Synopses & Reviews
Annie Darlingowner of the mystery bookstore, Death on Demandprefers fictional crimes as opposed to the real things. But in one tragic week, two acts of violence shake the island community of Browards Rock. First, a beloved doctor is found shot dead, seemingly by his own hand. Only days later, a local artist is arrested after his wife is found murdered, bludgeoned by her husbands sculpting mallet.
Convinced her brother did not commit suicide, the doctors sister turns to Annie and her husband, Max, for help. She has found a cryptic sketch her brother drew, linking him with the murdered woman. Did someone want them both out of the picture?
With the police considering both cases as good as closed, its up to Annie and Max to sort through a rogues gallery of suspects to see if someone is trying to frame the artist. But if Annie isnt careful, she may find herself having her own brush with death
Review
“Mystery lovers… will be captivated by this unique series.”—
Seattle Post-Intelligencer “One of the most endearing and personable amateur sleuths.”—
Midwest Book ReviewReview
Praise for Carolyn Hart, Winner of Multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards
“Carolyn Harts work is both utterly reliable and utterly unpredictable.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Well-developed characters and a complex, fast-moving plot make for a satisfying read.”—Publishers Weekly
“One of the most popular practitioners of the traditional mystery.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A perfect balance between a puzzle mystery that keeps a reader happily turning pages, and well-drawn characters that are as full of surprises as the people in our own lives.”—Connecticut Post
“Harts latest cozy puzzler casts a net that will ensnare a wide audience.”—Kirkus Reviews
“I loved this book—and others in the series...Believable and thoroughly entertaining…Best of all, you may not see the ending coming.”—Deseret News
“Hart, who has won numerous awards and accolades for her mysteries, has developed an interesting and amusing cast of characters and a surefire formula for the success of her mysteries.”—The Oklahoman
Review
Praise for Death at the Door “Engaging…Understated local color and a charming cast of supporting characters will keep Annies fans glued to the page.”—Publishers Weekly
“Great characters and an enjoyable story…After reading Death at the Door…you'll want to go back and read more of Carolyn Harts books.”—Fresh Fiction
“This long-running series continues to produce strong storylines and wonderful characterization…The mysterys careful construction will draw in readers.”—RT Book Reviews
Synopsis
Herbalist and ex-lawyer China Bayles is “in a class with lady sleuths V. I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum.”* In Widow’s Tears, a haunted house may hold the key to solving the murder of one of China’s friends… After losing her husband, five children, housekeeper, and beautiful home in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Rachel Blackwood rebuilt her home, and later died there, having been driven mad with grief. In present-day Texas, Claire, the grand niece of Rachel’s caretaker, has inherited the house and wants to turn it into a bed and breakfast. But she is concerned that it’s haunted, so she calls in her friend Ruby—who has the gift of extrasensory perception—to check it out. While Ruby is ghost-hunting, China Bayles walks into a storm of trouble in nearby Pecan Springs. A half hour before she is to make her nightly deposit, the Pecan Springs bank is robbed and a teller is shot and killed.
Before she can discover the identity of the killers, China follows Ruby to the Blackwood house to discuss urgent business. As she is drawn into the mystery of the haunted house, China opens the door on some very real danger… *Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Susan Wittig Albert grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she is the author of the China Bayles Mysteries, the Darling Dahlias Mysteries, and the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Some of her recent titles include Widow�s Tears, Cat�s Claw, The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose, and The Tale of Castle Cottage. She and her husband, Bill, coauthor a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries under the name Robin Paige, which includes such titles as Death at Glamis Castle and Death at Whitechapel.