Customer Reviews

Set Sail for Murder (Henrie O Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Henrie O hasn't heard from her old friend Jimmy Lennox is years. But when he calls out of the blue, Henrie can't resist helping. Seems his wife Sophia has narrowly escaped death once and maybe twice. Now Sophia is leaving on a Baltic cruise with her step-children, who also happen to be the prime suspects in Jimmy's mind.

Henrie agrees to join the cruise, although no one seems to buy the coincidence of her being on board the ship with them. As things progress, Henrie learns that there is little love lost between Sophia and her step-kids. But could the old pain be enough to drive one of them to murder? Or is the motive a more recent hurt? Might their trust funds have something to do with it? Can Henrie figure it out in time to save Sophia's life?

This book was the first to star Henrie O in six years, and she has only gotten stronger for the absence. I was hooked from very early on and had a hard time putting the book down, and blew through it in just a couple of days. The characters were strong enough that I didn't have to refer back to the chapter where they were all introduced like I often have to in this series. I did have the ending figured out before Henrie, and the last 100 pages did seem a tad slow at times, but that is a minor complaint.

This is a strong, fun mystery from one of the best mystery writers in the business today. If you enjoy your mysteries on the lighter side of things, this is absolutely the book for you.

Carolyn Hart's long-awaited seventh installment in the highly popular Henri O series after six years takes you on a exotic and opulent cruise.The book kicks off with spunky retired journalist Henri O receiving a phone call from dear friend and one time lover, Jimmy Lennox.Jimmy's wife glamorous world-famous documentary film maker, Sophia, has been barely escaping some weird "accidents " that she just shrugs and shakes off as coincidence. Jimmy fears for his wife's safety and pleads with Henri O to join them on a family cruise to the Baltic that will determine what Sophia will do with her step children from her second husband's inheritance.Henri O reluctantly agrees to join the family, but knows Jimmy would come to her rescue if ever there was a need. Sophia's scheming step children loathe her for controlling their money.As the voyage sets sail we are given a wonderful description of the ports of call and the luxuriant cruise ship. I truly enjoyed my two week cruise with the lovely Henri O. It was my first Henri O book and I am anxious to read the series from the beginning. It was well-written, well-plotted and a delight to read.As a diehard fan of her Death on Demand series I was highly impressed with getting to know this charming, fiesty, humorous character.The one thing I love about picking up a book by Hart is her vast use of vocabulary.

As always, Carolyn Hart writes a great story involving the adventures of Henry O. This book did not disappoint me. The only problem I had with the book is that is was not long enough.

I am glad that Henry O came back for a visit. I hope to see her again soon. She is one of my favorite characters of all time.

I love Carolyn Hart's writing. It reminds me of Agatha Christie. She writes great books with well drawn characters. They are meatier than most of the series out today.

Readers of this author may also enjoy reading the Best Friends Series. Bad to the Last Drop, is a barista's nightmare. Best friends Deb and Pat, women of a certain age, get themselves involved in a local murder at the Black Cat Coffee House. It involves lottery tickets, Russian women and the CIA, and is a great read. Didn't figure it out until the end. Their second, Too Much at Stake, set along the shore of Lake Superior, also involves these same characters plus a dead body rolled up in tent canvas!

This book arrived in great condition and sooner than expected. I enjoyed the book as well!

This is the first of the Henrie O Mysteries by Carolyn Hart that I have read. I have read all of the the Death by Demand series.
Hart is, without doubt, a ranking professional at producing entertaining stories and this is no exception. She uses one of the oldest devices in the genre, a limited number of suspects locked into a particular location,, being on a cruise ship fits that definition, and a hated, dominant figure, making life miserable for them. Adroitly, she shifts suspicion now from one to another, until in a dramatic conclusion...... Well, that must be veiled from us. I am not a puzzle solver, my interest in mysteries is not based on that facet of the book, but sometimes the author's novelistic structure suggests one or more likely candidates. This was one such for me. As Ellery Queen put it at some point in the story, are there only one or perhaps two logical suspects, can you guess who they are. (Of course, often an author violates the call of literary logic, so you may not guess this one correctly.)
At any rate, any reader of the Death By Demand series should be gratified by this book, most others, oriented to other than the gritty, realistic, type, should also find it a good read.