‘Laughed ’Til He Died’ intriguing, lively

Life on Broward’s Rock Island off the coast of South Carolina usually is slow and relaxing. But when a series of unexplainable deaths rock the peaceful village, Max and Annie Darling are called in to help find who is trying to turn their town upside-down.

When Jean Hughes, the director of the Haven, the town’s youth recreation center, comes to the Darlings desperate for help to save her job, Max discovers that poor Jean has been duped by local millionaire Booth Wagner, who cruelly intends to run his former lover off the island for good — laughing it off as one big joke.

When Booth is shot during a Haven event, Jean becomes the prime suspect in his murder, but when two other deaths seem to be related to the youth center, Max, with Annie’s help, begins to dig into what was really going on while the kids were at play. More than one person on the island isn’t too upset that Booth is dead.

In her 20th novel in the “Death On Demand” series, author Carolyn Hart delivers yet another intriguing and lively mystery featuring her beloved characters of Annie and Max Darling. Hart manages to keep Max (the handsome lawyer and owner of Confidential Confessions, a private investigation firm) and Annie (owner of the Death On Demand mystery bookstore) fresh and vibrant, portraying the loving young couple in a charming manner that makes one long for them to be next-door neighbors. Who wouldn’t want to browse through the shelves at Annie’s delightful bookstore or sit down to one of Max’s mouthwatering gourmet meals?

Although a part of the series, “Laughed ’Til He Died,” like many of Hart’s novels, can stand alone as an interesting tale with plenty of back story included for new readers to feel “in the know” throughout the novel. Old or new, fans of cozy mysteries will be overjoyed with this captivating and charming tale.