There was something sadly irritating about this book and it took me a while to figure it out. Carolyn Hart had made a villain out of the Fair Haven cop and there was no reason to do so. And that impression stuck with me through what otherwise was an engrossing mystery with interesting characters.

Henry O is an interesting character but this stress on her as a former journalist and therefore knowledgeable about police practices, weapons and how to tell whether someone was telling the truth— well, it came across as too pretentious. I'll admit, I never worked as a reporter at a daily newspaper, never covered crime other than accidents which were usually the fault of the young, inexperienced driver, and I never came across a police officer who didn't want to come to the truth of a crime. And if I ever write a mystery (and I probably wrote, I've developed quite a respect for those who can do it very well), I wouldn't delve into things I know very little about.

And it was so unnecessary too. If she hadn't struck a chord early in the book, I would have overlooked the idea that she was a former journalist, the idea she knew what a .38 gun would do to a body, were things that didn't match with what she wrote. After all, there are hundreds of cozy mystery writers who write without the knowledge that takes a book from being fair to truly insightful. And as I said, she developed an interesting mystery and her characters overall were fairly interesting, if tiringly predictable.

And I would never say that she has developed the 'new' Miss Marple. Because she hasn't. I've enjoyed her death on demand series, but I don't think I will continue with the Henrie O series. cozy-mysteries mysteries1 Hali Jacobs70 16

Henrie O is on a roll. She is a sleuth who must find out who the murderer is in Fair Haven. Henrie O is one of my favorite characters in a book. She is an elderly woman who is good at asking the right questions and getting to the truth eventually when she puts herself in danger.1 C.Author 23 books33

I'd never heard of this author and picked the book up at a library sale. Am I ever glad I did! What a great writer. The story was engaging and kept me guessing to the end, and the protagonist was wonderful. She was not only trying to solve a mystery, but was connecting with other characters in an emotional way that doesn't usually happen in mysteries.

I'm going to be watching out for more books by this author. 1 Linda550 9

Interesting mystery whodunit, do not read much of this genre but this one was good. I d the main character and the plot was more complex than many of those typical "I write 100 mysteries every year in my series" books. It deals with bullying, social stratification, and greed as well as the mystery. For its' genre I would give it a 4, compared to books in general, a 3.5.1 Melissa39

This is a fun murder mystery novel. I couldn't decide who the murderer was, and was left surprised near the end. I this book and look forward to reading more books by Carolyn Hart. mystery1 Phil410

If you Murder She Wrote, you'll this book. A great story about an older female non-detective who solves crimes. Recommended for a fun read. 1 Erik224 4

Henrie O is looking forward to a quiet holiday. Instead, the ex-journalist turned sleuth awakens in a Tennessee mountain cabin to discover her friend’s nephew, his shirt stained with blood, his handsome face stricken by fear and horror.

Craig Matthews swears he didn’t kill his wife, swears he didn’t lure Patty Kay out to the playhouse of their lavish Fair Haven estate and leave her bloodied and dead. Why, then did he run away? It’s a question that draws Henrie O into the thick of a life-and-death drama, into the lives of Fair Haven’s best families, and into a world where wealth and privilege mask a hotbed of sex, lies, and desperation.

Only when Henrie O begins to question the motives of the bereaved widower, the sullen nymphet of a daughter, the irresistible ex-husband, the venomous sister, even the ingratiating schoolmaster of the exclusive school where Patty Kay was a trustee, does the truth start to emerge. But when another corpse turns up, Henrie O knows time is running out. Now she must untangle this deadly web—or become the next victim of a mind bent on murder. Melissa458 3

For a book I picked out of a box from my parent’s house at random, this was a pretty good read! Plenty of red herrings and an interesting premise helped balance the fact that I didn’t love any of the characters-Including the main one, our heroine Henry O. Worth a read if you are down to pulling random books out of inherited boxes in the first week of summer vacation. Too gritty to be a ‘cozy’ mystery or chick lit. Maybe more a female Perry Mason type mystery. Linda Smatzny2,978 29

In this book, Henrie O goes to Tennessee and tries to help her friends nephew , Craig Matthews, who is arrested for the murder of his wife. This all takes place in Fair Haven , a small town, that is very close. Henrie O starts asking questions because the police chief believes he has his man but some the facts just don't fit. The book was a quick easy read. Debby321 1 follower

I couldn't put it down! Beautifully written! Suspense and drama to the end. I thought I knew who the killer was. Incorrect! Didn't even occur to me to consider the killer as suspect.
I have read several of Carolyn Hart series but I think Henrie O may become my favorite one.
I don't want to give anything away so all I will say is, READ IT!mystery Stephanie104

Never disappoints. Great character development and the main character’s narration (Henri O in this series) gets you into the “head” of each suspect. Always a great curve ball at the end. One of my favorite mystery writers along with Joan Hess, Louise Penny and Ruth Rendell. Marti899 3

I really enjoyed this book and was disappointed that apparently only two of them. The characters were interesting, the plot moved well, and the premise was believable. I'm a fairly big fan of this author.cozy-mystery D. WicklesAuthor 0 books54

I enjoyed this mystery. Priya619

Good ending! Lavins1,053 42

A good mystery book.2018 Caridad171

Another good read. I cried at the injustice but cheered the ending.overdrive-books Rw58

Lots of twists and turns but very weak motive & ending. Pity Johnna Hill148 4

I cannot get enough of this series! Katie103 2

3.5 stars Emily Myers2 1 follower

This was rough and very boring till the last 30 pages or so. Fanona483 4

Whew! Quite a ride. Great investigative mystery. Gayle Stever56 1 follower

Starts out slow. By page 50 I wasn’t sure I would keep reading. Decided to give it another 50. Glad I did as it improved a lot. Great ending. Jackie191

three and a half stars rounded up to four. I d it, but it wasn't as outstanding as the first one. still, well worth reading. Emilye1,056 2

HenriO2

She’s not Miss Marple, but as a mature woman, Henri O, takes her share of chances. Val390

A Henrie O murder mystery. Even when she wants to go away and relax with a friend she finds murder. Great story line and good read. Recommend. Stefanie Jones4,007 2

""good own Jamie287 8

Totally dug this book. I'm liking the Henrie O murder mysteries...these books keep you guessing on who the culprit is. Not some books where it's just totally obvious who did and what is going to happen next. Un the Death on Demand mysteries, I enjoy Henrie O's character very much. In Scandal in Fair Haven, Henrie is to vacation with her good friend Margaret at Margaret's cabin, but Margaret has become very sick and is in the hospital. Henrie goes it alone only to find herself caught up in the unexpected mess of Magaret's nephew Craig, who comes barging into the cabin late the first night covered in blood and running from the cops. He's traumatized over the discovery of his wife's body that he found, shot to death, hence the blood on his clothes. Although Henrie doesn't want to get involved, she finds herself suddenly craig's "aunt" by one of numerous lies Craig starts stringing along. Henrie decides to go to Fair Haven when Craig is arrested for the murder of his wife and Henrie is determined to find out who the real killer is. For such a quiet, rich town, Fair Haven is suddenly having all kinds of problems; the suicide of a local teenager, the death of Patty Kay, Craig's wife, and another death of a bookstore employee. I love following Henrie O throughout the book. action adventure mystery Beverly3,438 23

Another enjoyable Henrie O sleuthing adventure. This time she has decided to take a little vacation and her friend has just the cabin for her. But when she's awakened the first night and discovers her friend's nephew, wearing a blood stained shirt, attempting to "hide out" in the same cabin, her hopes for a quiet time away slip quickly away. The nephew, Craig Matthews, has discovered his wife's dead body and his reactions seem to indicate that he had something to do with it although he claims he doesn't. In the Fair Haven community, Craig's wife Patty Kay is well known to most and seems to be involved everywhere, never hesitating to step up to the plate and state exactly how she feels about whatever is going on. Unfortunately, this small community is struck with 2 tragedies, almost simultaneously. A young lady who's a student at Fair Haven's exclusive high school, takes her own life after being bullied. Peopled with all personality types from the rich and pampered lifestyle, there is plenty of interest maintained throughout. Another one that I never figured out before the end. I look forward to continuing this series. Cheryl LandmarkAuthor 6 books110

A good read. And, I d Henrie O a bit better in this one than I did in the first book of the series, "Dead Man's Island". Still, I didn't find her quite as engaging or able as the female sleuths in other cozy mystery series, even though she was not as imperious, bossy or conceited in this one.

I did, however, admire her spunk, tenacity and bulldog determination in solving the murder of Patty Kay, a woman she had never met but one she came to respect and through her investigations. Henrie O's sleuthing and Ms. Hart's skillful writing uncovered many of the dark, sordid undercurrents and secrets that often exist in a small, narrow-minded town.

While not an amazing series, these books are good, fast reads and will, I'm sure, appeal to many readers of the genre.

Jennifer939 84

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