Just A Simple Wedding
A series of nine black and white film strip images, some with selected colored elements, depicting various scenes including a motel sign, a bride and groom, a pathway with trees and a yellow cross, a waterfall surrounded by trees, a man in outdoor attire with a yellow flower and red border around him, a bear in foggy nature, a woman in lingerie, a hanging branch with a person, and a dark forest scene with a person lying on the ground.

SHORTLISTED

CWA Emerging Author Dagger 2026

She may have cooked the best man, but she didn't kill him.

Riley just wants to give her little sister the perfect wedding. After the mysterious deaths of their parents, hosting the celebration at her award-winning mountain motel felt like the right thing to do, even if it’s the last thing Riley needs. Her sister's only request? Justa simple wedding. Easier said than done.


Between juggling an entitled guest list, ending an ill-advised affair with the groom, and hiding a certain body within the dinner menu, Riley is drowning in secrets and dead bodies. A year and a half ago, one reckless night led to a terrible accident. Now, someone knows one of Riley's secrets, and they’re threatening to expose her. But which secret?


As the big day closes in, Riley must cover her tracks, outwit whoever’s trying to take her down and keep her secrets from destroying the only family she has left. If the truth comes out, she could lose everything: her freedom, her business, and her sister.

It’s supposed to be the happiest day of her sister’s life. But for Riley, it might just be her last supper.

Just a Simple Wedding is The Guest List meets My Sister, the Serial Killer. If the characters from In A Dark, Dark Wood actually made it to the wedding, this is how it would all go wrong.

Manuscript complete and unpublished

A text overlay titled 'Opening paragraph' on a dark background, containing a paragraph about observing a wedding party eat stews made from body parts, with details on the scene, including white tablecloths, clinking glassware, laughter, and a growing fear of being found out.
A collage of various images including a woman holding money, a wolf, a bowl of stew, a cherry, a lipstick, a motel sign, a couple dancing, a bee, jewelry, a mirror, and text snippets about crimes and observations.