Death Comes Silently - Carolyn Hart

Death Comes Silently - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Annie was struck by the weariness evident in his broad face. He was Billy,  big, brawny, and muscular, but Billy without his customary equanimity. Tight  lines marked the corners of his eyes, bracketed his generous mouth. Instead  of a jacket and slacks or a suit, his usual dress for work, he wore a navy  pullover and jeans. His blue eyes had a lost look. "I know you support me,  but that isn't what matters at this point. There's a dangerous killer out  there who will remove anyone seen as a threat. Right now Henny is safe.  Jeremiah's arrest will reassure the killer that she doesn't know enough to be  a danger. As for the rest of you" - he looked at Annie, Emma, and Laurel in  turn - "don't even think of trying to investigate." Annie felt a deep twist  of disappointment. "Jeremiah's innocent!"

Annie Darling is owner of Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore. She is also a volunteer for Better  Tomorrow, a charity shop that offers groceries, clothing and other needs for  those in financial binds. Due to a scheduled booksigning for author Emma  Clyde, she switched days with Gretchen Burkholt. This switch turned out to be  fatal for Gretchen when she found a note in the pocket of a jacket that had  belonged to Everett Hathaway. Everett's body had been found two weeks earlier  floating not far from his overturned kayak. An autopsy listed drowning due to  unconsciousness as a result of hypothermia as the cause of death. According  to the voice mail messages from Gretchen to Annie's cell phone, the note she  found leads her to believe his death wasn't an accident  but murder.

There are three people who would benefit from  Everett's death. His much younger wife, his nephew who wants to manage the  family advertising business and his 16 going on 21 year old niece who wants  to run her own life, with her own money. So which hated him enough to want  him dead? Could Annie be wrong and Jeremiah is the guilty party? Or was  Everett's death actually an accident and has nothing to do with  Gretchen?

I can't get enough of Author Carolyn Hart's books. She has  entertained me with all of her Death on Demand stories and I simply love her Bailey Ruth ghost stories, which I hope she writes more of soon. With all of  her books Hart combines love, humor and a 'whole lot of mystery' making each  page flip by quickly to see what clue the next holds. You can't help but love  this author.