Josie Marcus’s Wedding Album
By Elaine Viets

In "Murder Is a Piece of Cake," my new mystery shopper mystery, Josie Marcus marries veterinarian Dr. Ted Scottsmeyer. It’s about time. They’ve been dating for three books.

Josie’s wedding almost doesn’t happen. Lenore, her future mother-in-law, flies in from Boca to help with (i.e. control) Josie and Ted’s wedding. Josie wishes someone would lock up her meddling mother-in-law. She gets that wish. Boy, does she. Lenore is arrested for murder and Josie has to find the real killer before she can walk down the aisle. The county jail is a comedown from the Ritz, where Lenore usually stays.

I describe Josie’s wedding in "Murder Is a Piece of Cake," but I wanted you to see those places, too. My hometown of St. Louis is beautiful, and many of its showcases are affordable – even for newlyweds like Josie and Ted.

Ted proposed to Josie at Tower Grove Park in South St. Louis, on a fall day when the park was ablaze with color. Tower Grove is a Victorian walking park, a gift to the city in 1868 by millionaire Henry Shaw. Josie had just seen a wedding at this bandstand and hoped Ted would propose.

Ted and Josie get married at the Jewel Box, an art deco conservatory in Forest Park. Isn’t it gorgeous? It was built in 1936.

Josie walks down this aisle.

After the wedding, Josie and Ted go to Tower Grove Park, a Victorian walking park, for their wedding pictures. Here's a detail from the Grand Avenue entrance, which really is grand.

     The new couple pose for their wedding photos by the ruins, a St. Louis tradition. These really are ruins from the Lindell Hotel, which burned in 1867. Henry Shaw recycled them.

    
The ruins are called a folly, which may be a good name for the site of so many wedding photos.

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Ever wear an outrageous bridesmaid dress -- or a gorgeous one? Enter your dresses, pretty, ugly, or pretty ugly, in the Elaine Viets National Bridesmaid Dress Contest and win $100 in books. Upload your photos at www.elaineviets.com

 

Comments

[Storyteller Mary]

Gorgeous!! I love the Jewel Box! I was very excited to see its mention in _Glass Menagerie_ when we read it in high school. Now it will appear in another famous literary work!
You make me want to visit some of these spots again soon . . . and I can't wait for the book!

[krisneri]

What beautiful spots! My favorite is the place where the actual wedding took place. How great that you were able to create a Josie Marcus wedding tour for your fans, Elaine. Looking forward to reading it.

[Elaine Viets]

The Jewel Box really is the jewel of the city's Forest Park, Mary.
What I like most about it is ordinary people can afford to rent it.

[Elaine Viets]

If I was getting married again -- and believe, I'm not -- I'd love to have a Jewel Box wedding, Kris. It's so light and airy inside.

[Alan Portman]

My daily commute takes me through Forest Park and past the Jewel Box. In the summer you can see two or three weddings posing out side. Thursday afternoon and Saturdays are wedding picture central at the base of Art Hill.

Will be picking up a copy next week!

[Elaine Viets]

Thanks, Alan. I hope you'll enjoy "Murder Is a Piece of Cake."
I can see the princesses posing for pictures at the Jewel Box in not too many years.