This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries featuring the owner of a bookstore specializing in mysteries. It's a bit dated now (this one was published in 1987), but I enjoyed some of the humor in it, as well as all the references to classic mysteries and mystery writers. I also had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, but I was listening to the audio which probably contributed to that. I'm not sure I'll seek out the second in the series, but I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers, either (i.e. if it falls into my lap at some point, I'd be happy to read it) :)

3.5 stars ( )

Solid start to the long running series. ( )

Three stars for the plot (fairly obvious; very easy to guess). Five stars for the liberal references to classic mysteries and the cat named Agatha. ( )

Set in fictitious Broward's Rock Island, South Carolina, Death On Demand features mystery bookshop owner, Annie Laurance. When local author, Elliot Morgan, is murdered by a poison dart in her shop during the Sunday Night Regulars meeting, Annie becomes suspect number one. With the help of her friend, Max, Annie must find the real killer to prove her innocence.

I can't believe I've never read this series before. The island in the book is set near Hilton Head Island, one of our favorite vacation spots. With numerous references to local sites, the setting had a wonderfully familiar feel for me. The characters had great detail and back stories, the bookshop references are great for any mystery lover, and the mystery plot was easy to follow but hard to guess, which is always mystery novel perfection.

There were quite a large number of characters, which made things a little confusing at times, but could easily be overlooked since the rest of the book was such a great quality. Overall, this series will be going on my TBR list. ( )

This is my first experience reading a novel by Carolyn G. Hart and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Death on Demand" is the name of the bookshop which caters to my first choice of reading selections ~ Mystery and Detective Stories. With the numerous references to mystery titles and mystery authors throughout the story, I could now go back and savor exploration of those I did not recognize. I also appreciated the descriptive language used by Carolyn G. Hart that captured my attention and added to my visualizations as I was reading. Here are a few examples:

“Saulter's ulcer burned like melting tar in August.”
“…pointing out the constellations that glittered in the southern sky like diamonds against black velvet.”
“The only sounds were the occasional rustle as squirrels scampered from limb to limb, the soft thud of falling cones, and the tap of fragrant pine needles against the pitched roof of the house.”

Closing the novel there remains one question which is quite perplexing to me. What is the purpose of the dog being shown on the front cover? ( )