The Barnes & Noble Review
If anyone wonders why Carolyn Hart has chalked up an unprecedented eight Agatha Award nominations, the answer is obvious in Resort to Murder: A Henrie O Mystery. This time out, Hart has chosen an exotic setting as the backdrop for her mystery, contrasting the hell of murder with the heavenly delights of a luxurious vacation resort. The puzzles are plentiful, and despite being weakened by a recent bout of pneumonia, 70-something Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins is as delightful and determined as ever.

While visiting the island paradise of Bermuda, where her onetime son-in-law, Lloyd Drake, is about to marry a beautiful and wealthy widow named Connor Bailey, Henrie quickly discovers that no one seems too pleased about the pending nuptials. That alone creates plenty of tension, but it doesn't take long for murder and mayhem to show up for the festivities, setting everyone's nerves keenly on edge. The first sign of trouble comes when all of the guests -- including Henrie -- witness a ghostly visage hovering about the top of a tower from which the hotel owner's husband plunged to his death a year before. Tied to that death is Lloyd's bride-to-be, Connor, whose beauty and vulnerability seem to attract men by the droves. The man who died was one such admirer, and it's rumored that he jumped to his death after Connor failed to return his affections. Consequently, Connor is quite freaked by the ghostly appearance, putting a definite damper on the wedding festivities.

It doesn't take the down-to-earth Henrie long to fathom the mystery of the ghostly apparition, but the hotel employee who knows the truth turns up dead before he can provide the proof of who's responsible. The death appears to be accidental, but Henrie has information that suggests otherwise. Yet every time she tries to investigate the case, all she manages to do is heighten her own prospects as a possible suspect in the eyes of the local police. And the killer isn't done yet.

Hart's intricate plotting and skillful characterization are showcased to perfection in this work. And it's hard to find a more pleasing sleuth than the ever-energetic and spry Henrie, who can't even enjoy a restful vacation without getting caught up in a deadly game of murder.(Beth Amos)

Genre: Mystery