Part of Death on Demand, book 11
First published 2000
Annie Darling runs Death on Demand, a mystery bookshop on Broward's Rock where locals gather to gossip about the island's frequent crimes. Her cat Agatha presides over these discussions from her perch. When Henny Brawley, Annie's close friend and best customer, gets charged with killing a Women's Club volunteer who doubled as a blackmailer, Annie springs into action. She pulls her husband Max into the investigation. Together they must navigate the treacherous social waters of the island's elite residents. These eccentric wealthy women and imperious Southern belles form a tight community where secrets run deep. Annie and Max know that somewhere among this privileged circle lurks the real killer. Someone had a secret dark enough to murder for, and wealthy enough to think they could get away with it. Only by exposing that hidden shame can the Darlings save innocent Henny from a murder conviction.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: cozy, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Broward's Rock
Period: contemporary
304 pages · Mass Market Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks