gives a master class in constructing the cozy mystery. Wherever her amateur detective Lilly goes, bodies pile up offstage, but actual blood/bodily fluids are kept to a minimum. (Same goes for sex, actually.)This time jeweler and amateur sleuth Lilly Carlsen isn't looking for a murder to solve. She's got bigger problems. She's agreed to organize the May Day wedding of her best friend Noley, a celebrity chef, and her brother Bill, a member of the local police force. Despite conflicts with the caterer, family issues such as her mother's slide into dementia, and the professional demands of running a successful jewelry business, Lilly is determined to pull off the perfect fairytale wedding.And she nails it. That is, until the small plane repeatedly buzzes the wedding party, sending everyone into dress-destroying faceplants. And until the groom and most of his fellow law enforcement officers race off toward the sound of the plane crash, leaving behind the bride, the guests, and... the corpse.Cue frustration you could cut with a knife. With the two main members of her crime-solving posse, Bill and Noley, off on their honeymoon, Lilly is frustrated by the slow pace of the ensuing investigation. Her boyfriend Hassan is frustrated that after giving up Lilly's attention to the wedding preparations, he still has to take second place to her determination to figure out who deliberately destroyed the wedding, and unmask the murderer. Lilly's son and daughter are literally frustrated as she deliberately and consistently blocks their developing relationships.But what sets this book apart from others of its genre are the things that have nothing to do with the mystery. I can't tell you how refreshing Lilly is as a heroine. Instead of misogynistic brooding and drugs like Sherlock, or painful personal quirks like Poirot, Lilly is a mature woman who has to balance her detecting with the needs of...well, everyone. Her best friend wants her to organize her dream wedding, but imposes restrictions, not to mention pale green bridesmaid dresses that make her look ill. Her college-age kids ("'Kids, do not make me stop this car.' The threat still worked, even after all these years.") want to have sleepovers—the good kind— with their love interests. Her aging mother's dementia is accelerating, but she wants to stay in her own home. Her over-protective police officer brother ("Don't you dare, Lil. Don't think it, don't say it. I'm up for a promotion to deputy lieutenant and if you go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong and sniffing out answers, there's no way they'll promote me.") wants her to stop asking questions. And of course, her boyfriend Hassan just wants her. So does her dog.So even though I found Lilly's solution of grounding her college age kids a bit cringe-making, and found the motives for the crimes to be somewhat weak, I'm in love with Lilly. Her life is believable, she faces familiar joys and difficulties I've had to deal with too. She makes bad decisions for good reasons, and good ones almost by accident. But when things go off the rails, or she's in danger, it's those strong relationships that save her.Author Amy Reade plays fair with her readers, liberally scattering clues and red herrings for us to unravel along with Lilly. As with most series I love, one of the pleasures of reading about Lilly's life and family is the way she and her posse continue to grow and develop into ever more fully rounded characters. Her slow-burn romance with Hassan, her struggle to accept her mother's decline, and her determined (if often intrusive) parenting are all wonderful to see and appreciate over again.Recipes included! (Laurel's Chicken Pot Pie sounds delicious, even if I have no idea what "Better Than Bouillon" is...)