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Title: Murder Walks the Plank : A Death on Demand Mystery by Carolyn Hart ISBN: 0-06-000474-6 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 17 February, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Part of an Ongoing Series But Also a Great Stand Alone
Comment: Mystery book store owner Annie Darling and the Death on Demand crew are back to brainstorm over a new whodunit that once again puts their fiction-obsessed minds to real use.
Annie has arranged a mystery cruise complete with hidden treasure and an interactive play meant to entertain and maybe even drum up some extra business. The evening takes a nosedive, however, when a well-loved guest plunges off the deck into the waters below.
Annie and her cohorts are unconvinced by the ruling that the fall was an accident. And when it's followed by the apparent suicide of a woman who is found to be acquainted not only with the unfortunate cruise guest, but also a recently murdered man, it seems that the police chief may have to pay closer attention to Annie's ideas.
In an almost competitive partnership, the small group of amateur sleuths "take over" the investigation, determined to prove something more sinister is going on than mere coincidence. If the clues aren't pulled together in time, the next victim(s) might be closer than Annie can handle.
While Murder Walks the Plank is part of an ongoing series, it has the capability of standing alone at the same time that it awakens curiosity toward, what may be for some, previously unexplored tomes. Characters such as the indomitable Annie with a mind that holds an eternal fount of mystery-book-garnered knowledge, her doting and indulgent husband, and her author friend whose attitude is just as overly-confident, demanding and often-annoying as the protagonist in her own novels pull the reader inexorably into the depths of don't-stop-'til-the-last-page readability. With the delightful cast and steadily-rising suspense that explodes in a climactic scene, Carolyn Hart's fifteenth "Death on Demand" novel holds firmly to its footing on the "plank" of success.
Rating: 4
Summary: Carolyn Hart has gained a new fan in her mystery series
Comment: Creativity is abundant in Carolyn Hart's latest Death on Demand mystery, MURDER WALKS THE PLANK. Fourteen previous novels in the series have won multiple Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards. A founder of Sisters in Crime, Hart recently received a lifetime achievement award by the Oklahoma Center for the Book. Although she is a resident of Oklahoma City, Hart has set her Death on Demand series along the coast of South Carolina. For her, mystery writing is a task for the author to provide enough information so that readers can reach a conclusion.
Along with her belief that the genre should present a dilemma that is solved in an orderly manner, she has provided the right mix in MURDER WALKS THE PLANK. Her heroine, Annie Darling, owns a bookstore that specializes in mystery novels called Death on Demand. Fifteen books have featured Darling as the mystery solver. Darling interacts with husband Max to solve the multiple murders, attempted murder and a suspicious destructive fire in MURDER WALKS THE PLANK. Hart introduces the principal characters in section breaks in her first chapter, a process that switches viewpoints in a distracting manner. Once established, the characters evolve in a more orderly fashion.
Darling's bookstore has chartered a yacht and guests are invited to solve a contrived mystery while on board. Soon after her arrival, a young woman, Pamela, falls overboard into the water and is presumed dead. The cruise comes to an abrupt halt, contrived mystery unsolved. However, the body count rises in the next few days. Darling finds herself in the middle of a multiple murder investigation. She is aided by husband Max, notable local author Emma Lloyd, customer Henny Brawley, and sister Rachel. The second body is that of Meg Heath, dowager recluse of the island community and widow of wealthy Duff Heath.
Darling is convinced that Meg's death, initially reported as a suicide from medicinal overdose, is a homicide. She and Max doggedly track evidence they believe leads to a finding of murder, especially when a third body, Meg's long-time friend, Bob Smith, turns up. Darling's entire family becomes involved in the process in supporting her hypothesis. Their most difficult task is to convince the local police chief, Billy Crandall, that they are right. He has quickly concluded that Pamela's fall was an accident and that Meg's death was a suicide.
The solution is orderly, but viewpoints switch rapidly to propel the action to its logical ending. All players do support Darling's thesis and work with her to achieve its outcome. Little time is spent in the bookstore, but references to works by renowned mystery sleuths are interspersed in the novel. MURDER WALKS THE PLANK is filled with dialogue that moves the story forward. Hart has a new fan of her mystery series in this reviewer, one who will welcome future Death on Demand books.
--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
Rating: 4
Summary: entertaning and intriguing
Comment: Looking for a quick and light read, yet one that is still compelling and intriguing? Look no further: Carolyn Hart's latest Death on Demand mystery novel is just the ticket and is a worthy installment to this wonderful series.
Annie Darling is very excited about her latest project: Broward Rock's very first mystery cruise, a one evening event that will take place in the waters just off the island. She's written a mystery play, where participants will try and figure out who the culprit is, a treasure hunt (complete with maps) and provided the prizes. And with good food and a group of people dressed up as their favourite detectives, determined to have fun and enjoy themselves, the night should be a guaranteed success. But halfway through the festivities, sweet natured, kindly and local do-gooder, Pamela Potts, falls overboard. She is quickly rescued but fails to regain consciousness. Annie is sure that her friend was pushed; unfortunately, the acting chief of police does not share Annie's conviction, and writes off Pamela as a jumper. So Anne decides that it is up to her to discover who tried to kill poor, harmless Pamela,a nd why. And together with friends Emma Clyde and Henny Brawley (and of course husband, Max), Annie is determined to find out all...
One of the better installment in the Death on Demand mystery series, "Death Walks the Plank" was just what I needed to unwind with -- it was a light and swiftly paced read, intriguing and yet incredibly amusing as well. While the motive for all the deaths seemed fairly obvious, the identity of the murderer took some time to work out (which kept me happy). The plot twists were ingenious and Carolyn Hart does her bit to provide readers with enough red herring suspects to keep things humming. All in all, a very enjoyable and entertaining read.
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