The Christie Caper

Rating:
Summary: A celebration of Agatha Christie's birthday includes murder!
Review: Annie Laurence Darling, the proprietor of the south's leading mystery bookstore, plans a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birthday. When someone is murdered, the celebration changes to a real whodunit,which is really fun for all. If you are just starting to read mysteries,start with this one,because of the trivia. Ms. Hart has spiced her tale with authors and titles of books "to die for." It makes the next trip to the bookstore a blast

Rating:
Summary: Traditional mystery par excellence
Review: THE CHRISTIE CAPER is one of my all time favorite cozy mysteries. I first read it when it came out in 1991 and it has been on the top of my favorites list ever since. I have also read it once a year since that first reading.

Interestingly, Hart provides a cast of characters -- names and descriptions -- at the beginning. From the very first the victim, Neil Bledsoe, proceeds to make himself thoroughly obnoxious. Leading characters are introduced, one at a time -- Victoria Shaw, Henny Brawley, Kathryn Honeycutt, John Border Stone... until we get to Annie Darling, who is the sleuth/protagonist. By this time the setting has been set, the battle lines drawn and the story is well underway. Hart has structured the story along the lines of Christie's work and she has provided well-rounded, distinctive characters to make the reader's experience an amusing and informative romp.

I love the references to Christie's books, her mentions of mysteries by other writers, Annie's ever-present watercolor competition in which her bookstore customers compete in recognizing paintings of famous mysteries, the last scene where all is revealed in classic Christie fashion . . .all these details combine to weave a contemporary tale into the traditional form and fascinate the reader.

If you're not a mystery fan you can learn a lot about the Dame of traditional mysteries from THE CHRISTIE CAPER and have great fun doing it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Homage to Agatha Christie
Review: This "Death on Demand" mystery which features Annie and Max Darling is a terrifically fun and witty tribute to Agatha Christie, whom Carolyn Hart plainly idolizes (was Max Darling named after Agatha's husband Max Mallowan?). The plot involves a murder which takes place at an Agatha Christie Centenary celebration. Needless to say, Annie and Max step in and solve the crime with the wit and style fans have come to expect from them. The plot is fresh and fast-paced and never lags. The salute to Christie is an added bonus for Hart's fans.Anyone who loves Agatha Christie, Carolyn Hart or just mysteries in general will appreciate this fine book. Highly recommended