Main description:

When wealthy, widowed art patron Virginia Neville officially announces her engagement to Jake O'Neill -- her handsome, charming, and much younger fiancé -- at a gala gallery opening, not all the gathered friends and stepfamily are pleased. And before the last champagne bubble pops, murder disrupts the grand celebration. Bookstore owner Annie Darling has a vested interest in the investigation, and she's determined to untangle an unholy marriage of jealousy, blackmail, and malicious mischief, even if it means having to cross swords with hubby Max and cross paths with a cruelly clever stalker.

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“A lively tale with well-drawn characters.”

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“An enjoyable addition to a long running series.”

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“An essential purchase.”

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“Carolyn Hart has served up yet another delicious mystery that kept me guessing until the end. YUM!”

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“Carolyn Hart’s craftsmanship makes her mystery’s Queen of Cs - cozy, clever, and chock full of charm.”

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“Carolyn Hart’s large following will likely hail this latest Darling caper as - what else? - simply darling.”

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“Displays the charm and coziness of Christie.”

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“Hart creates lively, sympathetic characters and interesting locales and maintains a snappy pace.”

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“Hart supplies superior cozy fare…[a] superb whodunit.”

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“I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for Carolyn Hart’s Annie and Max series.”

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“One of the cleverest puzzle plots around.”

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“Sharp and imaginative writing…[a] thrilling mystery…engaging any time of year.”

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“Tantalizing…Keeps the reader guessing all the way.”

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“The Darling duo is as winning as ever.”

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“The reigning monarch of the amateur sleuth mystery delivers royally.”

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“Well-plotted.”