The Christie Caper

Broward's Rock is the setting for a convention honoring Agatha Christie. Among the attendees is a man in the publishing industry who does not love cozies and mocks those who do. At an opening event at Annie's bookstore, Death on Demand, shots are fired, narrowly missing the man. There were plenty of people there who could have had a motive for wanting the man dead. A second attempt is made. Annie asks the attendees to help prevent a murder. Eventually there are murders. Scattered throughout the book are reference to the works of Agatha Christie. I loved this more for the references to Christie than for the mystery. I had that part figured out before they ever left the bookstore event. Fans of Agatha Christie will want to read this one show more just for the references. show less

April 17, 1999
The Christie Caper
Carolyn Hart

Traditional light-hearted fun by C. Hart, with Annie and Max Darling. Wonderful background – an Agatha Christie convention! A mystery lover’s dream. Writers, readers, and many tidbits about the great authoress I didn’t know.

I like the push-pull between Annie and her flighty, well-meaning mother-in-law, even if Annie and Max are a little oversexed, which gets annoying. I SO hate sexual tension in books. Either do the deed outright or don’t talk about it. I despise the hints and innuendos. It was still a fun read, though.

This is book #7 in the Death on Demand series, featuring mystery bookstore owner Annie Darling. She has organized a week-long conference in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth. But her plans for a wonderful event are threatened when a mean-spirited (okay, downright evil) attendee takes over with his blustering and loud demands. Neil Bledsoe seems to have made a career out of making enemies, and his plans to issue a “tell-all” biography of Christie that will shatter her many fans’ beliefs has everyone riled up. It’s no wonder someone takes a shot at him (though misses)! But the first death isn’t Bledsoe’s …

This is so over-written and poorly plotted that it would be laughable if it wasn’t so show more painful to read. The main reason I read mysteries (even cozy mysteries) is for the plot and suspense. I like to try to figure it out using my own “little gray cells” and love it when all the puzzle pieces fall into place. But there isn’t enough action here to keep me interested. Hart fills pages with snippets of conversation heard at the conference. She describes every outfit worn in detail - “a lemon blazer, a cream blouse and daffodil skirt.” And if I wanted to know more about Agatha Christie, I’d read a biography; giving facts on Dame Christie’s life in this mystery novel is just filler.

I had read the first in the series several years ago and enjoyed the references to many mysteries, authors and literary sleuths. But Hart seemed to go overboard using various Christie titles and plots in this book. I felt like I was being force-fed facts and that Hart was trying to impress with her extensive knowledge of Christie and her works. This technique did little to further the plot.

Hart apparently needed all that filler or she’d have only a couple of pages in the book. About the only technique she seems to have to build suspense is to regale us with scenes of Annie in a panic over what will go wrong next.

I’ll give her this … I didn’t figure it out much ahead of Annie. show less

A fun, fast-paced story featuring Max and Annie Darling. This mystery is set at a book convention honoring the 100th birthday of Agatha Christie. An obnoxious true-crime author is almost killed several times and Max and Annie must try to prevent the murder and failure of the convention.
Part of the Death on Demand series that is lively and charming.

a bit different for Hart and well planned out---Enook version needs an editor

AWESOME, Will be reading the rest of the series!