Book Description
Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand mystery bookstore, is understandably upset. It isn't like her p.i. husband Max to abruptly disappear—and homicide is definitely not his style. But when his car is found abandoned on a remote road with a brutally slain, once-beautiful young woman nearby and the murder weapon stashed in the trunk, Annie's worst fears seem justified.
The police have Max all but tried and convicted—except for Chief Billy Cameron, whose unshakable belief in his friend's innocence prompts his removal from the case. And as a media circus descends on tiny Broward's Rock, Annie will have to place her own life in jeopardy to clear her husband's name. But time is running out—and she has only one slim chance to unmask a killer who just may have committed the perfect crime.
Customer Reviews:
'Dead Days of Summer': Finest of a fine series.......2007-07-29
This is Carolyn Hart's 17th mystery in the Death on Demand series alone. She can't turn them out fast enough for me. I loved it, all the way through.
I had only two problems with the book: (1)I really relate to Max Darling -- what loving husband wouldn't? -- and he is incapacitated and powerless virtually the entire book. (2)For more than a hundred pages I believed I knew the identity of the murderer; I was wrong.
What a fine read. And when is No. 18 coming out?
No Dead Days Here.......2007-06-06
Dead Days of Summer
Carolyn Hart
If you like murder mysteries or the author Sue Grafton, you will love Carolyn Hart's Dead Days of Summer. The book is one is a long series called Death on Demand. I have no idea where this book fits into the whole picture, but I never once felt that I was left out of the loop because I had not read any of the others. The book does not have a strong Christian base, but it does speak of the Lord, church, belief, and faith. There is even a character who quotes scripture. As a Christian you would not feel weird, or wrong reading this book.
The story opens up on the slow side, and introduces you to a lot of characters right off the bat. This is definitely one that you have to pay attention to from page one or you could get lost in the mix of all the mayhem.
Annie Darling is the main character. The story revolves around her and her husband Max. Annie is the owner of a mystery book store called Death on Demand. Max is a private detective, but cannot call himself one because of the laws of the island that they live on. Broward Rock is the name of the island that they live on. It is one of the islands off of South Carolina.
Annie and Max had lunch together and are walking back to their offices, Annie insists that Max go to the office today and maybe someone will come in. Annie goes to her bookstore and immediately picks up where she left off on planning Max's surprise birthday party. Her mother-in-law Laurel is helping with the planning. It is almost close of business time when Max calls and says that he has a client and will be home later and call if it is going to be real late.
The client that hires Max is a beautiful woman who says that she is looking for her brother who disappeared the previous year. She shows Max pictures of him, and a note that states that he is seen most nights at a place called Dooley's Mine, which is a sleazy bar, that not many people would be caught dead at. They plan to meet there later that evening to scope the place out and see if he is there.
Max never calls and Annie freaks out. She goes to Max's place of business and finds and intruder. She then calls the police. Nothing is making sense, and just as a precaution a missing persons is released, just on a hunch because there is not enough evidence to go on. Annie calls all of their friends and they all start looking for Max. The friends that she calls are a mystery writer, and ex-military woman, an ex-editor, an ex-reporter, an actress, a newspaper man, and others.
The next morning they find a woman who has been murdered, and Max's car just outside the cabin that she has been murdered in. They don't find Max though. Annie knows from gut instinct that this is the person who hired Max. When they don't find Max, the search is on even harder. One of the friends Emma, who is the author, hires a great attorney for them, since it now looks like Max is wanted for murder.
Later on the same day that they find the dead woman, they find Max. He wakes up, confused, sick, and covered in blood. When the police find him they take him into custody for the murder of Vanessa Taylor, who is the woman that they found dead in the cabin. Max has never heard of Vanessa Taylor, and cannot remember anything that has happened. The police chief ends up having to put Max under arrest for the murder of the woman. While he is in the cell, Annie enters the jail and they talk. She vows to find who set him up, and get to the bottom of all of this mess.
Annie, her mother-in-law and her friends do just that. The majority of the book is them sleuthing around and getting information. They follow leads and end up unraveling the whole set up. Max is freed and life goes on as usual.
The book on the whole is good. It takes a long time for the story to develop and get into the action. If you are into meat and grit from page one this one will leave you wanting. If you have patience and don't mind a long build up and climax, then this is the book for you. Ms. Hart has wonderful characters and many of them. She also finds a way to keep them all tied to the story, even if it is just a sentence in the middle of the book. That is a definite gift, and I am glad that she does not leave the reader wondering what happened to so and so even if they were a minor character. Not a bad read at all, life as usual...until the next Death on Demand book.
best yet.......2007-04-29
this is by far to me the best of the best Hart always peaks your interest from the very first sentence..but this one tops them all..you have to read it clear though..wow!!!
A Death On Demand Mystery.......2007-04-20
This book is the best of the series that I have read. Ms. Heart is an excellent cozy mystery writer. I have all of her books in my library and have read them all. My favorite was a Henrie O mystery "Dead Man's Island".
A Nice Entry in the Series.......2006-12-30
I had grown disenchanted with the Darlings and their friends and family on Broward's Rock. Out of habit, however, I read "Dead Days of Summer" and enjoyed it. I felt that Max and Annie were more *human* in this book, with Annie facing the strain of the speculation that Max may have been (a) unfaithful, and (b) responsible for a death, and with Max struggling with limitations that are not surmontable in spite his incredible wealth. Indeed most of the characters seemed more real (well, with the exception of Laurel... but really, Laurel is nothing short of otherworldly!)
Average customer rating:
- Beginning of a Hunt
- An Okay First Installment
- the christie caper
- Not bad for a first effort in this long-running series.
- Not great
|
Death on Demand
Carolyn G. Hart
Manufacturer: Crimeline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 055326351X
Release Date: 1987-01-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Beginning of a Hunt.......2007-09-16
"Death on Demand" is the beginning a light hearted mystery series that keeps the readers coming back to visit the mystery bookstore. What intrigues the reader: the straight forward plot with a protagonist who plunges into danger, the shelves of the store filled with mysteries to make a bibliophile's' heart race, the five watercolors of famous mysteries to identify, a hapless hero who looks like one of the Hardy Boys or the vivid characters who live and work on Broward's Rock?
Annie Laurence and Max Darling are polar opposites and delightful. They make a fun read, which is what a good series is all about. The books, movies, and characters used in the story make it richer and lead one to other great mysteries.
Nash Black, author of "Sins of the Fathers" and "Travelers."
An Okay First Installment.......2007-06-12
Looking for a new series to keep me occupied for the summer, I read this first installment of the Death on Demand books...I know a lot of reviewers like the name-dropping, but I didn't know all these writers and it made me feel stupid! Also, another reviewer noticed some lack of research, like with the College of the Ozarks near Branson...however, since the character mentioned southern Arkansas in connection with that college, it must be our University of the Ozarks (which used to be College of the Ozarks) which is in WESTERN Arkansas, far away from the swamps of southern AR...but all those picky things aside, it was a pretty good mystery, I just wish Annie hadn't been so careless in her investigations, i.e.: using the one computer that was likely to get her in trouble (surely there was another way to check the disk), and staging her final trap when she knew Max was on the way back with proof...I like my heroines to use their brains, not set themselves up for disaster.
the christie caper.......2006-08-21
The characters on the island are fun and I love Max & Annie. Max's mother is a stitch. The plot was excellant really made you interested to see what happened.
Not bad for a first effort in this long-running series........2006-07-05
I was recommended this series by an Amazon review. I was a bit disappointed, but not too bad with this first book. I think my main complaint was that I didn't care for Annie. She seems almost too naive and too dumb to be believed at times. But maybe she'll get better, and I'm going to give this series a chance. The best part about the book was the "name-dropping" of well-known mystery writers and characters, and the way Ms. Hart used these writers and their plots to help explain the mystery on the small South Carolina island. The venue holds a lot of promise becaue this island is so small and so insolated, so I look forward to some quirky characters. In this particular book Annie is wokring with her beau, Max to help clear her name because it appears that she's the number one suspect in some island homicides.
Not great.......2006-07-04
The mystery itself was rather anticlimactic. Also, how on earth does that police detective tie his shoes in the morning? The man was distractingly stupid. He was also incredibly rude and his over eager insistence that Annie was the killer was rather disturbing. It's like his goal in life was to persecute her. I'm willing to read the other books in this series, but I'm really hoping that cop doesn't show up again. He was just weird.
Book Description
Murder is, surprisingly, not all that uncommon on timy Broward's Rock, an idyllic sea island community off the South Carolina coast. Annie Darling's popular mystery bookshop, Death on Demand, is where the locals come to discuss the juicy details of each criminal offense--under the watchful gaze of a pampered feline prima donna named Agatha. But now Annie's dear friend (and best customer) Henny Brawley stands accused of murdering a Women's Club volunteer-cum-blackmailer. So Annie rouses her husband Max into action, and together they dive into the shark pool of dotty eccentrics and imperious belles who constitute the island's smart set. Because only there can the Darlings prove hapless Henny innocent--by detemining who among the well-heeled had the dirtiest little secret...and would kill to protect it.
Customer Reviews:
Another light-hearted mystery!.......2007-07-06
Annie and Max Darling are two of the most appealing modern-day sleuths out there, and the setting in Broward's Rock can't be beat. I read these mysteries for the characters, both old and new. I do really enjoy reading another book in the series because I want to keep up with the people on Broward's Rock. This book is set around the annual White Elephant's Sale held by the Women's club. It always sounds like such fun on Broward's Rock! Annie and Max are again on the heels of a cool, caclutating murderer, but the book introduces some other unsavoury topics such as blackmail, mercy killing, extra-marital affairs and robbery. So much in one book! But that's what these books are like. They are wonderful light reading, and I love the many allusions to other mystery novels salted throughout the book. A wonderful book for cozy lovers.
Blackheart among white elephants.......2006-10-01
Collecting secrets was Kathyrn Girard's livelihood. Her dingy antique store, with its small cashbox, would not support the glamorous double life she led, a hacienda in Mexico and a sleek black Porsche. When she is found murdered while collecting white elephants for a charity sale, the suspect list includes prominent island residents like the wife of the parish priest, the editor of the Island Gazette, and Annie's best customer, mystery buff Henny Brawley. Annie and friends must now dig into the secrets of their friends and other blackmail victims to ferret out the one desparate and bold enough to put an end to Kathryn's demands. Through dogged detective work, following every clue and thread, the murderer is not unveiled until the very end.
simplistic.......2005-07-28
I find this author very simplistic. It seems it would be good for a young reader: simple language and not too challenging. For adults? I'd think adults would get impatient with the overly simple writing. I'm a big mystery fan, and tried a couple of her DoD series, but they're SO immature. Geeze, Encyclopedia Brown is more complex!
Intriguing Mix.......2005-06-01
This is my first Carolyn Hart mystery so I don't know how White Elephant Dead compares to others in the series, but I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable read. Unlike the other reviewers I didn't mind the references to other mystery writers; for me they served as a constant reminder that this was a work of genre fiction, even as the strong characters drew me further into the story.
A fascinating mix of detachment and engagement on an idyllic island...
To many mystery allusions.......2002-11-28
I usually enjoy Carolyn Hart's mysteries, but in this one there was not enough action and there were WAY too many allusions to other mystery writers and their books. A few here and there is fine, but it seemed that the references were sprinkled on every page. Please, Ms. Hart--give it a rest!
Book Description
Someone is playing a rather nasty April Fool's prank on mystery bookstore owner Annie Darling. A felonious forger on the idyllic -- if rarely tranquil -- South Carolina island of Broward's Rock has made it appear as if Annie is accusing some of her neighbors of murder. In the wink of a bloodshot eye, the Darling name is mud . . . and then the Broward's Rock body count starts mysteriously increasing. And now it's up to Annie to follow the well-hidden trail of the vicious trickster -- or a secret slayer's next lethal "joke" may very well be on her!
Customer Reviews:
Annie and Max on the trail of a forger!.......2007-09-03
The Death on Demand series does keep getting better and better. The characters are quirky and good old Broward's Rock is anything but peaceful. In this book Annie finds out someone is copying her idea for a book promotion, and getting her in a lot of hot water with the citizens of Broward's Rock. And then murders start happening, so Max and Annie have to find out what's going on. If you aren't a fan of cozy mysteries, this series is not for you, but if you love cozies, Hart cannot be beat. Her plots are tight, her characters are wonderful and she spreads around enough red herrings to keep things interesting.
Somebody's Really Done It this time.......2006-10-01
Annie's got a great idea to promote Broward Rock's resident mystery writer Emma Clyde's new book "Whodunit" with a contest: a scavenger hunt through clues of mystery books and authors. Soon her promotion turns deadly, as someone forges her flyers and substitutes accusations and innuendos against her neighbors while offering a $1000 reward. As Annie races desparately back and forth across the island to dispute the false flyers, real murder raises its ugly head. The body count grows, Annie and her friends realize that this is no April Fool's joke, but the plot of a cunning and dangerous murderer. Will they fool the murderer first or be made fools by their wily opponent?
Whodunit?.......2006-04-07
In the 13th Death on Demand Mystery, Annie & Max once again find themselves in the midst of mystery and murder. Their first mystery to solve is who is trying to ruin a book signing by placing fake publicity flyers all over the island. These flyers bring to light some unsolved crimes, and Annie becomes intrigued enough to want to solve them. Before she can spend too much time on that, however, a teacher is found murdered with a pile of flyers next to her body. And when a student ends up dead, Annie and Max must rush to uncover the murderer before anyone else gets hurt.
This was my first Death on Demand mystery, and it will not be my last. I enjoyed each of the characters, and thought it was an interesting cozy. I agree with some of the other reviews in that I found that the first 100+ pages were a bit hard to follow. I did wonder, however, if it was because this was the first book I had read in the serious. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and found it to be a light, fun read.
The first book in the series is Death on Demand. Enjoy!
Very Disappointing.......2005-12-28
Plot, characters...everything just seemed too forced and contrived. I was half way through the book before a murder actually happened. Most of the book was concerned about those damn flyers-which was just the weakest plot line ever. The author tried way too hard and way too many times to show how much in love Annie and Max were. And then she had all these supposed "quirky" characters just rambling on and on. I skipped through the last few pages to discover who the actual murderer was and I was not impressed. Not one of C. Hart's best.
Very Entertaining Whodunit.......2005-01-02
Annie Darling, owner of the mystery book store Death on Demand, is busily preparing for a book signing of local author Emma Clyde's latest bestseller "Whodunit?". Annie, who is always fond of sponsoring contests in her store, has come up with a special promotion for Emma's book signing. The special contest is a challenge to identify nine mysteries and their authors, based on clues given in an advertising flyer which Annie has distributed around the island. However, several days before the signing event, another set of mysterious flyers appear on Broward's Rock Island which appear as if Annie is accusing some of her neighbors or murder and other crimes as part of her contest. In order to clear the name of her store, Annie and her husband Max set out to find the real author of the fake contest flyers.
I felt that the first half of this book moved pretty slowly. I did enjoy Ms. Hart's wonderful descriptions of the South Carolina swamps and wildlife. The pace of the story picked up for the last one hundred pages or so, when two island residents are found brutally murdered. Together with her friend Henny, Annie and Max try to discover if the flyers are related to the murders, or if the flyers were just a smoke screen to divert attention from the real murderer.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. The many subplots in the book are all neatly tied up in the end, and there are many clues to send the reader down the wrong path in figuring out whodunit.
Book Description
When wealthy, widowed art patron Virginia Neville officially announces her engagement to Jake O'Neill -- her handsome, charming, and much younger fiancé -- at a gala gallery opening, not all the gathered friends and stepfamily are pleased. And before the last champagne bubble pops, murder disrupts the grand celebration. Bookstore owner Annie Darling has a vested interest in the investigation, and she's determined to untangle an unholy marriage of jealousy, blackmail, and malicious mischief, even if it means having to cross swords with hubby Max and cross paths with a cruelly clever stalker.
Customer Reviews:
Dying to Disengage?.......2006-10-01
Young Jake O'Neill was a handsome, smooth talking, a love 'em and leave 'em womanizer who found his way onto Broward's Rock and into the arms of just about every unattached woman in town. So who would have been surprised that wealthy Virginia Neville would commission him to be her husband? For one, the houseful of sour stepchildren whose father had left everything to Virginia but whom she had promised to leave everything to. Equally astounded was Chloe, the young employee of Annie's who had fallen in love with the young artist. On the night of the big party to celebrate the opening of the gallery and the introduction of Boston Mackey, the most successful Low Country painter allied with the gallery, Virginia decides to announce her engagement. With half the island at attendance, murder intervenes and crashes the party. Young Chloe was seen leaving the scene and quickly becomes suspect #1 and Max is deputized to investigate, much to Annie's chagrin. While Max pursues the official line of questioning, Annie sets out to prove Chloe's innocence. Matters are not helped by Chloe's disappearance, and the existence of another witness who saw Chloe, but holds out on what exactly she saw. Gunshots are heard at the Neville home, the gun fished out of the fountain and once again the police are convinced that Chloe had pinched the gun then dropped it in her flight. With the entire town convinced of Chloe's guilt, Annie and Max set a dangerous trap for the murderer. Would the murderer dare to make another desparate move? Or would Chloe be hauled off to jail for a crime she did not commit, other than an utter lack of common sense and discernment.
Engaged to Die.......2005-07-26
Very well written. Good story line, moves fast and holds yolur interest.
Another Great Entry.......2004-07-11
I really enjoy the Death on Demand series. Some people find the references to other mysteries and mystery writers annoying but I find it fun as I can many times relate to the reference, adding an extra little bit of pleasure to the mystery.
I particularly enjoyed this book because it features a lot of interplay between husband and wife Max & Annie Darling without focusing solely on their relationship. A wealthy "older" woman is about to announce her engagement to a much younger man when a murder occurs preventing that event from happening. A good friend of Annie's is the prime suspect for the murder and Annie & Max must, of course, step in to find the real killer. Max, in fact, is deputized to help the sheriff, a fact that irritates Annie to no end.
There are a few side issues thrown in for fun and they make for some nice diversions from the main mystery. I must say that one reason I especially enjoyed this book is that Max's mother does not play a big role - I do find her a little irritating as I find her somewhat of a stereotype airhead.
Really looking forward to the next entry in the series: "Murder Walks the Plank" and hope to see a new Henri O. mystery soon!
Nicely told murdery mystery,.......2004-05-04
"Engaged to Die," by Carolyn Hart, is a nicely told murder mystery. I found the characters interesting, the dialogue fast-paced, and the plot read true to life. An appealing combination.
John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures
B.H. California
Where's the plot?.......2004-02-19
I've given Carolyn Hart several chances, but this book was the last one.
The setup is fine. We get the well-hated rich heiress, the Big House o' Suspects, the timetable, and so on. We get an allegedly sympathetic character (whom I didn't like) accused, presumably falsely, of the crime. We get a possible witness who knows more than she's telling.
All these are well-established mystery elements. In the hands of a good writer, they're a recipe for pure pleasure.
In the hands of Ms. Hart, they go nowhere. The suspect disappears, and the rest of the book consists of people bumbling around, wondering where she is, and arguing about whether she really done it. There are no clues. There is no detection. There is no puzzle. There is no plot development, other than the inevitable second murder. The solution, when it finally arrives, arrives with a resounding POOF! out of thin air: there's no logic to back it up, no explanation of how we got to that point, no reason why a different solution wouldn't do just as well. None of the alternative suspects is given any face time. The moderately-elaborate timetable is entirely irrelevant, a waste of space.
The virtue of the classical mystery is in its ability to take time-honored elements and weave a new puzzle around them. Absent the puzzle, the whole thing becomes an assemblage of cliches.
Ms. Hart should, perhaps, try writing romances.
Book Description
Britt Barlow is certain her media mogul brother-in-law Jeremiah Addison's fatal tumble a year ago was no accident -- especially since she herself discovered, and disposed of, the trip wire someone had strung across the stairs. Now she's bringing all who were in attendance that weekend back to Golden Silk -- Addison's luxurious secluded island estate -- and inviting two extra guests, Annie and Max Darling, to help uncover a killer.
Annie Darling wouldn't miss this party for the world! And there certainly is no lack of suspects among the guests, each of whom had a substantial motive for doing in the insufferable tycoon. But the party turns deadly when a houseman mysteriously vanishes, along with the boats which are the only escape off Addison's island -- leaving the Darlings stranded on a floating rock in the middle of nowhere, too close to a solution for comfort, and stalked by a crafty murderer.
Customer Reviews:
A little slow.......2007-08-28
I am not a mystery reader, but saw this one and decided to try it. I see that this author has written numerous books, so perhaps I just picked the wrong book. The premise of the book was not very original - let's get all the murder suspects in one place - and find out the murderer's identity and I found it hard to believe that most of these characters were in their 20's and 30's. They all spoke as if they were characters in an Audrey Hepburn movie. I don't know anyone in that age range who would tell someone else that they were "swell" or use the adjectives "glorious" and "lovely". There was not much character development, even with the husband and wife who were the main characters and they never seemed real to me. The book was too slow and I never finished reading it or cared enough to find out who killed Jeremiah.
Party's Over.......2007-07-14
My first by this author and the last. I can't believe she has written and sold so many. Very amateurish. The Darlings showed no wisdom at all. There were enough holes in the story for an elephant to pass through. Everyone ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. Probably the only surprise in the whole weekend was the stranding of all the participants by the handy man. I don't think Britt planned that one.
Everyone was left stranded on the dock by the author who then jumped to the bookstore a month later.
Better luck next time Darlings, but I won't be following your blundering.
Deserted Island and Murder.......2007-02-23
Max Darling is hired by Britt Barlow to help her find a murderer. Her brother-in-law was murdered one year ago, and she's invited everyone back to the island that was there the weekend he was killed. She knows he was killed because she took the wire off the stairs that was strung for him to trip over. Everyone thought it was an accident. Her sister was so sick when he died, she didn't want any scandal. Her sister has since died. Now she's ready to unmask the killer. She wants Max's help.
He finally agrees to help and brings Annie along. The island is secluded with no way off until Sunday night. There's no cell phone reception either.
When Harry, a hired hand on the island, goes missing, everyone believes he is the murderer. That is until another body turns up. Can Max and Annie find the killer without becoming the next victims?
I really enjoyed this book. I think it was the secluded island that cinched it for me. I already liked Max and Annie from previous books. The South Carolina location is wonderful. Having them stranded on an island for a weekend with a killer increased the intensity. I kept trying to figure out who it was.
The author did a great job of creating characters that were believable. She gave enough twists and turns to hide the killer to the end.
I highly recommend this book.
Trapped in the Web of a Golden Spider.......2006-10-01
Annie and Max are invited to a secluded island mansion, named after a spider that spins a sturdy web to catch its prey. Britt Barlow, the current owner has turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. But this outing is no lark, as Britt has invited everyone to a party with no escape. A year ago, Britt's brother-in-law, mogul Jeremiah Addison, a man who is a walking catalyst for sparking emotional pain in all around him, was murdered. Britt had discovered and then disposed of the evidence and Jeremiah's death was ruled an accident. But now it seems that blackmail raises its ugly head, and Britt is being fingered by an unknown enemy. In order to clear the air, Britt hires Max, who drags Annie along, to a murder reunion, inviting everyone back to the island who had been there, so that Max and Annie can find the real killer. The game turns dangerous when an employee runs off the island, taking the boats and radios with him, leaving everyone trapped in a deadly web with a daring murderer who no sooner strikes again, leaving one of the guests dead. Help comes from an unexpected source, and Annie barely escapes with her life because she came too close to the truth while looking for her jacket.
Mystery Fan.......2006-07-12
I have read all of Hart's Death on Demand books and enjoyed this one as much as the first. The twists are great and keeps you wondering if you are "on the right track" to solving this murder. Great read for summer fun!
Book Description
Professors Joe Birnoff and Karl Teasdale, the odd couple of the economics profession, are hoping for a quiet spring break at a stately nineteenth centry hotel on Florida's Gulf Coast but a bitterly contested take-over fight at a shareholders' meeting at a hotel arrests their vacation fun. A British publishing magnate is seeking to gain control of prestigious Art World magazine, and economic as well as artistic controversies abound. When the boardroom bickering escalates to murder, Joe and Karl become amateur detectives, attempting to sort out the (mostly) economic motives of the suspects. The collaboration between Keynsian Birnoff and monetarist Teasdale unravel many an economic mystery as well as the solution to the crime.
Customer Reviews:
Good book!.......2006-12-03
This is a good book to incorporate microeconomic and macroeconomic ideas, written in the context of an appealing story. I read this book for my microeconomic class, and got a lot out of it. This book does a nice job applying economic ideas to everyday life.
Profit on demand.......2000-05-15
This book was written by a professor of economics at theUniversity of Houston Clear Lake. Apparently he makes every classread this book. It was written as educational material. As economic material goes it is full, as for plot, it is empty. Why did Dale C. write this book? To give his students an alternative method of learning...? The basic premise of the book is that two professors of economics go on extravagant vacations with the money they make selling their text book. They end up at a hotel in Florida. While they are there they bore all the other vacationers with economic discussion. One of the hotel guests is then murdered. The two professors feeling it is their obligation try to solve the murder using economic principles. I won't spoil the ending, you'll have to be disappointed on your own. My main question about the situation is why was the book written under a pen name...?
Book Description
Annie Darling's murder mystery cruise in the waters off her not-always-idyllic isle of Broward's Rock is going swimmingly -- until one of the revelers plunges overboard. And despite hubby Max's courageous rescue attempt, faux murder turns all too quickly into real-life death. As the body count rises over the next few days, the popular proprietress of the Death on Demand bookstore begins to suspect that all the victims were murdered most foully, and that they are all connected in some unknown way. But what intrepid crime solver Annie does not realize is that the killer she seeks is more ingeniously efficient than most -- and the puzzle she wishes to unravel is, in reality, a time bomb packed with an explosive mix of arson, assault, kidnapping, robbery ... and homicide, naturally.
One false step and Annie, Max, and their canny cohorts will be blown off Broward's Rock for good.
Customer Reviews:
One of her better novels.......2006-11-10
I have read most all of Carolyn Hart's "Death on Demand" titles. This particular work was one of the better titles in this series. I liked the pace she set, and the storyline was interesting. No irritating characters, plausible surprises, and a different person to guess the mystery paintings at the end. I highly recommend this title to readers!
Yo ho ho, a book to keep you on your toes!.......2006-10-01
What do you get when you cross an apparent accident victim that nobody hates, an aged emaciated former model millionare's purported suicide, and an unidentified natty silver haired Lothario dressed in candy-striped flair found dead in an remote forest preserve? A confusing, cat-and-mouse game where our heros and heroines Annie, Max, Emma, Henny and friends spring into action to protect their friend, find a killer where the police are convinced there is none, and connect the dots to the mysterious stranger. Amidst grief, a daring escape, adolescent angst, and buried jealously, the plot spins and twists, concluding in a dangerous race against a killer, and heroism from an unlikely source. The killer is caught, and the party restored where the answers to the shortened mystery cruise are revealed, family peace is restored, and the happy crew of the Death on Demand crowd can pat themselves on the back for another mystery well solved.
Fast Page-Turning Fun Mystery.......2005-11-09
Annie Darling likes a good mystery. She runs a bookstore that specializes in mystery books and has organized a "mystery cruise" to promote the store. The cruise involves a scripted play that will interact the guests in a mystery that they will then try to solve.
When guests start arriving for the cruise, Annie is surprised to see her friend Pamela Potts. Annie is even more surprised when Pamela thanks her for the free ticket, a ticket that Annie didn't give her. They would have to discuss this when things settled down.
Only the evening doesn't settle down - Pamela falls overboard!
Luckily Pamela is rescued. However she is unconscious. Annie thinks that foul play is involved, but the police write the occurance off as an accident. Soon after the accident, another guest commits suicide. Or was it suicide? It seems that the woman's children and secretary had a motive to murder her.
With a boat full of mystery fans and amateur detectives, soon the guests take over the investigation and try to figure out who is trying to kill off the party guests.
Oh boy, "Murder Walks the Plank" was such a fun book to read! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. While there were clues given throughout, I was guessing until the very end. I would recommend this book highly. It's a great combination of intrugue and humor.
It was a fun read.......2004-09-06
I am a great fan of Carolyn Hart. I read this book while I was on vacation at the beach. From the minute the first person was pushed off the boat until the end, this book held your interest. Max and Annie Darling are once again solving mysteries. Of course, Henny and Lauren are involved and once again driving Annie crazy. If you are a fan of Death on Demand mysteries, then I would definitely say that this book will not disappoint you. My mother and I love this series, and both of us agree that this was one of Carolyn Hart's finest.
A MYSTERY TREASURE HUNTERS DREAM.......2004-07-06
When careful and cautious Pamela Potts falls overboard ,apparently drowned, on a mystery cruise sponsered by Annie Darling Annie has a problem?who pushed her?Sherriff Billy Cameron is ready to rule the death an accident but when Annie discovers Pamela received her invitation from an unidentified source she sets out to hunt Pamelas assailant.The death of Meg Heath ,Aging ex model and millionairess,who Pamela visits regularly convinces Annie that someone wants both Pamela and Meg dead.But why?
Coincidentally, according to Sheriff Cameron ,an unidentified stranger turns up dead at the same time as Meg and Pamela .When Annie discovers that Meg was planning a gala dinner for a mystery guest Annie assumes the three deaths are related and the mystery guest holds the key to solving the killings.Who is the mystery guest?All Annie knows is that he looks like Houston second baseman Jeff Kent.While Annie is pursuing the death of the unidentified man a fire at Megs place destroys all evidence of her link to her second husband,Carey Heath.Emma Clyde,Star mystery writer , assumes the motive for the murders is money, casting suspicion on Megs children Jenna and Jason as well as personal secretary Claudette Taylor.Piece by piece Annie ,with help from her devoted husband Max is drawn into a deadly game of murder , greed and rekindled love that threatens the very lives of children near and dear to Annie.This was my first Carolyn Hart mystery but it wont be my last.The book does a masterfulm job of presenting the cozy intimate life of a mystery book seller while simaltaneously involving the reader in a baffling murder mystery.If you love a great mystery MURDER WALKS THE PLANK is a real find.
Average customer rating:
- WOW!!
- A Remarkable Piece of Work
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The Death of Demand: Finding Growth in a Saturated Global Economy (Financial Times Prentice Hall Books)
Tom Osenton
Manufacturer: Financial Times Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Microeconomics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management Science | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Organizational Change | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Consumer Behavior | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0131423312 |
Customer Reviews:
WOW!!.......2004-04-03
This is an incredible--and credible--fact based view of what's really going on in the economy. Mr. Osenton has clearly done his homework, and presents this fresh material in a very insightful and enjoyable read.
The best business book I have read since Peter's "In Search of Excellence" two deacdes ago.
Bravo!
A Remarkable Piece of Work.......2004-03-09
This book is not only a wonderful read and an impressive history of business during the second half of the 20th century, but it presents the most logical understanding as to why corporations, industries - the entire economy - is having such a difficult time growing. The irony that Osenton points out is that we are victims of our own success - pushing for more and more consumption - and getting it! - only to begin to approach levels of saturation. He points out that there are currently more than 32 million more registered vehicles in the United States than there are licensed drivers! Talk about surplus. For the first time ever, someone has explained WHY - beyond the simple explanation of greed - that corporations are cooking their books in order to make the numbers. It's because their respective top lines are lifeless, and they have squeezed every penny, every productivity gain they could out of the corporation. Death of Demand helped me completely understand why employees are paying for earnings growth with their jobs - jobs that are either being cut altogether or sent overseas. What a spectacular analysis of our current economic condition. Bravo!
Amazon.com
Unless you find the idea of a woman who runs a mystery book store as an amateur crime solver just too cute for comfort, you'll have some fun with Carolyn G. Hart's latest cozy yarn about Annie and Max Darling, the Nick and Nora Charles of the South Carolina island resort town called Broward's Rock. Annie, of course, still keeps her Death on Demand book shop, matching wits with customers about unlikely murder methods from classic mysteries while serving them iced café lattes to ward off the summer heat. Max, the most underemployed private detective of recent memory (he doesn't seem to have had a paying client since 1995), is still as charming and sexy (to Annie, that is) as ever--although his annoying mother, Laurel, has become positively dangerous. But Laurel is only one of a veritable Orient Express-load of possible suspects when an obnoxious ex-military man is shot to death at the Broward's Rock Fourth of July Festival. The racist, sexist, antigay Bud Hatch could have been killed by any of his several enemies. It's up to Annie and Max to clear Laurel and various other friends of suspicion, and Hart certainly knows how to keep a familiar story from becoming too obvious. Other Death on Demand tales in paperback: The Christie Caper, Deadly Valentine, Death on Demand, Design for Murder, Honeymoon With Murder, A Little Class on Murder, Mint Julep Murder, Something Wicked, Southern Ghost. --Dick Adler
Book Description
Master mystery spinner Carolyn Hart gives us the tenth high-spirited entry in her Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Award-winning Death on Demand series.
The most delectable sleuthing couple since Nick met Nora, Annie and Max Darling manage to find quite a bit of murder in their allegedly safe and serene South Carolina island resort town. After all, murder is Annie's business -- well, sort of. She's the proprietor of the popular Death on Demand mystery bookstore and cafe, and her establishment seems to attract trouble like Annie's pesky felines, Dorothy L. and Agatha, attract hairballs. Now, Annie and Max watch their Fourth of July holiday explode not only with fun and fireworks, but with murder as well.
The library board wants to declare its independence from new member, retired Brigadier General Charlton "Bud" Hatch, a man accustomed to being in charge. Hatch's takeover attitude has alienated everyone in town, especially the women. But Annie finds it difficult to ignore him at a crowded patriotic festival -- particularly when he's shot dead before her eyes...
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat disjointed, and didn't make much sense at times.......2007-06-07
I have become a big fan of the Death on Demand mystery series, but I found this book harder to get into. The motive for the murder was rather far-fetched, and the steps taken by Annie and Max seem unrelated. In fact, I don't know how they arrived at the answer since their thinking about the killing was all over the place. The setting is wonderful though - Broward's Rock during July 4 celebrations, and the descriptions of the fantastic rainstorms are wonderful indeed. I truly felt like I was out there with Annie and Max trying to get information about their growing list of suspects between some pretty incredible storms. The victim was a man that no one liked, but Annie and Max felt they had to get involved in order to clear the name of a likeable young man, that they are both sure did not shoot General Hatch. They dig around enough until they figure out the motive, and it's a motive that goes back some years. A little far-fetched, but Ms. Hart is a good storyteller, and her characters are likeable and as a reader I care about what happens to them as they both go in search of a killer.
Demand is Dead.......2007-01-30
I know I should not be allowed to judge a book based on its cover, its age, or the fact its part of a mystery series I've never read. But this book was just awful. I went into it not that excited...but I was interested to get back into mysteries since I'd stayed away from the genre for sometime.
The story essentially follows a sleuthing couple with no credentials to be detectives - Annie owns a murder mystery book shop (um yeah, cause that would fly on a small tourist island), and her husband Max helps people 'find stuff' or 'figure out stuff'. The books is cliche-ridden and spun in an unconvincing way. The first 100 pages are completely lull-worthy and the investigation following the murder isn't much more interesting.
Essentially a much-disliked newcomer to the town is murdered on the fourth of July and a young, well-liked teenager accidentally finds the gun in the woods, fingering him as the suspect. Annie & Max and a small ring of help band together to interview one of many key suspects - but there is a whole lotta suspects and clue-gathering to be done in 24 hours, and none of the motives were particularly strong or interesting. Needless to say a 'surprise' twist does happen...but it's a genuinely trite and annoying one.
The prose itself is hard to get through - since Hart seems determined to prove that Annie really is a huge mystery fan there are paragraphs filled with references to authors and characters in the mystery genre that you just skip over. The descriptions of things are far too lengthy and don't contribute to the plot. The internal ponderings of the characters are frustrating and don't help you solve the mystery before you are told what happened. The cliches that show up every few lines are painful to read.
I don't really have much else to report on this book. I found it confusing, clunky, and utterly hard to get through. Perhaps you are a fan of the series by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand) but I don't believe I'll be picking up another. There was nothing I particularly liked about this book to be honest, but it wasn't the worst I'd read either. Skip this series if you are a serious mystery fan.
Final Grade: D
Not Quite a Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2006-10-01
Taking a page Agatha Christie's method of using a nursery rhyme or a song to spell out the plot, Carolyn Hart spins a wildly incongruous tale about a retired Yankee general stirring up a hornet's nest in old Dixie (otherwise known as Broward's Rock, S.C. the same state as Fort Sumter). Bud is the guy that everyone loves to hate, a perfectionist, man knows best, self-righteous, yet adulterous, martinet who has managed to get into everyone's craw. The suspects range from one end of the island to the other, crossing every social, racial and political spectrum. But when young Samuel Kinnon is caught with the gun right after the shooting, Annie, Max and Miss Dora mount a campaign to find out who the real killer is. Strangely enough, Henny Brawley, long-time resident and mystery expert, who in the past was on the front lines of any murder investigation on the Rock, opts to sit this one out. Is it possible that she knows too much about the murder or is she covering for someone? As Annie and Max stumble from one end of the island to the other end, seemingly going nowhere, the answer to the murder takes a surprising turn if one remembers the lyrics of the nursery rhyme.
A Great Mystery.....with a great bookstore setting!.......2002-07-14
After just picking up the book and starting to read (not knowing about the series) I was quite suprised. The story was almost like a Nancy Drew mystery in a way. The characters each had their own little quirks and were likeable in their own ways. I fell in love with Death on Demand Bookstore (something I would love to have being a seller myself). This isn't a series for the serious mystery reader (like the ones with quite a bit of blood and bodies laying everywhere with cops or detectives). It's a light mystery that can pass a summer day away. I can't wait to work on the rest of the series.
An infuriating, unrewarding book........2000-06-01
One of the surest ways to ward people off from a book or movie is to spoil the whole plot for them, and I came dangerously close to revealing who shot the corrupt, domineering General Bud Hatch in Yankee Doodle Dead in the first sentence of this review. I eventually decided against doing so (the solution to no mystery should be spoiled, I suppose, no matter how bad the book), but the fact that I contemplated using such drastic measures should scream a definite message - _stay away!_ Yankee Doodle Dead is irredeemable in so many ways that it traverses all individual boundaries of what constitutes badness - the pacing is horrible; the bulk of the supporting characters is ill-defined and indistinguishable; the story of the motives behind the murder, which could've been intriguing and moving in the hands of another author, jumps out of nowhere in the last fifteen pages and is hardly developed at all; and the protagonist, nympho bimbo Annie Darling, precious, incapable of taking anything seriously, and at turns passive-aggressive and bullyingly imperious, is the most distasteful character I've encountered in the mystery realm. (Her buffoonish slacker husband, Max, isn't much better.)
It got to the point where I became nigh-completely detached from the story's events and could only ask myself annoyed questions - Why would a community celebrate America's Independence Day with the work of Shakespeare, an English poet? Why are career military people always depicted in mysteries as either irrational control-freak tyrants or messed-up head cases? How could a newcomer - a _Yankee_ newcomer - to such a tightly-knit Southern community gain such ungodly power in such short time? Why are the women of the island hailed as such feminist pioneers when half of them are raring to jump in the sack with Hatch and the other half can't even stand up to him? Why is Bud Hatch considered so bad when Max and Annie are arguably just as intrusive and abusive with their influence and knowledge? (And to what end does the author inject incongruous, clumsy allusions to other mystery series onto every other page? The end result reads like one of _The Onion_'s faux sports stories parodying the extent of commercial endorsements - "The Home Depot Cubs took the lead in the top of the Chevy Lumina Second Inning...the hard-fought victory, much like a frost-brewed Budweiser, left a great taste in their mouths...") The author doesn't even allow the reader the pleasure of trying to piece together the "clues", as irrelevant to the eventual solution as they are, himself; the narrative analyzes every single possible way that each tidbit could relate to the crime, so that there's absolutely no...well, mystery to it, leaving all the fun of watching someone else play a video game.
The only positive bits in the book are the occasional muddy glimpses of marvelous prose - which here, unfortunately, only serve to illustrate all the more vividly the reasons why Annie's skull should be cracked with a crowbar. Judging from other readers' comments, I seem to have come in on the Death on Demand series on a very sub-par volume, but its insufferable heroine alone is enough to steer me away from it for good. Avoid this book.
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