About Books: ‘The Last One at The Wedding’ characters are captivating, complex

Frank Szatowski has been a UPS driver for 26 years and is proud of his perfect driving record. He lives a quiet life in Stroudsburg and has done his best to raise his daughter, Maggie, after his wife’s death. But he carries guilt, blaming himself for driving Maggie away from home. They have now been estranged for three years. The reasons for this will be revealed as the story continues.

Imagine Frank’s surprise when out of the clear blue sky, Maggie calls him to invite him to her wedding. He is ecstatic about the opportunity to build a better relationship with her and be a supportive father, putting past problems behind them. Maggie tells him that she is marrying Aiden Gardner, the son of the famous billionaire, Errol Gardner. He is excited about the wedding and looks forward to meeting her fiancé and his family.

Frank, his sister Tammy, and her current foster child Abigail, arrive at the very secluded, luxurious private estate in Osprey Cove, New Hampshire. This is a beautiful setting that shows off Gardner’s posh lifestyle. It is a radical change from Stroudsburg making Frank feel out of place and nervous about meeting the groom’s family. He quickly senses that something isn’t quite right.

All he wants to do is spend time with Maggie to make up for the past three years, but Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him. Aiden is withdrawn and evasive. He is not interested in conversing with Frank or anybody else, for that matter. Anxious to meet Aiden’s parents, Frank learns that Aiden’s mother is sequestered in her room suffering with migraines. She will miss most of the wedding festivities. He has also heard comments from the townspeople expressing hostility towards the Gardner family. Apparently, a young girl recently disappeared, and her family believes that Aiden Gardner knows something about it. Frank needs to know more about this family and protect his daughter from making a big mistake. The more he learns, the more trouble he finds.

The characters in this book are captivating and complex. Frank, although flawed, is likable and genuine. I did get frustrated at times with his ongoing consumption with being a supportive father to his unlikeable daughter, who obviously doesn’t want his support or protection. His sister is a product of her hardworking lifestyle and tries to encourage Frank to relax and enjoy himself. She feels his unrest and doesn’t want to rock the boat. Abigail brings the innocence of a child who has experienced hardships but will ultimately win over Frank.

This is a domestic, suspense mystery with many twists and turns keeping readers guessing about what is actually going on right up to the emotional ending. The story focuses on the lengths a father will go to protect his child. Frank never wanted to see any faults in Maggie. He loves her unconditionally.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely related to the stress and heartache that Frank experienced as a loving parent. The plot is exciting and kept me turning the pages to find out what the Gardner family was all about. Read it, I think you’ll like it.