Reading some Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart
Carolyn G. Hart’s Honeymoon with Murder and A Little Class on Murder are books numbers four and five of her award-winning Death on Demand series. Death on Demand itself is a mystery-themed bookstore on a South Carolina island called Boward’s Rock. The store is run by a woman named Annie Laurance, who becomes Annie Darling per her eventual marriage to her beau, Max. Nonetheless, as a mystery bookstore owner, Annie is deeply dedicated to everything surrounding the mystery genre–so she knows her stuff. A cast of supporting characters are there as well with equal appreciation for loving and conversing about mystery books. As readers, we are privy to much of these conversations about various mysteries and the authors who write them. Blended so well into the overall narrative, you, the reader, suddenly find yourself intrigued by anecdotal information on, say, Agatha Christie and/or Ross MacDonald. The list is endless.
Meanwhile, the author is telling and selling you a great murder mystery with all the operating components that make these books cozy. Yet, they are so, so much more. For one, they are apt and sharper than many nowadays cozies I’ve read that seem to prioritize lunacy and love triangles as the standard. Secondly, while some primary and supporting cast may annoy me sometimes, Hart delivers humor/comedy like the pro she is. I sometimes run across cozies where authors need to learn how nuance lands a comedic moment. Or lack the ability to put some intelligence behind comedy to keep it from selling eye-rolls and cringe page after page. As a matter-of-fact, I think “nuance” is the correct term to describe Hart’s ability, because outside notes of humor her characters simply come off the page to me. I respect it; Carolyn G. Hart won multiple awards for a freakin’ reason.
This all aside, I list three things that keep me returning to this series (aside from Hart’s ability to plot).
1. I’ve entirely warmed up to Hart’s duo, Annie and Max. I mention this because I typically wouldn’t like the way romances are handled in cozy mysteries–especially those that insist on beginning a romance with a love triangle. Nevertheless, earlier in the series I thought Annie was rude; her and I didn’t exactly click. In contrast, Max got on my nerves as the designated love interest in many cozy series. The further into the series I read, the further my view of the two changed.
I like the two of them together. Annie comes across as a lot more clever and quick than abrasive and prickly, with Max as her sort of “buffer” to her reactionary moments. And Max is full-on in his role as her just as clever detective companion (and, yes, husband). They are different in personalities (and diets), but compatible because of this. Where Annie goes hot, Max goes cool. Also, it works for me because while I can tell Hart loves writing about their romance, she is nowhere near as over-prioritizing it to sell her fantasy to readers. Now that’s the stuff that gets on my nerves in cozies nowadays. This seemingly desperate need for the author to sell a romance fantasy above the mystery.
2. I also like how Hart carefully (but unafraid) blends mystery elements over all areas of her storytelling–because she genuinely loves reading mysteries. For example, Annie operates as a traditional cozy amateur sleuth. Meanwhile, Max is much like a gumshoe. So Hart likes to take all her mystery bites.
I love how Hart tops layer after layer to her stories with infused references to various mystery authors and her love of mysteries in general! These references litter every corner of Hart’s books! With Hart, I keep sticky tabs and constantly pause to look up and e-cart different books and authors’ work that I had yet to hear of or have yet to get to within my own library. So Hart’s clues go beyond what’s presented in the actual plot, as they are also seen in character’s behavior, settings, and featured in dialogue as references from classic mystery novels. It’s the readers role to guess how close do those reference clues to real authors/works lean on the internal clues seen in the plot.
3. Another thing I appreciate in the Death on Demand series are the various lists and diagrams presented to the readers through the characters. It was almost as if the reading experience was breaking the fourth wall. We got to peek into all the “notes” Hart created to plot and bring characters/suspects out to the mystery itself. In essence, Hart lets the readers in on how she draws characters/suspect backgrounds and how each prerequisite motive puts each in first place to be the possible killer. So as Annie and Max are making notes surrounding the case, we, readers, are privy to them right off. As a mystery lover, it makes me freakin’ study.
As of writing this, I’ve read three of these books in a row. I am now at book #7, The Christie Caper. However, I’m going to take a break and switch things up before diving further into this series. Why? To keep from burnout!
LIVID for Patricia Cornwell's 26th Kay Scarpetta Book
“Chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta is the reluctant star witness in a sensational murder trial when she receives shocking news. The judge’s sister has been found dead. At first glance, it appears to be a home invasion, but then why was nothing stolen, and why is the garden strewn with dead plants and insects?
Although there is no apparent cause of death, Scarpetta recognizes telltale signs of the unthinkable, and she knows the worst is yet to come. The forensic pathologist finds herself pitted against a powerful force that returns her to the past, and her time to catch the killer is running out . . .”
Y’all. I am so glad Patricia Cornwell is back with Kay Scarpetta. To think how 2016’s Chaos was potentially the last book in the series. Until we got Autopsy last Fall as a series revive. NOW we immediately get ANOTHER new one in Livid. Which is due later this month. I don’t want to wait until the freakin’ 25th!
A Quick Rundown of my Christie Kicks Feelings
Day ONE
What’s going on with me attempting to read Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles? I’m 28 pages into the book and find myself uninterested. Two things are occurring to me:
1. Given that Christie pretty much created every mystery trope, the reading is feeling rote (see what I did there). I don’t think it’s necessarily the book, per se. But the mood generated from the experience feels rote–I guess that’s the word for it. Here I was attempting to officially take on a Christie novel. Yet, I’ve read so many mysteries and am so late to her that I’m bored with the template presented here. I already know what is about to happen in Styles, not necessarily who will do it. This leads me to my other problem…
2. Christie’s characters are flat. Now I experienced this realization before when attempting to read her first Miss Marple book before abandoning it. Nevertheless, I thought I would get over this in Christie’s first Hercule Poirot book. Nah, man. These characters are flat, 2D, and uninteresting. Another problem I have, which is usual with me with any type of book, is the lack of illustrations behind characters, scenes, settings, everything. There is no color here. Just automatons are doing their master’s bidding. Heck, my reading of the first two Sherlock Holmes novels came close, but at least Holmes and Watson had character. That’s it, Christie’s characters lack character… well… let’s just say dept.
So what shall I do next? Mmmmmm. I think I’m going to give myself more pages.
Day TWO
So, I managed to scoot up closer to the table and read up to fifty pages and found my interest in the book drastically improved. Between the first 28 pages until now, the actual death has occurred and what an exciting scene it provided. All the bells and whistles that tickle my mystery-loving fancy are on full display. I am now on board. I am now interested. The death scene and Poirot’s character/personality finally taking stage broke from the initial stale taste the book was giving me. I am still not engaged with Christie’s light writing style; as matter-of-fact, her style makes me hungry for some more of P. D. James’s work. I kept glancing at one of my shelves, wondering would it be appropriate to plug in another Adam Dalgleish book after The Mysterious Affair at Styles. P. D. James is undoubtedly an evolution of Christie with both her literary style and emphasis on characters. I stress characters. James does character.
FINISHING day
Well, the book was just okay to me. Things started to pick up a little, and by “things,” I mean my general interest. Poirot was an enjoyable character to navigator the mystery with. However, at the end of the day, I was tired of all the surrounding characters and the whole story. Additionally, I had moments where I convinced myself maybe I was better off sticking to watching Christie’s work on Amazon Prime or Britbox this point forward (I just never like to pay extra for them). Until…
Two and a half weeks later…
In here lay the charm I was looking for in a Christie mystery.… I decided to target her classics, where her style really started to flourish, and picked up The Murder on the Orient Express. The Murder on the Orient Express is a study on plot and technique. It was a raging stretch of a mystery. I constantly had a finger lifted begging Christie to “wait just a dag-gone minute, homegirl.” She was asking a lot of the reader, as implausible as any mystery might be.
Nevertheless, I am not sure which word, phrase, turn of phrase, or glean into Poirot’s deduction of the crime did it; something along the explanation of how it was done sold me. I closed the book wishing I could write something as slick. Nevertheless, the book wasn’t as heavy, stimulating, and atmospheric (you know, stuck on a train in a clod of snow) as I had imagined it would be. Still, it was undoubtedly enthralling in its reminder that Christie is made of mostly plot and technique and warrants the credit as the queen of mysteries.
Nonetheless, I immediately followed The Murder on the Orient Express up with another classic and historically controversial change in titles and material, And Then There Were None. I took the “going with the grain” and “rhetorically aware” approach, though loathsome of the history behind this book and Christie’s prejudices. But I digress then and here, deciding to give credit to those with enough sense to correct her problematic ignorance (yes, I SAID IT). Anyway, I am currently about twenty-five pages from the end of this book. And though I am enjoying it, about the seventh murder, I wish the story would move on. Though it is picking up in the ending. Once again, really enthralling. Really showcasing how Christie is primarily plot and technique. But also reminding me how much more arising to the reader’s senses this would be in someone like James’s hands. Still good stuff, though. As I write this (Friday 6/25/21 6:21pm), I have some decaffeinated green tea brewing to load this post and settle down to see what will happen at the end of And Then There Were None.
I am thinking of Death on the Nile as my next attempt. Though probably not so soon… We’ll see. As I am getting a kick out of Christie (cornball of me)…
The Leavenworth Case Quickie
I had to plot down my thoughts on Goodreads after finishing this book. Very quick, very simply.
“One of the elements of crime fiction/mystery novels that appeal to me most is how well the author can capture and capsulate what led to the resolution. Specifically with the confession of the culprit. WHY he/she committed the crime as well as HOW it was done walked backwards for the reader is HYPER important to me. It can ruin the entire experience when taken lightly by the author. A culprit’s position is equally as important as the victim’s. Anyway, The Leavenworth Case was the absolute BEST example of how I believe it can be done. I was about to throw four stars on it until Green stationed a whole chapter featuring the culprit’s voice. She illuminated not only the machinations of the crime and why it was committed, through the killer’s own flawed and backwards reasoning. But also how the individual’s past left the susceptibility to have become a killer in the first place. So enthralled by it, I gave the book another star. :)”
FINALLYYYYY! An Update on Marcia Muller's Next Sharon McCone Mystery
Soooooo, y’all know I take the time every other day to look for new releases from authors I love. And nothing is more punishing than waiting years between releases. So I thought Marcia Muller was done with her Sharon McCone P.I. mystery series, after 2018’s release of The Breakers. Low-key… I was panicking a little about the woman and whether or not she was coming back. You know, given how we lost Grafton four years ago. Grafton’s passing was the reason I buckled down in 2018 and read through the entirety of Muller’s McCone series. And, hell, I finished the series excited for more. Sooooooooo, here we are YEARS later (and at the tail end of this craziness of 2020) with the announcement of the next Sharon McCone mystery. I, naturally, just hate to wait until August for it. UGH! Anyway, I and many Muller readers finally got our answer in McCone’s 35th case, Ice and Stone.
“Private investigator Sharon McCone goes undercover to investigate the murders of two indigenous women in remote Northern California in this gripping, atmospheric mystery in the New York Times bestselling series.
When two women are brutally murdered in northern California, their deaths are the latest atrocities in a surge of violence targeting indigenous women in the area. Despite all evidence to the contrary, local officials rule the deaths isolated incidents, and they soon join the ranks of other unsolved homicides, quickly forgotten by law enforcement.
Private Investigator Sharon McCone knows better, and so does the organization known as Crimes Against Indigenous Sisters, who hires Sharon to go undercover in Eiwok county, a tiny region on the mountainous Oregon border, to uncover the murderer.
In an isolated cabin in the freezing, treacherous woods, Sharon must unravel a mystery that is rooted in ignorance, profound hatred, and vengeance — before another victim is claimed.”
When two women are brutally murdered in northern California, their deaths are the latest atrocities in a surge of violence targeting indigenous women in the area. Despite all evidence to the contrary, local officials rule the deaths isolated incidents, and they soon join the ranks of other unsolved homicides, quickly forgotten by law enforcement.
Private Investigator Sharon McCone knows better, and so does the organization known as Crimes Against Indigenous Sisters, who hires Sharon to go undercover in Eiwok county, a tiny region on the mountainous Oregon border, to uncover the murderer.
In an isolated cabin in the freezing, treacherous woods, Sharon must unravel a mystery that is rooted in ignorance, profound hatred, and vengeance — before another victim is claimed.”
Amazon affiliate link below:
Me heading to the bookstore come August 10th, 2021:
UPDATED: 2020 Mystery Series Catching Up List
2020 Mystery Series Catching Up List
1st BOOK SHELF
*Updated notes as of December 2020
I’m making this list because I’m tired of myself starting a new series, while having a series I already need to read hanging around my shelves.
This list will be used to help me stay focused! Other genres in-between will come as well.
Mrs. Murphy Series by Rita Mae Brown
Book #13: Cat’s Eyewitness
Book #14: Sour Puss
Book #15: Puss N’ Choots
Book #16: The Perrfect Murder
(The rest of the series I’ll check out from the library)
*Got absolutely NOWHERE here. Very unfortunate, considering this was once a beloved cozy series of mine. I honestly think I just grew out of it.
John Le’ Carre Smiley Spy Series
Book #3 The Spy Who Came Out of the Cold
Book #4 The Looking Glass War
Stand-Alone: A Small Town in Germany (This’ll be my first read)
*Didn’t get anywhere with Le’Carre. I started to read his stand-alone, The Little Drummer Girl, back in August. Unfortunately, I got distracted with other reads. Specifically that of Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mystery series. In that, I took on books 4-8 and made progress there instead. I also made progress in Margaret Maron’s series. So there’s that!
Suzanne Arruda’s Cameron Del African Series
It is vital that I finish this series this year. I only have five books left to read. The last two I’ll have to order. Nevertheless, I must finish this series in 2020.
✅Book# 3: The Serpent’s Daughter
✅Book #4: The Leopard’s Prey
✅Book #5: Treasure of the Golden Cheetah
(I have to order the following two for my personal library. Will not do until I’m done with BOOK #5)
✅Book #6: The Crocodile’s Last Embrace
✅Book#7: Devil Dance
*OFFICIALLY DONE AS OF OCTOBER 2020. I buckled down and knocked this series out. I enjoyed finishing it the whole way, too. I will say the 7th and final book, Devil Dance, was self-published. Not that this was necessarily a factor, but the quality of the series dipped here. There was a five year break between books 6 and 7, and I suspect the author didn’t have the same editor as previous. Nevertheless, I completed the series. Going to miss Jade del Cameron and her adventures.
Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley Series
Book #3: Well-Schooled in Murder
I have to either order or check out the following books in this series. I’m still in limbo about my approach with this series. Maybe after I wrap up a few other series will I come back to this one.
*No progress. But as of my writing this (12/9/2020), I just might throw Well-Schooled in Murder down these last few weeks of the year. The thirst for it is happening as we speak.
Nikki Bakker’s Virginia Kelly Series
(Will be completed with these three books)
Book #2: The Lavender House
Book #3: The Long Goodbye
Book #4: The Ultimate Exit Strategy
*No progress. I intended to dedicate August to completing black mystery series, just as I did last year. It didn’t happen, though. Which is okay. Part of the reading life. Nevertheless, I have all the books in the series waiting whenever I’m ready.
Charlotte Carter’s Nanette Hayes Series
(Will be completed with these two books)
✅Book #2: Rhode Island Red
Book #3: Drumsticks
*One more left to go. Unfortunately, Rhode Island Red wasn’t that great. It left me in a slump with this series. But I’ll find the time in 2021 to close it out.
Tanya Huff’s Torin Kerr Series
(Will be completed with these three books)
✅Book #1: An Ancient Peace
✅Book #2: A Peace Divided
✅Book #3: The Privilege of Peace
*This is the series/character that got me into space opera. Sad to see her go. But I managed to finish off the Torin Kerr series for the most part. The last book was a struggle to get through, so I skipped some areas. Even so, I’m counting this series as completed. Other than that, so many adventures were had.
Tony Hillerman’s Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Series
(Really excited to continue forward in this series. I will not buy the following 3-book collection UNTIL I finished the one I currently am up-to-date with)
Book #4: People of Darkness
Book #5: The Dark Wind
Book #6: The Ghostway
*No progress. Just keeping it simple. No progress. None. Kind of shocked at myself about that…
Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody Series
This is probably going to take the longest. I have all the remaining books in this series, and they’re all long-winded reads. But, if able, maybe I can finish this series in 2020. It’s possible with nine books left. One or two books a month, perhaps?
✅Book #13: Lord of the Silent
Book #14: The Golden One
Book #15: Children of the Storm
Book #16: Guardian of the Horizon
Book #17: The Serpent on the Crown
Book #18: Tomb of the Golden Bird
Book #19: A River in the Sky
Book #20: The Painted Queen
*I only got one book in this series down. I really don’t know what to say other than… well… “maybe next year.” LOL. Seven more to go isn’t bad, though. I’m considering how long I’ve been reading this series, as well as how long the series is! I’m also considering how I believe my peek of enjoyment stopped around book 9. Almost there, though.
I will focus on these series for the time being. That is before starting any new series.
*Yeah, well. I’m giving myself a pat on the back. I at least closed two series out. Here’s to 2021.
FauxCast ~ CHOP IT UP: Goldenboy by Michael Nava (Henry Rios Mystery #2)
Been a while, huh? I read this book back in March–as a part of #MarchMysteryMadness–and recorded this soon after. I guess I just held on to this recording as one proceeds to tackle other areas of one’s life amid… well… we know what’s going on these days. With that said, this recording is completely unedited. Normally I try to clean things up for you guys. This time I’m trying to get my mojo back first. LOL.
Anyway, enjoy! I also hope you’re all well. Staying safe and motivated. And refusing to give up on whatever you’re reaching to achieve.
Comic Towel: RELOADED 