Death at the Door

In Hart’s engaging 24th Death on Demand mystery (after 2013’s Dead, White, and Blue), bookstore owner and sleuth Annie Darling is convinced that the apparent suicide of a local doctor and the murder of Jane Corley, an imperious, wealthy 30-something, are connected. Jane’s husband, Tom Edmonds, a painter and sculptor, is the logical suspect, not least because his mallet was the weapon that did Jane in. But is Tom really behind the sudden spate of deaths in tiny Broward’s Rock, S.C.? Perhaps the killer is Tom’s lover, Frankie, who seems to realize that Tom would never leave his wife. Or perhaps Jane was murdered by Kevin Hubbard, an employee suspected of malfeasance at her company, Corley Enterprises—or by Kevin’s wife, who stands to lose a lot if her husband’s shenanigans are exposed and his livelihood threatened. Understated local color and a charming cast of supporting characters will keep Annie’s fans glued to the page. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency. (May)