A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island

by Cara C. Putman

Join attorney Alanna Stone as she returns home despite her determination to never set foot on Mackinac Island again. Once again in close proximity to Jonathan Covington, her first love, she vows to protect her privacy and her heart from the man who still makes her pulse race. But when her worst fears are realized and history repeats itself, landing her in the midst of a murder investigation, Jonathan may be her only hope. Will they be able to lay aside the past and let God heal their hearts, or will reconciliation come too late?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She is a clinical assistant professor in law and ethics at Purdue University's School of Business. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and legal romantic suspense to life.

An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.

Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 41st book with more on the way. Please check out her website to learn more about her books and read first chapters.

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love cold cases and story lines with the main character returning home after a number of years.

[Janna Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alanna vows never to return to Mackinac Island after the death that her brother was blamed for. She leaves and doesn't come back... until her parents need her and she takes a break from her successful career as a high profile attorney to run their art studio until they can come back. From the minute she is back she is haunted by the past even though most people seem to have let it go. Alanna runs into Jonathan as soon as she is back and she quickly realizes that her high school romance may be why she has never married. In the middle of the past resurfacing she is also confronted by mystery at every turn. Can she figure things out so that she can finally move on with her life? Another murder speeds up the need for solving the questions of the past and unraveling the questions of the present before its too late.

I expected a contemporary romance (not my favorite genre of all time, but I don't mind it) and was surprised to find that this book was more mystery/romance than contemporary romance. I didn't want to be interrupted as I raced to the end of this book. A wonderful read that I highly recommend!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian romantic mystery. Light, easy read. The three stars are due to some very poor editing in the ebook version. Lots of grammar mistakes and typos. 🙁

[Elizabeth "Eli" Olmedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Fun setting, entertaining story, likeable characters, at times it read a bit like a debut novel (though I don't think it is). The final confrontation with the villain was anticlimactic and left me scratching my head. While most of the book was a mystery (yes, with a romantic thread), the ending switched to something out of a pure romance. Don't get me wrong, I liked the ending, but it didn't match the first 95% of the book. All this said, I was sad to see the novel end and will miss Mackinac Island and these characters. Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island is perfect for readers looking for a lighter mystery.

[Kaziah Mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books set on Mackinac Island. The mystery was enjoyable, but I feel like a few things could have been explained a bit better. I had one gripe with the book and it was that the main character is supposedly a birder. However every single (okay so it was like 3) bird be mentioned seeing or hearing would be extremely unusual to see on the island. Just have him spot a cardinal or chickadee for crying out loud. *Rant over*

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery and Romance

A beautiful story of coming home, finding the truth, and realizing that everything happens for a reason, especially when love follows when you open your heart and believe. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to more from author, Cara Putnam.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time around in reading this novel, this time as a hard copy in my hands, has gotten even better than the rough draft version I had on my computer.

“A Wedding Transpires” is a sweet story, mixed with a generous dose of romance, but also the perfect amount of character angst and pinch of suspense. Mix that all up on a setting that seems it must be larger than life and you have a novel that will lull you away in sweet contentment for the hours you spend among the pages.

What I loved the most is the story takes normal, everyday life and makes it perfect for the pages of a novel. A right balance of pace and story, the kind that makes for a quick read, but definitely a fulfilling one.

And just because I had the chance to help the author in the early stages of the novel, does not make me bias. I love to escape into such a novel. I don’t have to worry about broken plot pace, characters that act of well…character. Or a story that fails to entertain me. I can simply focus on finding a comfy, quiet place to read and settle in for a few hundred pages.

A great addition to the new Barbour destination collection, but also a sweet, quick read that will add pleasure to a few hours of your day. I know it did to mine.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the author and publisher for my copy to review.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alanna Stone is a lawyer used to high stress cases, what she cannot handle however is the memory of the terrible tragedy that took place her senior year of high school. A bunch of teenagers partying on a beach suddenly turns tragic as a challenge is thrown out for a race to the lighthouse and back. However the cold water will end up causing what everyone thinks is a tragic accident, but also brings the condemnation and blame on all of the teenagers, especially Alanna's brother Trevor.

She is determined to stay as short as possible on the island while her father is ill, but she is also determined to use her skills to find out what really happened that horrible night. What she has not counted on is the fact that her high school sweetheart Jonathon Covington is on the island also. She tries to resist the attraction she still feels toward him, knowing he has been dating a young widow with a young son.

I really enjoyed this book, the setting sounded beautiful, it made me want to visit Mackinac Island. A beautiful story, with a redemption theme. I give this a 4 star rating.



This book was provided for review purposes only no payment was received for this review.

[Kim Bakos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an abrupt start - I kept thinking it must be a sequel and I had missed something. All the references to the problems in the past, her recent breakup with her boyfriend, and the crazy trial she had just finished had me feeling like I was missing a crucial part of the story. I even kept looking up the book on a few book sites to make sure there wasn't a book before this one.
Once I got a little more into the story, I did end up enjoying it. I love Mackinac Island and it was so easy to picture the setting when I read the book.
It is Christian fiction, but I'd say that the Christian part is quite minimal - very few references to God, one or two church visits, and that's about it. Although a few shady things go on in the story, there is nothing to point those characters to the Truth. I found that very disappointing.
The ending is quite unrealistic - I don't care if someone is your true love and soulmate, you don't get married four weeks after seeing them for the first time in 11 years!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful tale with surprising twists and turns. I've been to Mackinac Island and wondered
what it was like for residents. Did they dislike having the tourists? Did they really bike, walk or take
a horse drawn buggy taxi? Putman answered all of those questions for me.

A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island is what I call a nice bathtub read. The story is engaging and at times gets your heart rate up, but not so much that you
want to run while looking over your shoulder.

I enjoyed returning to Mackinac via the pages of this book.

[Sarah Sundin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island is a fun and exciting read, with well-drawn characters and a lovely setting that inspires both relaxation and mystery. As a lawyer herself, Cara Putman makes the criminal and legal aspects of the story intriguing and understandable. I highly recommend this novel.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Mackinac Island is a place I have always wanted to visit.

[Keshia Burchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read. It had everything a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance and a lot of faith.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in the Mackinac Island Public Library while on my wedding/honeymoon vacation. My husband and I had spent a couple hours on a rainy day in the library reading and playing chess.

While facing the Old Round Island Point Lighthouse through the library’s long windows, I noticed my marvelous view matched the cover of the book. I read several chapters. and although I knew I couldn’t borrow the book, I ordered it immediately to finish when I returned home.

My favorite part of this story has been getting to reimagine the streets and views of Mackinac Island. It brought me back to my safe place. For that alone, I rate this a baseline of 3 stars.

However, the storyline felt rather amateur to me. The details of the “deadly secrets” and related events were vague and hard to picture. Some of the most intense and dramatic scenes lacked the detail I needed to stay connected with the plot, and it felt like the ending was very predictable. It was almost like a Scooby Doo story, but you have a strong idea on who the villain is and the secrets are almost boring. I don’t mean to be harsh, but it was surely not my favorite mystery or suspense novel.

I also was not expecting the Christian focus. The tribute to God was not for me, but I respect the author’s choices. It’s unlikely I will read anymore Cara Putnam books, but all in all, I’m pleased with my decision to read this book, honor my love for Mackinac and relive its setting.

[Anne Wolters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've thoroughly enjoyed every book that I've ready by Cara Putman - most often they have caused loss of sleep because I can't put them down. This book is no exception.

Alanna has never come back to where she grew up on Mackinac Island for eleven years until her mother needs her to come home to manage their art shop while she is off the island with Alanna's dad who is very ill. She'll stay at her parent's home that is right next door to her former high school boyfriend, Jonathan. When she left eleven years ago she never contacted him either so she was a bit aprehensive about seeing him, however, she knew that would happen.

While there she is determined to clear her brother's name of the drowing of a high school friend eleven years ago. When she starts asking a few questions and talking to some of the life-long residents of the island she has no idea what she will encournter and uncover.. Even within her parent's shop something seems off but she's not sure exactly what it is at first.

This is a compelling story that is difficult to put down. It kept me quickly turing the pages until the very end.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Home-Town and Vacation Home family story!
This story is very heartwarming. There is so much within this story that many people go thru... leaving your family home, which is a vacation spot for many people, so that you can pursue your lifelong work as an attorney. Who hasn't left something behind in their life? Who hasn't left a broken heart behind somewhere? Then real life hits, and due to family illnes, Alanna Stone has to go back 'home' to help out with the family artwork store. And then there is Jonathan... the one that she thought she would spend her life with,.. that in many ways was still waiting for her, even though he has a woman he is seeing. He c;reates great events for people, such as planning a wedding, an anniversary, while he secretly is still holding out for Alanna...
This is such a good story, with a gentle religion base within it that does not overpower the story. I would love to comment on the ending, but that would give away the story.
Thank you Cara Putman for sharing a great story of love, and a great vacation place in the Mitten State!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years a trip to Mackinac Island was a "dream," a vacation for the future when we had more time, more money, few commitments. Then finally we took that trip, or at least we squeezed one day on the island and one on the nearby mainland while traveling to visit a friend. And yes, it is a magical place, worthy of a return trip. In the mean time I thought I could again experience the island through Cara Putnam's book. I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff lately and was ready for a quick, suspenseful read. You can tell that Putman put effort into capturing the physical layout and feel of the island. Of course, fudge, art, bikes, and horse drawn taxis had to play a part. To have a successful mystery, there needs to be a building of suspense. Here I think the book faltered a bit. For over 50 percent of the book, I felt the author danced around what it was that happened 11 years earlier -- postponing any explanation to "build" tension. Instead, I felt the story dragged. But then it picked up and pieces fell into place, so in the end I enjoyed the book.

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One place on my bucket list, Mackinac Island, so I enjoyed the descriptions of the island from an author who has visited numerous times. The story itself was very interesting and the mystery intriguing. Lawyer Alanna came back home to Mackinac after eleven years to help her parents with their art studio. It was a place she said she’d never return to after what happened her senior year of high school. She starts digging and with the help of former love Jonathan, uncovers secrets that maybe should have been left buried. New crimes happen while they are investigating. Could they be related?
Another novel I couldn’t put down until I knew the secrets. Very entertaining.
This was a personal purchase and I wrote my own review with no requirement to do so.

[Kendra Waldriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to Mackinac Island with my mom, sister and nieces in October. The last time I had been there was 20 some years ago. It felt like coming home and was the perfect vacation. While there, I visited The Island Bookstore a few times. That is where I purchased Cara Putman's "Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island" novel. How fitting right? I just finished the book and loved every second. It was like coming home, AGAIN! I loved the characters and the slow build up of the events that happened 11 years prior. I wish I could live on the island with them all and get to know them better and tour all of the shops there. Well done Cara! 👏

[Heather Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grammatical errors throughout the whole book…missing quotation marks, apostrophes and weird starts and stops of paragraphs.

The story was ok but too many references to god and prayer..just not my thing. This book was WAY different than what I normally read. I didn’t realize this was a Christian author. I probably wouldn’t read anything of hers again. The story was choppy and hard to follow with conversations going from one to another with no warning that one had ended. I would have liked a little more backstory of the 11 yr old “accident”. It would have made the story a little more cohesive.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was called “Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island,” and I think it was a better title. I’m not sure if I grabbed a self-titled publication of this book, because there were some editing errors. However, that didn’t bother me because the story was so well written and kept me turning pages till the very end. Great mystery and love story. In a year where vacationing isn’t possible due to COVID-19, it was fun being able to revisit Mackinac Island through the pages of a book. I highly recommend this one and will definitely be checking out other titles from this author.

[Veronica M C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow but interesting read.

I often like to read multiple books at the same time. One or two will be my prime focus while others are on the back burner. This one never got intense enough to move to a first choice, but I still enjoyed it.
I hope someday to visit Mackinac Island. It sounds so beautiful! The mystery was so so. I liked that the romance was slow and clean. I'll probably give this author another chance. I've read this is an early book. The editing should have been better.

[Susan Scarlet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a strange read. First, the title has changed over to Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island. So moving from a plump, idyllic image of perky girl on a bike to a darker photo of a more seductive blonde on the island at nighttime on the cover is already cause for confusion. The plot is spotty, as are the references to God. Worst of all, the typos are the worst I’ve ever seen in a published work.

As a Michigander and fellow writer, I’m disappointed in the editing of this book.

[Linda Horin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

Although I had a little trouble getting into this book at the beginning, once I did, it was a good read. I enjoyed the descriptions of Mackinac Island. They made me want to visit there. I wasn't sure I really liked the main characters at first, either, but they grew on me. Certainly not my favorite book by this author, who is high on my list of authors, but definitely worth reading anyway.

[Joy Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edge of seat

This is the first book I have read from this author and won't be the last. I will say that it took a couple of chapters to get really into it, but that could also be from having teenagers distracting me. But once I got into I couldn't put it down until I knew who and why. Couldn't read it fast enough to find out the ending. If you love mystery and suspense, you will definitely love this book!

[Anasthasia Brache · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.
Alanna ran from her hometown 11 years ago following a tragic event in which her brother was blamed.
Now she is forced to return to that same town to help her parents out in their art studio. While there she is determined to get answers regarding what happened 11 years ago and clear her brother’s name, while not losing her heart once again to the boy (now man) that she had left behind.

This is a Christian book full of romance and mystery.

[Susan Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

The setting for this read is a very favorite place of mine! We went to Mackinac Island for our 40th wedding anniversary and stayed at St. Ignace. The setting was beautiful and brought me back to that time. The characters in this book were so real that it was easy to take to them as if they were people you came to know in life. Their joys and sorrows were felt. I wish I didn't have to leave them in just this one book.

[Jenny K · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was pretty good, but the editing was so terrible it distracted from the story. Typos everywhere. Formatting issues. Sometimes the conversation was hard to follow because the proper spacing and punctuation was not there so it looked like one person was talking when it was actually back and forth banter.

[Lori Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read in a favorite local

This was my first Cara Putman book. This easy read held some surprises which is always good. Some of the characters internal conversation was redundant, however I can overlook that to be able to read without constant foul language and overly sexual scenes.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this book was set on Mackinac Island. It is such a wonderfully unique and beautiful setting. The mystery part of the story was great, but I really enjoyed the romance part as well. I am not normally a big romance fan, but I thought that Cara Putnam did a great job with all parts of this story!