What do you think?
Rate this book
Henrie O #6
Resort to Murder
Retired Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Henrietta Collins no longer races around the globe in pursuit of news. But her talent for troubleshooting and her zest for life are much needed at a family gathering in sunny Bermuda, where murder prowls the halls of a luxury hotel. Henrie 0 has come to the island with her grandchildren for the remarriage of their father, Lloyd Drake. Henrie O's former son-in-law plans to marry Connor Bailey, a beautiful widow with a dark past and a knack for attracting men. Only a year earlier, the resort manager's husband fell from a tower to his death after quarreling with Connor. And now it seems that his restless spirit is haunting the hotel and perhaps seeking revenge.
Henrie 0 has no patience for bogus supernatural appearances, no matter how artfully done. But when she sets out to unmask the "ghost's" creator, she soon realizes there's much more at stake.
A second death, a fatal fall from a cliff, makes it clear to Henrie 0 that great evil is afoot in this elegant enclave kissed by warm turquoise water, glistening pink sands, and balmy ocean breezes. With everyone connected with the once-joyous planned union of Lloyd and Connor now both a suspect and a potential target of a fiendishly relentless killer, Henrie 0 is gravely concerned for the well-being of her loved ones. It is more than motivation enough for the accomplished amateur sleuth to take investigative matters into her own able hands despite the risks. Decades of experience have taught her that there are some lethal secrets that haunt both the innocent and the guilty alike, vengeful spirits who will not rest until some terrible blood debt has been repaid in full.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
58 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn G. Hart
126 books944 followersAlso writing as Carolyn Hart.
An accomplished master of mystery with 46 published books, Carolyn Hart is the creator of the highly acclaimed Henrie O,Death on Demand, and Bailey Ruth Raeburn series. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Letter from Home (2003), her standalone mystery set in Oklahoma, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her latest book is Dead by Midnight (William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2007). She is one of the founders of Sisters in Crime, an organization for women who write mysteries. She lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma."
New Books: Dead By Midnight Carolyn Hart
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart On Sale March 29
The police say suicide. Annie Darling suspects murder. Max is unconvinced until Annie follows a trail behind the dead woman's house.
Annie unravels the mystery of a towel hidden at midnight in a gazebo, the interesting lack of fingerprints on a crystal mug, blood on a teenager's blue shirt, and the secret of a lovers' tryst. Max plunges deep into the woods to find incriminating evidence.
Annie sets the perfect trap for a merciless killer, but her cell phone rings and Death is on the line.
www.CarolynHart.com
And for cat lovers:
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart
I love to have fun when writing a mystery. If I laugh, I think a reader will laugh. In the Death on Demand series, I especially enjoy writing about Annie Darling's ditzy mother-in-law, Laurel Roethke. Laurel is usually excited about a new interest, something that surprises and often confounds Annie.
In Dead by Midnight, Laurel creates Cat Truth Posters, which she wants Annie to hang in the bookstore. Annie thinks books should be the store's focus, but the posters enchant her.
Each poster features a cat's photograph with a caption. Here are three of the Cat Truth posters;
. . . a silky furred, mitted, and bicolored Ragdoll stretched out on a red silk cushion, looking as comfy as Eva Longoria in a Hanes ad: Go with the Flow.
A rectangular-muzzled, green-eyed, cholocolate colored cat appeared as brooding as a Gothic hero: Always Say Yes to Adventure.
. . . a thick-furred, piebald Siberian forest cat, its white front a brilliant contrast to a charcoal back and head. Its face appeared almost angelic: Always try a Smile First.
And yes, one of the posters points to a killer.
Fun for me and fun, I hope for readers
An accomplished master of mystery with 46 published books, Carolyn Hart is the creator of the highly acclaimed Henrie O,Death on Demand, and Bailey Ruth Raeburn series. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Letter from Home (2003), her standalone mystery set in Oklahoma, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her latest book is Dead by Midnight (William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2007). She is one of the founders of Sisters in Crime, an organization for women who write mysteries. She lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma."
New Books: Dead By Midnight Carolyn Hart
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart On Sale March 29
The police say suicide. Annie Darling suspects murder. Max is unconvinced until Annie follows a trail behind the dead woman's house.
Annie unravels the mystery of a towel hidden at midnight in a gazebo, the interesting lack of fingerprints on a crystal mug, blood on a teenager's blue shirt, and the secret of a lovers' tryst. Max plunges deep into the woods to find incriminating evidence.
Annie sets the perfect trap for a merciless killer, but her cell phone rings and Death is on the line.
www.CarolynHart.com
And for cat lovers:
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart
I love to have fun when writing a mystery. If I laugh, I think a reader will laugh. In the Death on Demand series, I especially enjoy writing about Annie Darling's ditzy mother-in-law, Laurel Roethke. Laurel is usually excited about a new interest, something that surprises and often confounds Annie.
In Dead by Midnight, Laurel creates Cat Truth Posters, which she wants Annie to hang in the bookstore. Annie thinks books should be the store's focus, but the posters enchant her.
Each poster features a cat's photograph with a caption. Here are three of the Cat Truth posters;
. . . a silky furred, mitted, and bicolored Ragdoll stretched out on a red silk cushion, looking as comfy as Eva Longoria in a Hanes ad: Go with the Flow.
A rectangular-muzzled, green-eyed, cholocolate colored cat appeared as brooding as a Gothic hero: Always Say Yes to Adventure.
. . . a thick-furred, piebald Siberian forest cat, its white front a brilliant contrast to a charcoal back and head. Its face appeared almost angelic: Always try a Smile First.
And yes, one of the posters points to a killer.
Fun for me and fun, I hope for readers
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 8, 2009
Well, the good news is that the author is very, very good at writing unsympathetic characters. Characters that make you yell at the book. Characters that, in a murder mystery, beg to be killed off in the most painful way, preferably en masse.
The other bit of good news is that this author writes beautiful, detailed descriptions of the characters' surroundings.
Another bit of good news? The author truly does have a way of throwing suspicion on multiple characters so that it's not a simple thing to figure out whodunit.
I don't recall the last time (if ever) I have disliked a book as thoroughly as I disliked this one. Maybe I just disliked the characters (you probably got that already), but the whole thing seemed overblown and unnecessarily melodramatic.
And, yes, the detailed descriptions of the flowers and the sky and the sound of the rain and the leaves and the sea and the shore and the trees and what everyone was wearing and what everyone was eating and how hungry someone was and how angry someone was... well, I lost track of the times I said or thought, "This person gets paid by the word."
The only reason I suffered through the finish was to find out whodunit. The list of possibles shifted throughout the book. Each time a new suspect was identified, the clues and motives made the suspicion seem warranted.
Of course, a mass murder-suicide of most of the characters at about page 70 might have been the most satisfying of all.
The other bit of good news is that this author writes beautiful, detailed descriptions of the characters' surroundings.
Another bit of good news? The author truly does have a way of throwing suspicion on multiple characters so that it's not a simple thing to figure out whodunit.
I don't recall the last time (if ever) I have disliked a book as thoroughly as I disliked this one. Maybe I just disliked the characters (you probably got that already), but the whole thing seemed overblown and unnecessarily melodramatic.
And, yes, the detailed descriptions of the flowers and the sky and the sound of the rain and the leaves and the sea and the shore and the trees and what everyone was wearing and what everyone was eating and how hungry someone was and how angry someone was... well, I lost track of the times I said or thought, "This person gets paid by the word."
The only reason I suffered through the finish was to find out whodunit. The list of possibles shifted throughout the book. Each time a new suspect was identified, the clues and motives made the suspicion seem warranted.
Of course, a mass murder-suicide of most of the characters at about page 70 might have been the most satisfying of all.
July 4, 2011
Resort to Murder by Carolyn Hart is 6th in Henrie O series and the first one I've read. I enjoyed it-a quick, easy read with prose that flows and characters that are easy to watch and relate to. The situation-the marriage of two older people whose children are opposed to the event-is not new but Hart's treatment is fresh and the presence of our amateur sleuth, the older (70+) Henrie's presence at her ex-son-in-laws nuptials puts a slightly fresh face on it.
The setting is perfect for me-Bermuda in January, not too crowded and stunningly beautiful-is an absolute delight for me. I needed a trip to the beach and a stay at a luxury hotel.
All this plus a possible ghost of a man who fell-was pushed? jumped? to his death the previous year. Is the bride simply a beautiful woman that men are drawn to or is she a femme fatale, emphasis on fatal!
However, the book goes on a little too long and I guess the killer and his motive. still, I liked the book enough to go on to another Henrie O mystery. On the whole, I really enjoyed enough about the book to make it worth the reading time.
The setting is perfect for me-Bermuda in January, not too crowded and stunningly beautiful-is an absolute delight for me. I needed a trip to the beach and a stay at a luxury hotel.
All this plus a possible ghost of a man who fell-was pushed? jumped? to his death the previous year. Is the bride simply a beautiful woman that men are drawn to or is she a femme fatale, emphasis on fatal!
However, the book goes on a little too long and I guess the killer and his motive. still, I liked the book enough to go on to another Henrie O mystery. On the whole, I really enjoyed enough about the book to make it worth the reading time.
April 3, 2012
Retired investigative reporter Henrie O. accompanies her grandchildren to her former son-in-laws wedding. Recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia, Henrie is worn out and deeply bothered by the intense emotions surrounding the upcoming nuptuals. When a ghost is sighted, and a young man murdered, she's on the case asking the hard questions and probing where no one wants her. It's a hang on tight ride as Henrie O. tries to solve the myster in Resort to Murder!
Just a terrific book! First rate mystery, exceptional writing, interesting characters and a hard to put down story. Carolyn Hart is such a good writer that it's a pleasure to read her work. I'm sad there's only one more book in this series. I wish she would come back to it, I like Henrie O SO MUCH better than her Death on Demand series! If you like sharp, well-written mysteries, give this book a try!
Just a terrific book! First rate mystery, exceptional writing, interesting characters and a hard to put down story. Carolyn Hart is such a good writer that it's a pleasure to read her work. I'm sad there's only one more book in this series. I wish she would come back to it, I like Henrie O SO MUCH better than her Death on Demand series! If you like sharp, well-written mysteries, give this book a try!
March 28, 2020
3 Stars. Do you believe in ghosts? Or the presence of something unexplained in dark and closed spaces? Former journalist now retired, the outspoken Henrietta Collins doesn't! She has little patience for those who do. She's in beautiful Bermuda with her grandchildren to attend the wedding of her former son-in-law Lloyd Drake to Connor Bailey who turns out to be a complicated mess, what with irrational fears, a charismatic attractiveness for men, and a belief in ghosts. "Henrie O," that nickname is surely a reversal of O Henry, the American short story writer, is wary of this marriage but it's not her place to say much. A year earlier, the husband of the resort's manager had died mysteriously after falling for Connor. Had Connor been involved in some way? That's when Lloyd met his wife-to-be. Now a second death has occurred; George was a Canadian busboy at the hotel with whom Henrie had been talking concerning the earlier death. She begins to ask more questions, annoy the local constabulary, and formulate ideas. She's good but she didn't really grow on me. (November 2019)
June 9, 2017
Well plotted and well narrated - recommended.
February 18, 2023
As always, Henrie O adds an extra dimension to Hart's other characters with her insightful commentary. Slower paced but well worth finishing for the masterful twist ending.
May 4, 2018
Retired Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Henrietta Collins no longer races around the globe in pursuit of news. But her talent for troubleshooting and her zest for life are much needed at a family gathering in sunny Bermuda, where murder prowls the halls of a luxury hotel. Henrie 0 has come to the island with her grandchildren for the remarriage of their father, Lloyd Drake. Henrie O's former son-in-law plans to marry Connor Bailey, a beautiful widow with a dark past and a knack for attracting men. Only a year earlier, the resort manager's husband fell from a tower to his death after quarreling with Connor. And now it seems that his restless spirit is haunting the hotel and perhaps seeking revenge.
Henrie 0 has no patience for bogus supernatural appearances, no matter how artfully done. But when she sets out to unmask the "ghost's" creator, she soon realizes there's much more at stake.
A second death, a fatal fall from a cliff, makes it clear to Henrie 0 that great evil is afoot in this elegant enclave kissed by warm turquoise water, glistening pink sands, and balmy ocean breezes. With everyone connected with the once-joyous planned union of Lloyd and Connor now both a suspect and a potential target of a fiendishly relentless killer, Henrie 0 is gravely concerned for the well-being of her loved ones. It is more than motivation enough for the accomplished amateur sleuth to take investigative matters into her own able hands despite the risks. Decades of experience have taught her that there are some lethal secrets that haunt both the innocent and the guilty alike, vengeful spirits who will not rest until some terrible blood debt has been repaid in full.
Henrie 0 has no patience for bogus supernatural appearances, no matter how artfully done. But when she sets out to unmask the "ghost's" creator, she soon realizes there's much more at stake.
A second death, a fatal fall from a cliff, makes it clear to Henrie 0 that great evil is afoot in this elegant enclave kissed by warm turquoise water, glistening pink sands, and balmy ocean breezes. With everyone connected with the once-joyous planned union of Lloyd and Connor now both a suspect and a potential target of a fiendishly relentless killer, Henrie 0 is gravely concerned for the well-being of her loved ones. It is more than motivation enough for the accomplished amateur sleuth to take investigative matters into her own able hands despite the risks. Decades of experience have taught her that there are some lethal secrets that haunt both the innocent and the guilty alike, vengeful spirits who will not rest until some terrible blood debt has been repaid in full.
June 4, 2015
Retired reporter Henrie O finds herself in Bermuda in January, in the odd position of accompanying her late-teen grandchildren to their father's second wedding. The grandchildren--and the fiancee's older daughter--are not in favor of the marriage; it seems a mismatch between the stolid southern lawyer Lloyd and the stunningly beautiful but needy Connor, who can't help attracting and appreciating male attention at every turn. Then rumors start of a ghost in a nearby tower, where the hotel owner's husband died in a fall the previous year--after having fallen in love with and being rejected by Connor. Henrie O doesn't believe in ghosts, so decides to investigate--but will she be too late? And will the police investigator stop looking at her as the chief suspect when she discovers a dead body?
This series is similar to the Death on Demand series in the style of prose, with the similes that get so over-the-top and fly so thick and fast you just learn to appreciate them. Overall I enjoyed the story, though thought that too much attention was put on Henrie O's recovering from pneumonia, and the resulting symptoms, when they ultimately had no effect on the plot. I was sure she was going to conk out or something, but no. I did have trouble keeping all the characters straight in my head, and finally just gave up, there were so many of them--I figured it would sort itself out in the end, and it did.
This series is similar to the Death on Demand series in the style of prose, with the similes that get so over-the-top and fly so thick and fast you just learn to appreciate them. Overall I enjoyed the story, though thought that too much attention was put on Henrie O's recovering from pneumonia, and the resulting symptoms, when they ultimately had no effect on the plot. I was sure she was going to conk out or something, but no. I did have trouble keeping all the characters straight in my head, and finally just gave up, there were so many of them--I figured it would sort itself out in the end, and it did.
March 6, 2017
Henrie O, retired reporter is in her 70s and accompanies her grandchildren to Bermuda for a week of planned program prior to the marriage of the grandchildren's father (Henrie O's ex son-in-law) to wealthy and flighty Connor Bailey. Diana, the granddaughter, is opposed to the wedding and in fromt of Henrie O wishes Connor dead. There's the story of the ghost of the hotel manager's husband that haunts the hotel grounds and a young waiter of the hotel is only too happy to spread tales implying that the man was murdered. Tensions mount and Connor is increasingly frightened but turns to an old friend (male) rather than her intended husband--which puts the blame for the murder that occurs on this occasion on him.
December 29, 2014
I admit, that I didn't have high hopes of enjoying this work when I checked it out -- I expected it to be a very cozy murder, and I've been away from that sub-genre for years. Hart has several series, and it may be that some are pretty darned cozy, but I was presently surprised by this book. Although I felt the audiobook reader was a bit bland, the idea of a retired journalist throwing herself into a murder investigation worked well. The murders were quiet and off-stage, but the killer's efforts to play with the lives and minds of some characters was a bit more thriller-esque than I was expecting and it helped to make the book for me. I'll definitely have to give more of Hart's work a try.
August 31, 2010
I am not sure if I am getting used to Carolyn Hart's style of mysteries or not, but for once, I totally figured out who was responsible for the murders in this book.
That is not to say that I did not find this story entertaining, because I did. I was disappointed to find a inconsistency in one instance by where Henrie O was sitting with a cup of coffee and a few paragraphs later took a sip of her tea. Call me quirky, but things like this really bug me.
All in all, another great Henrie O story. On to the next book.
That is not to say that I did not find this story entertaining, because I did. I was disappointed to find a inconsistency in one instance by where Henrie O was sitting with a cup of coffee and a few paragraphs later took a sip of her tea. Call me quirky, but things like this really bug me.
All in all, another great Henrie O story. On to the next book.
February 26, 2017
This book takes place in Bermuda. Henry O. is asked by her daughter to accompany Henry O.'s grandchildren, Diana, in college, and Neal, a senior in high school, on this trip to unite their father and beautiful widow Connor Bailey, in marriage.
There are mysterious messages, a supposed ghost, a year old murder and two new murders for Henry O. to ponder. The murderer of at least the last two people killed is a big surprise to Henry O., although she figures it out, and nearly gets killed herself!
I would rank this at least a 4.5.
There are mysterious messages, a supposed ghost, a year old murder and two new murders for Henry O. to ponder. The murderer of at least the last two people killed is a big surprise to Henry O., although she figures it out, and nearly gets killed herself!
I would rank this at least a 4.5.
September 15, 2010
Henrietta Collins reluctantly agrees to accompany her grandchildren to Bermuda for their father's wedding. She hopes to spend much of the time recovering from pneumonia. Unfortunately strange happenings bring back tragic events from a year earlier, upsetting the bride-to-be. Henrie worries that her granddaughter is involved and sets out to find out what is happening.
I really enjoyed this mystery. It is filled with tension and well-written.
I really enjoyed this mystery. It is filled with tension and well-written.
July 11, 2013
I had a little hard time getting into this book, but once I was several pages into it I was hooked.
Henrie O. is in Bermuda for a wedding, and everything seems to be going DEAD wrong. Just getting over pneumonia, Henrie O. wants to keep a frantic pace of sleuthing in between wedding activities, but recovering almost makes it impossible. Who are friends and who is the foe--I'm sure you'll be fooled until the very end!
Henrie O. is in Bermuda for a wedding, and everything seems to be going DEAD wrong. Just getting over pneumonia, Henrie O. wants to keep a frantic pace of sleuthing in between wedding activities, but recovering almost makes it impossible. Who are friends and who is the foe--I'm sure you'll be fooled until the very end!
July 19, 2013
Another Henrie O story. I liked it OK but I like Carolyn Hart's other series, Death on Demand, better. Henrie O is invited to her exson-in-laws wedding in Bermuda to keep an eye on her grandchildren, who are young adults, so she's on the scene when the bride to be is harassed and sacred and ..... No spoilers. The story moved a little slowly for my taste and I don't like the characters as well in this series, Henrie O is not as loveable so the Death on Demand characters.
August 22, 2014
this one was sort of a let down..Henrie goes to Bermuda to attend her EX son-in-laws wedding to a woman who is nothing but an attention whore. And there are those in the book who seem to think this is ok behavior?? And oooooo, there's a ghost. come on, really? this prissy gold digger woman actually believes there's a ghost come back to get her. I only finished it hoping it would get better but it felt like Hart was grasping for anything to make a mystery in this book.
March 20, 2014
Henrie O. is attending a wedding in Bermuda that is plagued by a ghost and murder. The plot got sluggish at times, but for the most part it moved along well. The characters were much more real than the last book in the series, too.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 6, 2011
Really 3.5 stars, they really need to redesign the star system so we can give halves! The story was good and I was able to follow Henrie O's logic as she solved the crime, she just caught on to the motive before I did!
January 27, 2017
A Henrie O mystery. Great read. Henrie is attending the second marriage of her son-in-law with her two grand-children. They stay in an elegant oceanfront hotel. Murders and ghosts are the main menu for this book.
July 5, 2008
predictable and not very gripping.
Read
April 12, 2009I wasn't very impressed and probably won't read any more of her books.
April 30, 2009
felt a need to read a cozy...
September 1, 2009
A fun, easy read. I can't say I was suprised at who the murderer turned out to be, but it was a good story. I do prefer her "Death on Demand" series.
July 28, 2011
Good old fashioned mystery :)
Read
November 18, 2013A pretty good twist at the end. The murderer was just about the last one I suspected.
November 30, 2013
There are some books that are cozy mysteries that I begin and then stop. This was one of them. No special reason just not taken in by the story.
February 22, 2013
Cozy mysteries dealing with reporter Henrie O.
April 1, 2013
Okay read. I like some of her other characters better.
July 4, 2013
Slow to start. A little confusion into getting to know the characters. But once into it the plot the story came to life. I did figure out who the killer was and was not disappointed who it was.
February 11, 2017
I like the Henrie O character quite a bit, for her self-possession and awareness. I remembered a bit about the plot of this one on reread. It didn't hurt anything.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews