Max
and Annie Darling own a mystery bookstore on Broward’s
Rock. Max is a private detective. Ann runs the bookstore with
the occasional help of Max’s mother. They love the island
and their neighbors. Life is good as everyone enjoys the annual
July Fourth celebration, but at the Lady Luck dance it’s
more than dancing, drinking and celebrating… Someone
is partaking in a bit of revenge…
When
the daughter of a friend asks Max to find her stepmother,
Max turns her down. Last place he wants to be is in the middle
of someone’s marriage. Shell Hurst married Max’s
friend, Wesley – after she broke up his marriage. Now
she’s accusing him of having an affair with his ex-wife.
Shell is vain and manipulative. Is she faking the disappearance
to get back at them both?
When
Max tells Annie he turned the case down, Annie disagrees with
him. She remembers what it was like when Max disappeared.
She didn’t stop looking for him. No one is looking for
Shell. Annie interviews nearly everyone who was at the dance.
She even types up a Who/What/Where list for Max and the others
helping with the case. Max does some investigating of his
own. Soon another islander named Richard disappears. His dog
is found alone and ill. Richard isn’t a nice man but
loves and cares for his dog. Like Shell, he has vanished.
Two people are missing, possibly dead… Annie is feeling
confused and nervous…
Here
we are at number 23 in the series and I’m not surprised.
Who can resist a southern mystery with an island and a mystery
bookstore as the back drop? Not me! I enjoyed reading Dead,
White and Blue. It seemed like the mystery really picked
up after the second missing person. The first part is mostly
interviews, Annie and Max, and the bookstore. With this mystery
I’m reminded again how good Hart is at placing false
leads. She certainly kept me guessing. Max and Annie are likable
main characters, and so are the reoccurring characters like
Henny, the mystery writer, and Max’s mother - a woman
who loves men and pushing Annie’s buttons.
Hart
continues to generously mention current mystery authors and
their titles. Hart’s mysteries are the best place to
discover both new and old authors. And this time she threw
in some romance titles.
I highly
recommend Dead, White, and Blue.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Sugarplum
Dead #12
April
Fool Dead #13
Engaged
to Die #14
Murder
Walks the Plank #15
Death
of the Party #16
Dead
Days of Summer #17
Death Walked In #18 [review
1] [review
2]
Dare
to Die #19
Laughed
’til He Died #20
Dead
by Midnight #21
Death
Comes Silently #22
Dead,
White and Blue #23
Death
at the Door #24
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