Dead Man's Island

Chase Prescott is a millionaire newspaper publisher who someone has tried to kill by poisoning some chocolate he was supposed to eat (but which killed the poor dog instead). In an effort to try to find out who the culprit was Prescott invites those members of his family and wider entourage who had the opportunity to poison him to his private island off the coast of South Carolina. In addition he asks his old friend, retired reporter Henrietta O’Dwyer Collins, to come along and work out who the potential murderer is. As if being stuck on an island with a pool of possible murderers isn’t quite enough there is also the threat of an impending hurricane.

As a classic whodunnit Dead Man’s Island works well with its interesting pool of show more suspects and red herrings a-plenty. Chase Prescott is deliberately unlikable (surely likable people wouldn’t have nearly as many people ready to kill them) and the various employees and family members surrounding him all have credible reasons for wanting him dead. The ultimate solution was quite clever. The additional thrills added by the increasingly bad weather are terrific; either Hart has been directly in the path of a terrible hurricane or she is impressively creative. I really felt like I was clinging on for dear life as bits of house were being whipped away by torrential rain and wind.

I thought I would like the character of Henrie O more than I did. I’m all for books featuring intelligent female characters who are over 30 but Henrie O was a bit too full of herself for me. In some ways she reminded me of the impossibly brilliant Amelia Peabody who features in Elizabeth Peters’ Egyptian series except I didn’t detect the necessary sense of humour. Unfortunately I just found Henire O had an over-inflated sense of her own intellect and abilities and I can’t imagine wanting to spend much time in her company.

Hart is a good writer of traditional mysteries and I’m sure my dislike of Henrie O is not universal so the series is worth giving a try if you’re looking for a cosy series with plenty of atmosphere. show less

I really enjoyed Dead Man's Island by Carolyn G. Hart. If you have read all of Agatha Christie's book, you will see that it is a variation of And Then There Were None. What attracted me to this book was a cover that featured a hurricane raging against a mansion. The idea of a hurricane tearing apart the mansion did add plenty of drama to the murder mystery.

Also because I am older, I am drawn to older women sleuths.I hope to buy more of this entertaining series. It is the first of seven in this series and I have already added the second one to my wish list.

Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins has been a news reporter for five decades, she decided to retire and write crime fiction. Athletic and with an agile mind, she has covered a myriad of show more diasters and murders. Receiving a phone call from an old flame from about four decades ago, she reluctantly agrees to the plea for help from Chase Prescott, the head of a news empire. An attempt on his life has been made previously and he has drawn up a list of possible suspects. Henrietta will be joining the suspects in his mansion on his private island.

Besides the excellently crafted mystery, Henrietta entertained me with appropiately related trivia which prompted frequent lookups on the Internet. This is a thinking woman's mystery. show less

2.5**

This is the debut of ex-reporter and amateur sleuth Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins, a/k/a Henrie O. An old flame – now a media mogul – asks Henrie O to come to his private island for a holiday, and to investigate a special project – one of the guests is trying to kill him. It would be an idyllic setting; Chase has spared no expense in outfitting his getaway. Guests enjoy luxury amenities, an attentive staff and superb food; or they would if a hurricane weren't bearing down on them.

I've read one of the later Henrie O works and I really like her. She behaves in a manner consistent with her age, using brains rather than brawn, and she never relies on a man to get her out of a bind. This first outing, however, had some problems. The show more pacing was a bit slow for me, and I was dissatisfied with the ending (though there was a significant surprise). Still, I'll read more of Henrie O., and probably try another of Hart's mystery series.
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