Fragmented story line Annie Darling is sponsoring a book signing by Broward's Rock's most illustrious author, Emma Clyde, at her bookstore, Death on Demand. She creates brochures with clues to different mysteries to advertise the event and to entice readers to enter the contest to discover which books are referred to by the clues. Meanwhile someone else distributes bogus flyers which refer to unsolved mysteries which have occurred on the island in the past. Things become even more complicated when murders begin to occur. Annie and Max try to solve the murders and determine who has distributed the muckraking flyers. It is somewhat distracting as a reader to have 5 mysteries hanging in the air along with the murders. The solution at the end seems quite abrupt and incomplete as there is never a good explanation as to who distributed the flyers and why they were ever created in the first place. This is not typical of author Hart, which causes this book to be one of the lesser lights of the series.
Great Entry in the Series I have to say that Carolyn G. Hart is one of the few authors writing two series, almost concurrently, about which I would be hard pressed to say which I enjoy more. Usually, I have a clear preference. Her other series, the Henry O. books, has a main character that is tougher than either of the stars of these, the Death On Demand mysteries - Annie&Max Darling, but these books tend to have more humor and light heartedness that I find enjoyable. In this entry, Annie is preparing her store for a signing party for the new book by local author, Emma Clyde. Someone uses her technique of advertising the signing, however, to drudge up some old mysteries on the island and creates some hard feelings in the villagers. When a teacher is killed and is implicated as the person behind the fake flyers, Annie and Max attempt to straighten the situation out. All in all, a great book, just what you expect from Ms. Hart.Setting Cloying; Plot Great The fact that the protagonist's last name is "Darling" points up much of what is wrong with this book--there's such a thing as too cozy. Annie seems stereotypically "spunky" and Max's psychic mother, Laurel, has got to go. However, the plot never lets up and I couldn't put the book down.
