Customer Reviews

Yankee Doodle Dead (Death on Demand Mysteries, No. 10)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I buy the Annie and Max books, but I skip over the interminable book lists the author includes every few pages. If she wants to recommend other mysteries, how about putting the lists at the end, when they don't distract from the book. If she is just padding the word count, tsk tsk.

I, too, am a mystery buff, and I have read Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand series from the very first book she published. The series started out wonderfully. The characters of Annie and Max, Henny Brawley, and even Miss Dora are entertaining, and the books are very well written. I like the references to other mysteries for two reasons: they remind me of other satisfying plots I have read, and they give me information about books that might interest me in the future. The only negative thing I can say about the series (this book included) is that the character of Laurel, Max's mother, is annoying and disruptive to the stories. She doesn't actually come into the series until the third book, so the first two (Death on Demand and Design for Murder) are as close to absolute perfection as you could get in a mystery. If you can stomach Laurel, the rest of the books have pretty good plots. I keep hoping the author will come up with a really good way to kill off Laurel and let Annie nab her murderer. Now THAT would be satisfying.

In many ways *Yankee Doodle Dead* is rather like the paperback mysteries that Annie Laurance Darling praises in chapter one and it's obvious that's intended. This book kept me up until my eyes refused to stay open any longer and I made sure to finish it during breakfast, even though it meant I had to scramble to get to work. The references to other mystery books and authors were fun when I recognized them and gave me some idea what the other fictional detectives were like when I didn't. The reason for Edith Wentworth's non-stop lifestyle came as no surprise when it was revealed, because it's similar to one of Leslie Ford's classic Grace Latham-Colonel Primrose mysteries. (Given the the emphasis Patricia Wentworth of Miss Silver fame placed on honorable conduct, the choice of surname for Jonathan and Edith was quite appropriate.) General (Retired) Bud Hatch raised my hackles from his first appearance. I didn't care how many men (including Max)thought he could be a great/good guy. As the book progressed, I knew he wasn't. I'm a DAC(Department of the Army Civilian), as was my mother. I received my certificate and pin for 20 years' service last year. My father was Air Force, so I'm a former military brat, too. I can assure the reader who is unfamiliar with our military that Hatch is no caricature. I find the premise of the Dark Deed that led to the General's death chillingly plausible. Even though I cannot condone Hatch's murder, I understand why his killer shot him. Got a good chuckle out of the way that our modern gallant women of South Carolina foiled Hatch's plot to make sure that the Fourth of July festival honored only patriotic men. It was also satisfying that Hatch was the disgrace to his former uniform, not the gay Vietnam veteran that Hatch thought shouldn't be allowed to wear a uniform. Max Darling actually stirred himself quite a bit in this book, which was a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, if his mother, Laurel, hadn't been so kind to Gail Oldham, it would have been prudent for Max and Annie to have locked her in a bedroom with a bath until the murder was solved. Laurel is a woman who scarcely comprehends the meaning of moderation. A welcome departure from old mysteries is the depiction of minorities and "just plain folks" as intelligent, honest, and capable. Loved Annie's "speak your mind" thoughts that she was so wise to leave unspoken. I also loved the depictions of Dorothy L. and Agatha, Annie's cats. Yes, indeedy, Ms. Hart knows cats. (It's a good thing those cats are fictional, or our cover designer and illustrators might find themselves on the business end of Agatha's claws for putting her at the bottom and Dorothy L at the top. By the way, that's a delightful grin on the face of the alligator that forms the "D" in "Dead". At least I think it's meant to be an alligator, although the snout seems more like a crocodile's.) In short, this update of an old kind of murder mystery is as welcome as a glass of lemonade or ice tea on a hot day. Ann E. Nichols

After just picking up the book and starting to read (not knowing about the series) I was quite suprised. The story was almost like a Nancy Drew mystery in a way. The characters each had their own little quirks and were likeable in their own ways. I fell in love with Death on Demand Bookstore (something I would love to have being a seller myself). This isn't a series for the serious mystery reader (like the ones with quite a bit of blood and bodies laying everywhere with cops or detectives). It's a light mystery that can pass a summer day away. I can't wait to work on the rest of the series.

I'm about the biggest Annie and Max fan there is, and I've often wished Broward's Rock was a real place that I could visit (I think I could probably find anyplace I wanted, I have it so clear in my mind) but this book was a disappointment to me. Of course, anything by Ms. Hart beats a Nancy Pickard or Susan Conant anyday, but the writing, and the title(!) are weak. I know Carolyn can do better, and I still have high hopes for White Elephant Dead (another lame title, let's hope that's not indiciative of the contents.) When I first started reading the Death on Demand books, I hoped Carolyn would write them forever, but I hope now that if the next one is as weak as this one that she lets the series die a graceful death. Henny was very disappointing in this book. I did not like the direction her character took. I suspect that Carolyn likes her Henrie O. books better, and is spending more time on them than the Death on Demands. I for one, don't care for Henrie O., and would be happy to see that character retire for good. She's conceited and annoying. I really hope Annie and Max get the attention they deserve in the future. I'd love to read about them for another couple of decades if the quality of writing can remain in the leagues of the first 9 books, especially A Little Class on Murder, the Christie Caper and Mint Julep Murder.

Brigadier General (R) Charleton "Bud" Hatch moves to the resort town of Broward's Rock, South Carolina. The brusque general is immediately unpopular among the laidback islanders, who refuse to kowtow to his constant orders and demands. Someone resented the retired officer more stongly than anyone else because Bud is murdered during the Fourth of July celebration.

Annie Laurence Darling, owner of the Death on Demand Mystery Bookstore, is looking forward to spending some time with her beloved spouse Max. However, solving the case of who killed the extremely disliked Bud becomes priority number one for the couple. Gently, they ask questions of the seemingly unlimited number of natives, who wanted the general dead, to ascertain who will actually committed the deed.

Yankee Doodle Dead, the tenth novel in the "Death on Demand" mystery cozy series, is a splendid regional who-done-it that will be totally adored by fans of Southern atmospheric murder tales. The atmosphere of the Carolina barrier island feels genuine, almost as if readers are on a vacation there. The characters, especially the dynamic lead duo, add depth and charm to an entertaining story. Placing all that in a well structured mystery leaves readers with a great treat, compliments of Carolyn Hart.

Harriet Klausner

Brigadier General (R) Charleton "Bud" Hatch moves to the resort town of Broward's Rock, South Carolina. The brusque general is immediately unpopular among the laidback islanders, who refuse to kowtow to his constant orders and demands. Someone resented the retired officer more stongly than anyone else because Bud is murdered during the Fourth of July celebration.

Annie Laurence Darling, owner of the Death on Demand Mystery Bookstore, is looking forward to spending some time with her beloved spouse Max. However, solving the case of who killed the extremely disliked Bud becomes priority number one for the couple. Gently, they ask questions of the seemingly unlimited number of natives, who wanted the general dead, to ascertain who will actually committed the deed.

Yankee Doodle Dead, the tenth novel in the "Death on Demand" mystery cozy series, is a splendid regional who-done-it that will be totally adored by fans of Southern atmospheric murder tales. The atmosphere of the Carolina barrier island feels genuine, almost as if readers are on a vacation there. The characters, especially the dynamic lead duo, add depth and charm to an entertaining story. Placing all that in a well structured mystery leaves readers with a great treat, compliments of Carolyn Hart.

Harriet Klausner

I read this type of book for pure simple entertainment. I don't have to think. Usually they do what I want them to do...relieve stress however, one line in this book is such a glaring mistake I felt compelled to write. Toward the end a "person of interest" is in a rented boat and missing in the middle of a storm and the author has the police chief say " I've contacted the Coast Guard. They'll be out at first light...." Now having been in the Coast Guard, that line is pure BS. Before the days of political correctness the unspoken motto of SAR unit was "You have to go, you necessarily don't have to come back". If a person is overdue in a boat, no matter what the conditions, the Coast Guard is going out! The storm that the movie "The Perfect Storm" was about, Coast Guard SAR units were out in that (I being one on the Harriet Lane) and the seas in that storm were anywheres between 35 to 90 feet! So, going out at "first light" was and is NOT an option!

I have become a big fan of the Death on Demand mystery series, but I found this book harder to get into. The motive for the murder was rather far-fetched, and the steps taken by Annie and Max seem unrelated. In fact, I don't know how they arrived at the answer since their thinking about the killing was all over the place. The setting is wonderful though - Broward's Rock during July 4 celebrations, and the descriptions of the fantastic rainstorms are wonderful indeed. I truly felt like I was out there with Annie and Max trying to get information about their growing list of suspects between some pretty incredible storms. The victim was a man that no one liked, but Annie and Max felt they had to get involved in order to clear the name of a likeable young man, that they are both sure did not shoot General Hatch. They dig around enough until they figure out the motive, and it's a motive that goes back some years. A little far-fetched, but Ms. Hart is a good storyteller, and her characters are likeable and as a reader I care about what happens to them as they both go in search of a killer.

I know I should not be allowed to judge a book based on its cover, its age, or the fact its part of a mystery series I've never read. But this book was just awful. I went into it not that excited...but I was interested to get back into mysteries since I'd stayed away from the genre for sometime.

The story essentially follows a sleuthing couple with no credentials to be detectives - Annie owns a murder mystery book shop (um yeah, cause that would fly on a small tourist island), and her husband Max helps people 'find stuff' or 'figure out stuff'. The books is cliche-ridden and spun in an unconvincing way. The first 100 pages are completely lull-worthy and the investigation following the murder isn't much more interesting.

Essentially a much-disliked newcomer to the town is murdered on the fourth of July and a young, well-liked teenager accidentally finds the gun in the woods, fingering him as the suspect. Annie & Max and a small ring of help band together to interview one of many key suspects - but there is a whole lotta suspects and clue-gathering to be done in 24 hours, and none of the motives were particularly strong or interesting. Needless to say a 'surprise' twist does happen...but it's a genuinely trite and annoying one.

The prose itself is hard to get through - since Hart seems determined to prove that Annie really is a huge mystery fan there are paragraphs filled with references to authors and characters in the mystery genre that you just skip over. The descriptions of things are far too lengthy and don't contribute to the plot. The internal ponderings of the characters are frustrating and don't help you solve the mystery before you are told what happened. The cliches that show up every few lines are painful to read.

I don't really have much else to report on this book. I found it confusing, clunky, and utterly hard to get through. Perhaps you are a fan of the series by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand) but I don't believe I'll be picking up another. There was nothing I particularly liked about this book to be honest, but it wasn't the worst I'd read either. Skip this series if you are a serious mystery fan.

Final Grade: D