From Publishers Weekly
In Anthony-winner Hart's lively 20th Death on Demand mystery (after 2009's Dare to Die), more than one death in Broward's Rock, S.C., engages Annie Darling and her husband, Max. First, Click Silvester, a black teenager who hung out at the Haven, a teen activity center, apparently falls to his death from a wooden viewing platform in the woods. Later, someone shoots obnoxious Haven board member Booth Wagner on stage during an outdoor evening benefit for the center. Many had motives for killing Booth, including his stepson, Tim Talbot, who feared and hated him; his wife, Neva, who's curiously unmoved by his death; his former mistress, Jean Hughes, who was terrified of being fired as the Haven's director and becomes police chief Billy Cameron's prime suspect. A group of local ladies, led by mystery writer Emma Clyde, assist Annie and Max in the hunt for the real killer. Well-developed characters and a complex, fast-moving plot make for a satisfying read. (Apr.)
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From
Annie and Max Darling are back for another adventure in Browardโs Rock, South Carolina. Max, owner of Confidential Commissions, a business specializing in solving delicate problems, and wife Annie, owner of the Death on Demand Bookstore, often work together on cases. This time there have been several deaths apparently connected to the islandโs recreation center for young people. As the investigation continues, Annie and Max are convinced that the owner of the youth center is not the killer, even though she was an opponent of Booth Wagner, one of the centerโs board members, who was among the victims, along with two teenagers. Hart excels at showing her sleuths at workโdrawing up lists of clues, for exampleโand she keeps readers involved in the ongoing search for justice. This episode is more serious than most of the Darlingsโ adventures, but the real appeal of the series remains the opportunity to visit the usually idyllic island and to do some virtual browsing at the Death on Demand Bookstore. Mystery aficionados always walk away from these stories with a new list of authors to try, based on Annieโs recommendations. --Judy Coon