Engaged to Die : A Death on Demand Mystery (Hart, Carolyn G)

Rating:
Summary: Nicely told murdery mystery,
Review: "Engaged to Die," by Carolyn Hart, is a nicely told murder mystery. I found the characters interesting, the dialogue fast-paced, and the plot read true to life. An appealing combination.

John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures
B.H. California

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Entry
Review: I really enjoy the Death on Demand series. Some people find the references to other mysteries and mystery writers annoying but I find it fun as I can many times relate to the reference, adding an extra little bit of pleasure to the mystery.

I particularly enjoyed this book because it features a lot of interplay between husband and wife Max & Annie Darling without focusing solely on their relationship. A wealthy "older" woman is about to announce her engagement to a much younger man when a murder occurs preventing that event from happening. A good friend of Annie's is the prime suspect for the murder and Annie & Max must, of course, step in to find the real killer. Max, in fact, is deputized to help the sheriff, a fact that irritates Annie to no end.
There are a few side issues thrown in for fun and they make for some nice diversions from the main mystery. I must say that one reason I especially enjoyed this book is that Max's mother does not play a big role - I do find her a little irritating as I find her somewhat of a stereotype airhead.
Really looking forward to the next entry in the series: "Murder Walks the Plank" and hope to see a new Henri O. mystery soon!

Rating:
Summary: Where's the plot?
Review: I've given Carolyn Hart several chances, but this book was the last one.

The setup is fine. We get the well-hated rich heiress, the Big House o' Suspects, the timetable, and so on. We get an allegedly sympathetic character (whom I didn't like) accused, presumably falsely, of the crime. We get a possible witness who knows more than she's telling.

All these are well-established mystery elements. In the hands of a good writer, they're a recipe for pure pleasure.

In the hands of Ms. Hart, they go nowhere. The suspect disappears, and the rest of the book consists of people bumbling around, wondering where she is, and arguing about whether she really done it. There are no clues. There is no detection. There is no puzzle. There is no plot development, other than the inevitable second murder. The solution, when it finally arrives, arrives with a resounding POOF! out of thin air: there's no logic to back it up, no explanation of how we got to that point, no reason why a different solution wouldn't do just as well. None of the alternative suspects is given any face time. The moderately-elaborate timetable is entirely irrelevant, a waste of space.

The virtue of the classical mystery is in its ability to take time-honored elements and weave a new puzzle around them. Absent the puzzle, the whole thing becomes an assemblage of cliches.

Ms. Hart should, perhaps, try writing romances.