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National Bestselling Author and winner of multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards, Carolyn Hart continues to dazzle mystery fans with an all new Dead on Demand Mystery.

Winter has arrived in Broward's Rock, South Carolina, and business has slowed for Annie Darling, owner of mystery bookstore Death on Demand. So when the island's resident writer publishes the latest in her popular mystery series, Annie jumps at the chance to host a book signing, even though it conflicts with her shift at the local charity shop, Better Tomorrow.

Luckily, fellow volunteer Gretchen Burkholt agrees to sub for her. The signing goes well, but Gretchen interrupts the event multiple times, leaving voice mails about scandalous news she's dying to share. Even though Gretchen tends to be excitable, Annie heads over to Better Tomorrow, where she finds Gretchen dead on the floor, an axe by her side.

Annie enlists the help of her husband, Max, to piece together a puzzle involving an overturned kayak, a stolen motorboat, a troubled love affair, and a reckless teenager. And she must tread carefully in her investigation, because a killer is on the loose, and that killer works well in the foggy days of winter...

Review

Annie Darling is the owner of a mystery bookstore in Broward’s Rock, South Carolina. Gretchen Burkholt, an overdramatic volunteer at Better Tomorrow charity shop, telephones fellow volunteer Annie Darling and begs for help. Gretchen is afraid of Jeremy, another volunteer and ex-con. When she calls Annie, she tells her she has information about the recent accidental drowning of one of the town’s wealthiest men. By the time Annie can get to the shop, Gretchen is dead – an obvious victim of murder. Annie soon discovers Jeremy has disappeared and with his record, makes him the likeliest suspect. While the police focus their investigation on Jeremy, Annie, her husband Max, and her best friend Henny Brawley think this is related to Everett Hathaway’s drowning and are determined to prove Jeremy’s innocence.

The Death on Demand mysteries are a long-running series, but this installment is as fresh as ever. Carolyn Hart has breathed a new life into this series; I think the most recent books have been among her best. I enjoy the various references to popular mysteries, new and classic, throughout these books. My favorite part of each of the books in the series is the bookstore contest that Annie holds. The bookstore has pictures recreating covers of various mysteries and Annie describes those covers so readers can “play along” with Annie’s customers to try to guess the mystery being depicted from the details provided. It’s a bit of fun in addition to the central mystery, even though I usually miss more than I get right!

In Death Comes Silently, Annie, Henny, and Max make a great team. Annie and Max are a delightful couple and wonderful partners in life and in the investigation. Annie talks to people and uses her instincts while Max questions people after thoroughly researching all the important witnesses and potential suspects. Henny is a great friend and surrogate aunt to Annie and proves this “elderly” woman hasn’t lost her energy or intelligence. They each contribute to the investigation, doing what each does best and then comparing notes. Also helping this time is local author Emma who is still a diva as she is in prior books, but much more human in this installment. Max’s mother Laurel also plays a large role in the investigation. There is just enough of Laurel in this book to see why Max lovers her so much and why she can be so infuriating to Annie. In some of the prior books in the series, Laurel seems spacey and a little out of touch with reality. While she is still quirky, she seems to have joined the real world, and we get to see her intelligence, kindness, and sense of humor.

As Annie calls them, “The Faithful Five” really pull together in this book and everyone got along and acknowledged the contributions of the others. Adding realism is the fact that the amateur sleuths aren’t trying to sneak around behind the police force’s backs. There are many people with motives, and Max and Annie try to tell the police that they have zeroed in on the wrong suspect, but they won’t listen until there is a near tragedy. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion and leaves you hoping Annie and Max and their friends will soon have another mystery to solve.

Reviewed by Christine K.

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