Death in Lovers' Lane

By: Carolyn G. Hart

Narrated by: Kate Reading

One of America's most highly acclaimed mystery writers brings us another installment in the career of Henrietta "Henrie O" Collins, an ex-reporter turned sleuth. These days, Henrie O is teaching journalism at Thorndyke University, where she encourages an ambitious student to pursue an investigative series about three unrelated and hitherto unsolved local crimes. But the student's study habits get her killed. Her body's discovered at the site of one of the three crimes she was investigating. The police and the powers-that-be at Thorndyke are rabidly against Henrie O's involvement in the case. But the stubborn, sixty-something investigator is committed to dredging up a past everyone wants to keep buried -- even if it means placing herself firmly in the killer's path.

©2009 Carolyn Hart (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"A sassy heroine . . . She says what she thinks and pulls no punches." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

"Brilliant storytelling...Carolyn Hart is one of the most popular practitioners of the traditional mystery." ( Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Had a fun time with this

I think the premise is interesting. Henrie O as a teacher wrangles with a difficult student. Student dies and Henrie O must solve three unsolved crimes to solve the murder. A solid concept and interesting as it fits into Henrie O's talent as a journalist who can untie Gordian knots. The victims in a Henrie O mystery tend to be complicated people. Neither good or bad just people and Henrie is someone who feels their loss is a tragedy because they were people and deserved their full lived. So Henrie solving four cases sounds interesting

To the credit of the writer the mystery can be solved from the facts presented and it makes sense. As usual Carolyn Hart isn't interested in playing mind games but presenting the information and layering in character beats and twists as Henrie deals with other people around her. Hart as usual in her writing plays fair.

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first two. It lacked the sheer momentum of the first one or the complicated relationships of the second one. While it had twists I never felt like Henrie got the chance to be her usual full righteous avenger self as in previous books and stories. Her cleverness isn't on full display as it always seems liek the student whose murder she is trying to solve was already there. A parallel is drawn between Henrie (a justice seeker) and the student (a fame seeker) showing how they approached the information differently but I would have liked Henrie interrogating the idea a bit more as a character. Or for the student to have been wrong and Henrie's skill at understanding and empathy were what in the end solves the puzzles. I also would have liked for Henrie to give more consequences to some of the characters like the philandeirng husband. The concept of 3 smaller mysteries solved to reach the conclusion is interesting but none of them get to be the indepth study Henrie excels at. Further a little more time with some of the other victims in the story would have been interesting. It feels liek the first third of the book is about the primary mystery and then most of that is dropped with not as much wrap up at the end.

Not a bad story but weaker then the first two which I loved. Still I had fun and other readers might enjoy its more meditative winding pace more

As usual Kate Reading delivers a great performance with good voice acting, great moments underscoring Henrie's snarky nature, I liked the interpersonal communications and moments between characters and I always knew who was speaking. Good acting, good production value.

I ❤️ Carolyn G Hart

My favorite Henry O novel. When I saw that Audible had it I knew I’d get it. Kate Reading is a fantastic narrator.