Dead Man's Island - Hardcover

Hart, Carolyn G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553091735 ISBN 13: 9780553091731

Publisher: Bantam, 1993

Synopsis

A hurricane sweeps toward Chase Prescott's private island, marooning a host of lethal suspects and the one woman who can sort through them all--Prescott's former lover, retired newshound Henrietta O'Dwyer

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Reviews

In this action-packed series launch, the author of the Death on Demand mysteries introduces Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins, a widowed former reporter whose investigative instincts have not been blunted by retirement. Forty years after their love affair ended, media magnate Chase Prescott calls "Henrie O" for help in figuring out who tried to kill him with poisoned candy. He invites her and all those he suspects of wanting him dead to his private island off the coast of South Carolina, hoping that Henrie will be able to ferret out the identity of his would-be killer. While a brewing hurricane threatens the island, Henrie faces a full roster of suspects: Chase's young third wife; his second wife's sister; his idealistic sons; a sly secretary; the purported heir-apparent to Chase's empire; his firm's general counsel; and a surly, abusive employee. Feisty and incisive, Henrie tries valiantly to determine who is behind further attempts on Chase's life while the storm, a would-be killer of a different sort, gathers. Two people are murdered; the hurricane shears wings off the mansion and redoubtable Henrie figures out the motives and the murderer in a tumultuous resolution.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

After 30 years of noncommunication, investigative reporter- novelist Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins (``call me Henrie O'') gets a call from a long-ago lover--media biggie Chase Prescott of Prescott Enterprises. Chase is now married to waiflike Miranda, his third; is having mega money problems--and someone is trying to kill him. He wants Henrie O to join him on his private island off the Carolina coast, along with those present at the time of the attempt on his life (poisoned chocolates). The group includes his son Roger, stepson Haskell, lawyer Trevor Dunnaway, secretary Burton Andrews, actress Valerie St. Vincent, company executive Lyle Steadman, and three domestics. Chase is certain Henrie O's deductive powers will ferret out the killer. No modest violet, she agrees. But Chase dies, of course, in an elaborately devised manner, and just ahead of a violent tropical storm that rips the island and and its lush homes-of-the-rich-and-famous to shreds. An overblown saga--with a plot that, when finally revealed in all its silly ramifications, defies belief; a tiresomely self- congratulatory new sleuth; and mostly cardboard characters. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

The creator of the popular Annie Darling series introduces an older sleuth of forceful charm and infinite wisdom. Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins, known affectionately as Henrie O, writes novels after working 50 years as a journalist. Longtime friend Chase Prescott, multimillionaire media magnate, begs her to visit his private island near Charleston so that she can deduce which of the people there wants him dead. Hart handles the classic situation (isolated mansion full of colorful suspects) with panache, controlling the melodrama but utilizing monster Hurricane Derek to great effect as plot and storm peak together. A surefire winner. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/93.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553091735
• ISBN 13: 9780553091731
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276