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Carolyn Hart: Death on Demand Mystery Series

Death on Demand (Death on Demand Mysteries Series Book 1) This time I’m adding another series to the  Most Popular and Recommended Series. This is another series that I have been remiss in waiting so long to add to this list. It is one of the most popular Cozy Mystery series >> the Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. (Just as an aside, I am referring to her as Carolyn Hart since her later books list her name that way. When the series began back on 1987, her name on the cover was Carolyn G. Hart.)

As I just suggested, this series began way back in 1987 with the first book, Death on Demand.  Annie Laurance has recently taken over and renovated the bookstore, called “Death on Demand” specializing in mystery books (obviously) on Broward’s Rock Island, a small island off the coast of South Carolina. She inherited the store from her Uncle Ambrose who died in a boating accident about six months before. She had spent every summer with Uncle Ambrose when she was a child and during these visits she had picked up the mystery book bug as well as coming to love the island.

The story begins on a Sunday as Annie is trying to decide whether to cancel her Sunday Night Regulars meeting. On Sunday evenings, she opens the shop to a small group of writers (and want-to-be writers) who lived year-round on the island for discussions about writing. She was agonizing over whether to cancel the meeting, though, because one of the Regulars was threatening to reveal some hidden secret about every member of the group at this particular Sunday night meeting.

Despite her misgivings, she decides to hold the meeting. Unfortunately, at the meeting one of the Regulars is murdered. And, the police chief quickly latches on to Annie as his main suspect in this murder and two others.

Of course, Annie, along with her handsome friend Max Darling, who arrived just that day, and who had followed Annie from New York after tracking her down, has to find the real culprit in order to keep herself out of prison and to keep the “Death on Demand” store in business.

Although published in 1987, the book has many of the characteristics of modern Cozies. A beautiful heroine who has returned to a beloved small town to open a business and who just happens to have a very handsome (and rich in this case) man who helps her solve the mystery in which she is a prime suspect.

Annie, Max, the island, the bookstore, and the book all have a lot of charm. And, the book has a lot of allusions or direct references to other mystery books, mystery authors and mystery sleuths. If you enjoy a veritable deluge of such references and trying to remember all these earlier (or contemporary) authors, series, and sleuths, this book and series is for you! (I have written a post about such “name dropping” in Cozy Mystery books.)

You will be able to test your expertise as a mystery book authority by reading this series! Also, with 26 books in the series, you are guaranteed many hours of enjoyment.

One warning, although this book is Cozy in just about every way possible, there are some strong, adult type words that are used (very occasionally.)

Click here to read more posts about the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series.

 

Comments

  1. Carolyn Hart is one of my favorite cozy authors. I love the characters, their personalities, and the way they interact with one another.

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  2. I’ve always loved this series, tho I do think the older ones are best!! Still enjoyable tho!

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  3. Thanks for this. I’ve been meaning to get to this series for a long time. I even own the first book in the series. I’m now putting it at the top of my list!

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  4. I love this series! I’ve re-read every one of those books. I’m glad you recommended it!!! I also loved her Henry O series but she doesn’t write that one anymore.

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  5. I love the Death On Demand Series. I have been wishing that Hallmark Movies and Mysteries would add another Husband and Wife mystery solving team to their line up.

    Max and Annie Darling would be so nice.

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  6. One of my favorite things about the Carolyn Hart “Death on Demand” series is, as you wrote, the frequent references to mystery authors, books, and sleuths. A veritable library of ideas to look up. It is a fun series. I would say that is my favorite part, which it might be, but I didn’t know if I wanted to make that commitment. It does make it outstanding. The “name dropping” is more abundant than in any other series I have run across so far, and that is enjoyable.

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  7. The Death on Demand Series are great but I think her Henri O series is really better and more substantial.

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  8. Wow thank you! I didn’t know about this series and it’s right up my alley and so many to catch up on looks like they are all available on kindle too. There’s also a new one in one of my all time favorite series Ellery Adams ‘The Supper Club Mysteries’ called Pasta Mortem. Co written by with Rosemary Stevens.

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  9. I have loved the series from the beginning and was introduced to many writers and books, even went back to read old ones that were mentioned in the stories.

    I am not sure how they will appeal now, written before cell phones, the Internet and google. For example, Max Darling is very good in gathering information the old fashioned way – talking to people and searching newspapers archives. Today, a click on a keyboard will accomplish everything. Annie has a loyal group of friend who are helping with solving the crimes. Each, including Annie and Max, has been a suspect in one story.

    The series, perhaps, should have ended in the 20th century. As the series has moved to the 21st Century, the participants have not aged which, to my mind, creates some incongruity.

    But, of course, if and when there is a new book, I will be first in line to read.

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  11. One of my favorite series. So well written and want to get to know every character. Hoping Carolyn Hart continues this series. One of the best.

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  13. Shall I? SHALL I? TWENTY-SIX MORE BOOKS? Um…maybe. I’m going to think this one over, although it is very, very tempting! I do have a “maybe” list…this is going on that one, for sure!

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  14. I discovered this series shortly after it was first published. I was in the navy and was stationed in London; Sundays I attended mass at the US air force base, and then I would have breakfast ate the club. After breakfast, I always shopped at the exchange book store. I remember the day I first saw Death on Demand (don’t ask me what I had for breakfast yesterday). Actually, the first three books in the series were available, and I bought all three! I have followed the series ever since. I like to read these books when I have a whole day to read them uninterrupted. Thanks for allowing me a chance to relive a wonderful memory!

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  15. I remember reading that series years ago and still remember how lovely they were to read. But I stopped for some reason and haven’t read any for quite some time. Thank you for the reminder, I’m going to check one out at the library this weekend!

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  16. This is such a wonderful series, and I’m so glad you featured it. I love Annie and Max and Broward’s Rock. It’s one of those places I want to visit again and again and I’m thrilled that their are 26 books in the series. So glad you featured it.

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  17. This has been one of my favorite series since the very beginning. I love the 5 paintings contest in each and am so thrilled when I guess some of them correctly!

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      • ??? Art??? The 5 paintings she displays in the bookstore each month depict scenes from well known mysteries. They describe each picture in detail. If you’re familiar with the books, you know right away what book is being referenced. Art has nothing to do with it. (I know zero about art, probably couldn’t identify any real paintings beyond Mona Lisa LOL)

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        • Margaret, I’m so embarrassed! I don’t know if I should blame the little lapses of memory I’ve been noticing lately or the sleep problems I’ve been having, but I totally blanked when I was responding to your comment earlier. I should have just checked the book or my notes (which are becoming increasingly necessary), but instead I just responded with something that “felt right”… obviously it wasn’t! I’m so sorry, and I’ll try to be more attentive in the future when responding!

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  18. Danna, you forgot the paintings! Lol!
    For those who haven’t yet discovered this series, (Please do so soon. You won’t regret it.) Annie has several paintings by a local artist hanging in the shop. Different ones each month. Each one depicts a well-known mystery book and the first person to correctly identify the title and artist of all of the books depicted gets a free paperback and free coffee for a month.
    The paintings are described, but never identified until the end of the book, so the reader can try and work it them out for themselves. ‘Play Along At Home’, if you will.
    It’s just one more extra to a wonderfully multi-layered series.

    I’m suprised no-one has mentioned Laurel, too. Annie’s quirky, spacey and completely irresistable Mother-in- Law. She doesn’t turn up in every book (Thankfully for Annie’s sanity! Lol!) but if you like the odd characters in Donna Andrews’ bird mysteries, you’ll definitely like Laurel!

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  19. I hate this series! Everytime I read one of the books, my TBR pile doubles. It’s very annoying. 😉

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  20. Want to recommend an author new to me. Just finished On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman. Wonderful mystery and romance together. Well drawn characters and a plot that moves along fast and sure. I wasn’t sure she could bring all the ends together but we weaves them wonderfully. Delightful read.

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  21. I still have a vivid memory of how much I enjoyed my first read of Death on Demand. Yes, I puzzled over the pictures, but the appeal to me was how Hart brought in references to other books and authors. Well before my internet days this was a wonderful way to broaden my literary horizons. This book is on my ‘best of all times’ list.
    I’ve read and re-read many of the books in the series over the years and enjoy them every time. But I do have to agree with the reader who lauded the Henry O series – I loved those.

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    • Theda, I’ll have to add the Henrie O series to my “to be read” pile… though reading a synopsis of the first book, it’s distinctly possible that I read it at some point. I won’t be able to tell for certain until I go back, unfortunately – though I’m sure revisiting would be worthwhile as well, even if I have possibly read it!

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  22. I always fantasize having unlimited funds (& sometimes, supernatural powers) to make films of cozy series books I like. I’d stick as tight as possible to the original material. Two big things with Death on Demand: Actually MAKING Broward’s Rock with all the landscaping and amenities–just faking the bad stuff–for human and animal habitat, with the agreement of the humans to cooperate with the film making…Only big change: I can never figure out how the paintings, as described, could be 2-dimensionally delineated, except for turning them into paneled works, graphic novel style, OR, more fun, having them done by local cinema amateurs, to capture all the angles and details, close-up and wide angle necessities and changes in point-of-view. The ‘watercolors illustrations’ really are cinematic!

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