"LAUGHED 'TIL HE DIED: A Death on Demand Mystery," by Carolyn Hart, William Morrow, $24.95 (f)
Occasionally, a mystery reader meets a character so obnoxious, arrogant and otherwise repulsive that it's impossible not to hope that the creature's going to be on the fictional murderer's list.
And that's how you feel about Booth Wagner in this, the 20th installment of Carolyn Hart's "Death on Demand" series, featuring Annie and Max Darling. But there are two other, clearly less deserving victims when an unknown killer starts wreaking havoc on Broward's Rock Island, S.C.
Police chief Billy Cameron's suspect is Jean Hughes, director of the Haven, a youth center on the island. She doesn't really have the credentials for the job and it turns out that Wagner brought her on board just to be mean — sort of his perpetual reason for doing anything. He knew it would make others unhappy. And ultimately, she'd be hurt as well when her inexperience catches up with her. What he hadn't counted on is her popularity with the youths the program serves. They love her. And she loved the job, so she seeks the help of problem solver Max Darling. And when you've recruited Max, you have Annie as a dedicated and charming bonus.
It doesn't take the chief long to decide that Jean Hughes' motive, however, is something much more personal and plausible than just not wanting to lose her job. The real motive the chief assigns her is something much more personal — and plausible.
The main characters are, of course, the Darlings. They're decent, devoted and love a good mystery. They have a finely honed, shared sense of justice. And they're pretty clever when it comes to tackling a puzzle.
I loved this book — and others in the series. The stories are cozy and well-written, entertaining and a bit surprising. They have the violence of murder without being graphic or gross. And they're believable and thoroughly entertaining.
Best of all, you may not see the ending coming.
e-mail: lois@desnews.com