Synopses & Reviews
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.
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“The Darling duo is as winning as ever.” Baltimore Sun
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“The reigning monarch of the amateur sleuth mystery delivers royally.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“A lively tale with well-drawn characters.” Orlando Sentinel on Sugarplum Dead
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“Sharp and imaginative writing…[a] thrilling mystery…engaging any time of year.” Orlando Sentinel
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“Hart supplies superior cozy fare…[a] superb whodunit.” Publishers Weekly
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“Displays the charm and coziness of Christie.” Chicago Sun-Times
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“One of the cleverest puzzle plots around.” Toronto Globe and Mail
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"Carolyn Hart's craftsmanship makes her mystery's Queen of Cs - cozy, clever, and chock full of charm." Mary Daheim
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“Well-plotted.” Dallas Morning News
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“Tantalizing…Keeps the reader guessing all the way.” Denver Post
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“Carolyn Harts large following will likely hail this latest Darling caper as - what else? - simply darling.” San Diego Union-Tribune
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“Hart creates lively, sympathetic characters and interesting locales and maintains a snappy pace.” Booklist
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“An essential purchase.” Library Journal
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“Carolyn Hart has served up yet another delicious mystery that kept me guessing until the end. YUM!” Diane Mott Davidson
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“Ill admit it. Im a sucker for Carolyn Harts Annie and Max series.” Robert Crais
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“An enjoyable addition to a long running series.” Booklist
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“Carolyn Harts craftsmanship makes her mysterys Queen of Cs - cozy, clever, and chock full of charm.” Mary Daheim
About the Author
An accomplished master of mystery, Carolyn Hart is the author of twenty Death on Demand novels, the creator of the highly praised Henrie O series, and two previous Bailey Ruth mysteries. She has won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards, and received the Lifetime Achievement award from Malice Domestic. Her first Bailey Ruth mystery, Ghost at Work, was named one of the best mysteries of 2008 by Publishers Weekly. She is one of the founders of Sisters in Crime, and lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.