Cheating at Solitaire: A Gregor Demarkian Novel (Gregor Demarkian Novels) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "There were things that Annabeth Falmer understood, and things she did not understand, and among the things she understood the least was what she was..." (more)
Key Phrases: ivory room, Kendra Rhode, Stewart Gordon, Arrow Normand (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. At the start of Haddam's stellar 22nd Gregor Demarkian whodunit (after 2007's Glass Houses), Demarkian is finally about to marry his longtime significant other, Bennis Hannaford. When the extensive wedding preparations take their toll, the detective welcomes the chance to leave his native Philadelphia and investigate a high-profile crime on the Martha's Vineyard–like island of Margaret's Harbor, where Arrow Normand, a Britney Spears–like pop icon, and her current boyfriend, Mark Anderman, had been filming a movie. During a raging nor'easter, Anderman was shot to death and Normand later arrested as the prime suspect. Plunged into the world of superficial celebrities, the traditional Demarkian struggles to identify the motive behind the murder as well as solve the bizarre mutilation of a local photojournalist and yet another killing. Haddam provides a completely fair and logical solution, even if it's not her twistiest, and to her credit, she examines the shallow lives of Normand and her crowd with some sympathy. (Mar.)
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Review

“Sharp, intelligent, and inventive – the kind of mysteries a Dorothy L. Sayers or a Josephine Tey would have come up with…Like a good cabinet maker, Haddam knows exactly how to cut and polish her material into art.” – Chicago Tribune on The Headmaster’s Wife

“Glass Houses is one of those novels that has everything going for it: a crackling plot, an astonishing cast of characters and the best literary exploration of Philadelphia since the works of John O’Hara…Jane Haddam has created an elegant, stylish work with great appeal.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Jane Haddam has been writing for many years but manages to produce each time a layered, richly peopled and dryly witty book with a plot of mind-bending complexity.” – Houston Chronicle on Glass Houses

“Haddam’s latest Gregor Demarkian mystery, Glass Houses, ranks among her most satisfying, not only because of its intricate plot but also because of its setting and Demarkian’s endearingly infuriating supporting cast….Haddam’s Demarkian novels are becoming weightier, perhaps more somber, but also more intriguing – tightly crafted and polished puzzlers well worth the intellectual exercise they demand.” – The Strand Magazine

“Rife with political insights, subtle humor at her characters’ expense, and a keen eye for telling a story from multiple characters’ diverse perspectives, Hardscrabble Road is as deep as it is wide…A thriller for the thoughtful.” – Rocky Mountain News

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312343086
• ISBN-13: 978-0312343088
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #472,306 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not up to her usual standard, June 11, 2008

By	Helen S. Andrews (Framingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having read every Gregor Demarkian mystery, I was anxioiusly awaiting the latest installment, Cheating at Solitaire. Previous volumes were devoured like a box of gourmet chocolates, often in one long weekend orgy of indulgence. The author seems to favor the isolation of snowstorms and ice bound landscapes to keep her characters locked in place, and Cheating at Solitaire dares to bring her favorite clime to a New England island not usually associated with drastic winter weather. The setting and main characters were the first disappointment of many, unfortunately.

Perhaps it is because I live in New England, home to the real Martha's Vineyard that I took offense at the amateurish disguise of the island and its main town. The weak attempt at renaming the places was not worthy of a talented and seasoned author. The population of post-pubescent non-talents was a cheap take off on current headlines worthy of only tabloid journalism. The supporting cast, unmemorable. Their constant inner musings were boring, pointless and did little or nothing to move the plot forward. The "perfect" former science fiction series hero and the reclusive author have no chemistry and it is a mystery itself as to why they were given so great a share of the book.

The only reason I plodded through this seemingly knock-off of previous Demarkian installments was to find out how the relationship between Gregor and Bennis was playing out. That, too, was a disappointment. The only revealing feature was that I now have insight into each of their ages. (I always suspected that Gregor was younger in actual years than he is in spirit and self-appraisal.)

I felt betrayed by the poor quality of Ms. Haddam's plot and writing after all these years. Could it be that, like others with a long character-driven series, she has abandoned the effort and the publisher has enlisted ghost writers to bring in the bucks?

One final question concerning the overall "style": what is the reference to the title? All previous titles tied in to the setting or the crime. (If anyone can explain the significance of "cheating at soliatire," I would be grateful for at least that.)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Celebrities and trouble--what more can you want, May 21, 2008

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

When Gregor Demarkian is asked to come to Martha's Harbor to investigate the murder of a young man attached to a film crew, nothing in Gregor's background prepares him for what he finds.

The usually quiet private island has celebrities and media people everywhere. Whereas the locals have little use for the media, and the rich summer people shun publicity of any kind, the film people crave media attention-often doing outrageous things just to generate news. Then a local photographer is attacked, and a summer resident who was hanging around with the film people ends up dead, too. While there are many rivalries among the crew, there seems to be very few real motives for murder. Eventually Gregor realizes that in spite of the glitz and glamour, the motives for murder remain the same regardless of class.

This is essentially a "country house" mystery. The key players are on an island cut off from the mainland by a storm when the first murder is committed, so the potential suspect list is limited. It won't take readers long to mentally substitute Martha's Vineyard or Bar Harbor for Martha's Harbor, or celebrities such as Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, for the main characters.

The book is as much a commentary on our society's celebrity worship and celebrities 'extravagant lifestyles as it is a mystery. While Haddam shows the lack of connection to real life of these celebrities (many are high school dropouts-and don't wear underwear), she also reminds readers about the differences in Gregor and Bennis's backgrounds and how differently they view the world. Bennis Hannaford, is a member of a Philadelphia Mainline family--a family much like the summer rich on the island. Bennis's family is as removed from Gregor's background as the summer people are from the locals on the island.

Fans of Haddam's series should be pleased not only with this book as a mystery, but the with glimpse into Gregor and Bennis's personal relationship.

Armchair Interviews says: Readers unfamiliar with the series will have no trouble enjoying this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars formulaic and dull, August 27, 2008

By	romance reader (USA) - See all my reviews

It is a rare author who can keep things fresh and interesting after 22 books in a series, and Haddam, unfortunately, is not that author. This book is very much going through the motions. Even the names of places and characters are stupendously unoriginal -- Margaret's Harbor instead of Martha's Vineyard, Stewart Gordon instead of Patrick Stewart... etc. The characters are cardboard cutouts, no depth at all.

The mystery is mildly interesting, but that's all. For goodness sake, don't buy the hardcover -- get it at the library, or at least wait for the paperback.