cover image Dead, White, and Blue

Dead, White, and Blue

Carolyn Hart. Berkley Prime Crime, $25.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-425-26077-7

Anthony-winner Hart’s assured 23rd Death on Demand mystery (after 2012’s Death Comes Silently) finds Annie Darling, proprietor of the “most successful mystery bookstore north of Delray Beach,” dealing with the summer tourist crush at her store on the South Carolina island of Broward’s Rock. In a break from business, Annie attends the local country club’s Fourth of July dance, where Shell Hurst, the unpopular trophy wife of much older Wesley Hurst, puts in an appearance, then disappears on her way through the woods to watch the fireworks. When a club waiter later drowns under suspicious circumstances, Annie and her husband, Max (“Joe Hardy all grown up and sexy as hell”), search for evidence linking the two events. The leisurely plot takes several unexpected turns, and a number of suspects remain in play until the final revelation. Series fans won’t mind that Annie, Max, and the recurring secondary characters haven’t undergone much change over 20-plus years. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman-Schneider Agency. (May)