Part of Death on Demand, book 23
First published 2013
Annie Darling runs Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore that draws crowds of summer tourists to Broward's Rock island. The Fourth of July celebration brings its usual excitement, but this year it also brings trouble. Shell Hurst disappears during the fireworks display after walking into the pine trees. Shell was the type of woman who attracted husbands and angered wives, so most islanders feel relieved rather than concerned. Only a teenage girl notices Shell's absence. Annie believes someone should search for the missing woman. When a second islander vanishes, the community grows nervous. Annie and her husband Max realize danger threatens their island home. They follow clues through a maze of blackmail, betrayal, and adultery. The investigation takes them from the island inn to a rain-soaked pier to the country club terrace. There they prepare to catch a killer who has been calculating every move.
Genres: suspense, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, investigation
Setting: Broward's Rock Island, Pine Trees, Island Inn, Rain-Soaked Pier, Country Club Terrace
Period: Fourth of July
288 pages · Hardcover · Berkley