Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart is the 19th book in the “Death on Demand” mystery series. Publisher: William Morrow, March 2009
She came in the rain. Alone. On a bicycle.
Annie and Max Darling are completely unprepared when the arrival of a mysterious young woman shocks their sea island and stirs up more than just gossip.
It turns out that Iris, the beautiful stranger, is a former resident of Broward’s Rock. Her arrival throws the normally happy town into a downward spiral that pits neighbor against neighbor.
Things take a turn for the worse when Annie befriends Iris and invites her to attend the Darlings’ party at the pavilion where Death is the uninvited guest. Suddenly, Max and Annie find themselves in the middle of a fight they don’t understand and at the mercy of an unknown assailant who’s trying to kill them—and all they know is that it is one of their friends.
This book features Annie Darling, owner of Death on Demand bookstore and her husband Max Darling, private investigator, who lives in Broward Rock, South Carolina. A young woman, Iris Tilford, returns to the place where she grew up and faced tragedies. Secrets are best kept to oneself, but in order for Iris to be free, this secret must be told. When Iris is found dead and the Darlings barely escape with their lives from the fire, they realize that a “friend” is out to harm them. This was a good mystery from the first page to the last. I look forward to the next book in the series when they finally move into their new home. [4 stars – really liked it]