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THE NEW DEATH ON DEMAND MYSTERY!
Bookstore owner Annie Darling doesn’t just sell murder mysteries, she solves them. Business is slow for Annie Darling’s mystery bookstore, Death on Demand, as winter rolls into Broward’s Rock, South Carolina. To boost her sales, Annie decides to host a book signing for the island’s resident writer. During the signing, Gretchen Burkholt, a fellow volunteer at the local charity shop, Better Tomorrow, leaves Annie multiple voicemails about scandalous news she’s dying to share. So, when the event wraps up, Annie heads over to hear the latest scoop only to find Gretchen dead on the floor, an axe by her side. Annie, with the help of her husband, Max, uncovers a mysterious plot involving an overturned kayak, a stolen motorboat, a troubled love affair, and a reckless teenager. Annie will have to keep her eyes peeled and use every trick in the book to track down a cold-blooded killer in the dead of winter
An accomplished master of mystery, Carolyn Hart is the author of twenty-one previous Death on Demand novels, as well as the Bailey Ruth "Ghost" novels. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Her recent novels include What the Cat Saw. One of the founders of Sisters in Crime, Hart lives in Oklahoma.
mary_kennedy
Posted Wed Apr 11 00:00:00 EDT 2012
In the 22nd release in her famous DEATH ON DEMAND series, Carolyn Hart offers a thoughtful, tantalizing mystery based in Broward's Rock, SC. Once more, readers are invited to join Annie and Max Darling as they hunt a killer on the loose in this bucolic setting. When mystery bookstore owner Annie Darling asks Gretchen Burkholt to fill in for her at the charity shop, she has no idea Gretchen will end up dead. Annie immediately goes into "sleuthing mode" and wonders if Gretchen's death could be connected to a suspicious drowning that occurred two weeks earlier. As always, Ms. Hart offers a delightful puzzle for her fans to solve. Intricate plotting, well-developed characters and enough red herrings to keep readers on their toes make this mystery a treasure to read. This is a series that should never end.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Books_And_Chocolate
Posted Mon Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Annie Darling, owner of mystery bookstore Death on Demand, is dealing with slow business so when she has the chance to host a book signing for a local writer, she asks Gretchen Burkholt, a fellow volunteer at a local charity resale shop, to take her scheduled shift. During the book signing Gretchen calls Annie when she discovers information on an index card found in the pocket of a jacket belonging to the late Everett Hathaway among clothes donated by his family after his supposed accidental drowning that could mean he was murdered instead.
Annie goes to the shop to discover Gretchen has been murdered and the paper with the information is missing. Suspicion falls on an ex-convict handyman but as Annie digs deeper into the connection between Gretchen's and Everett's deaths even more suspects emerge and it soon becomes apparent that one of them wants her out of the way.
This series is one of my favorites in the cozy mystery genre and this newest story lived up to my expectations. I always like reading about the relationship between Annie and her husband Max as they embark on sleuthing adventures together. All the regular characters are likeable which makes the series fun to read. Hart always does a good job of creating enough suspects to keep the reader guessing right up to the end and that was the case in this storyline as well.
Fans of this series won't be disappointed and newcomers will enjoy it even if they haven't read the previous titles as there is enough background given on the various characters to explain the relationships.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher but the opinion of it is my own and was not solicted, nor was a positive review required.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Im here. Now what?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Michelle1948
Posted Thu Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 2012
I thought this story moved rather well. Lots of suspects and a good plot idea.
But I felt things were dropped to the wayside and never explained.
I do enjoy this series but I felt the ending could have been explained better. You don't give your reader the "the police got their confession from the murderer" but don't write it out for your reader. What happened? What was their reasoning? Explain the evidence that was found. Why were people killed? I felt that was all skipped over to get to the happy ending....
This marks the twenty-first novel in the Death on Demand series featuring the mystery bookstore owner, Annie Darling, and her husband, Max, who runs Confidential Commissions, through which he offers “counsel to people in trouble.” There is, of course, a death early on, a seemingly accidental drowning of Everett Hathaway, who was, strangely [it being early January], kayaking before somehow tipping out into the water and suffering hypothermia before drowning. Very soon thereafter there is another death, one that shakes Annie to the core: The victim was Gretchen Burkholt, who had taken Annie’s place at the charity shop at which they both volunteered so that Annie could attend a booksigning at Death on Demand. When Annie returns to the shop after a series of calls from Gretchen, she discovers her body on the floor, a blood-covered ax nearby.
Annie is guilt-ridden at the fact that Annie herself should have been there, not Gretchen, and is determined to find the killer. When it becomes known that Gretchen had discovered something in the clothing that the dead man was wearing the night he died, with shocking implications, Annie is not persuaded that his death was an accident, and believes that that discovery might have led to Gretchen’s death. Annie is aided in this by the usual cast of characters: husband Max, and his mother, Laurel; local crime writer Emma Clyde, whose booksigning took place on the night Gretchen was murdered, and Annie’s long-time friend Henny Brawley. The reader is introduced to a whole cast of characters, any one of whom had a motive to kill
The action takes place in Broward’s Rock, a barrier island 40 minutes from the South Carolina mainland described by the author as “undoubtedly the most glorious place in the universe to live.” Fans of this delightful series will smile in recognition, as I did, at Agatha, the store’s resident feline [the one who shares Annie and Max’ home is named Dorothy L]. The story shifts from one to the other of these amateur sleuths, as they pursue different aspects of the investigation while the police continue to believe that Hathaway’s death was an accidental drowning.
There are of course references to many much-loved mystery authors scattered along the way, along with the observation that “that was the comfort of mysteries. Bad things happened, but good people tried to mke things better.” A sentiment with which readers of this wonderful series can agree. A charming read, and recommended.
Martha-A-Cheves
Posted Tue May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Death Comes Silently - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
Annie was struck by the weariness evident in his broad face. He was Billy, big,
brawny, and muscular, but Billy without his customary equanimity. Tight lines
marked the corners of his eyes, bracketed his generous mouth. Instead of a
jacket and slacks or a suit, his usual dress for work, he wore a navy pullover
and jeans. His blue eyes had a lost look. "I know you support me, but that
isn't what matters at this point. There's a dangerous killer out there who will
remove anyone seen as a threat. Right now Henny is safe. Jeremiah's arrest
will reassure the killer that she doesn't know enough to be a danger. As for
the rest of you" - he looked at Annie, Emma, and Laurel in turn - "don't even
think of trying to investigate." Annie felt a deep twist of disappointment.
"Jeremiah's innocent!"
Annie Darling is owner of Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore. She is also a
volunteer for Better Tomorrow, a charity shop that offers groceries, clothing and
other needs for those in financial binds. Due to a scheduled booksigning for
author Emma Clyde, she switched days with Gretchen Burkholt. This switch turned
out to be fatal for Gretchen when she found a note in the pocket of a jacket
that had belonged to Everett Hathaway. Everett's body had been found two
weeks earlier floating not far from his overturned kayak. An autopsy listed
drowning due to unconsciousness as a result of hypothermia as the cause of
death. According to the voice mail messages from Gretchen to Annie's cell
phone, the note she found leads her to believe his death wasn't an accident but
murder.
There are three people who would benefit from Everett's death. His much
younger wife, his nephew who wants to manage the family advertising business and
his 16 going on 21 year old niece who wants to run her own life, with her own
money. So which hated him enough to want him dead? Could Annie be wrong and
Jeremiah is the guilty party? Or was Everett's death actually an accident and
has nothing to do with Gretchen?
I can't get enough of Author Carolyn Hart's books. She has entertained me with
all of her Death on Demand stories and I simply love her Bailey Ruth ghost
stories, which I hope she writes more of soon. With all of her books Hart
combines love, humor and a 'whole lot of mystery' making each page flip by
quickly to see what clue the next holds. You can't help but love this author.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DAinNY1
Posted Tue Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Charming Mystery
What a great read. After repeated phone calls from a volunteer about being afraid, Annie goes over to the charity shop and discovers the volunteer's body...murdered. An axe points to a suspect who declares his innocence. With Henny, Annie and Max on the case, there is no escape for this killer. The action started immediately in this well-scripted mystery that I could not put this book down. The mystery kept me guessing and on my toes as I navigated the clues and was caught unawares when the killer was identified. I love the comfortable tone, the small town atmosphere and the lovable yet eccentric cast of characters that are a delight with my annual visit to Broward Rock. I look forward to the next exciting adventures that awaits the Darlings and their friends in this charming and terrific series.
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Overview
THE NEW DEATH ON DEMAND MYSTERY!
Bookstore owner Annie Darling doesn’t just sell murder mysteries, she solves them. Business is slow for Annie Darling’s mystery bookstore, Death on Demand, as winter rolls into Broward’s Rock, South Carolina. To boost her sales, Annie decides to host a book signing for the island’s resident writer. During the signing, Gretchen Burkholt, a fellow volunteer at the local charity shop, Better Tomorrow, leaves Annie multiple voicemails about ...