Movie star Tasheba Kent disappeared from Hollywood with her lover Cavender Marsh in 1938 when Marsh's wife and Tasheba's sister Lilith died in what was ruled an accident. Kent and Marsh went to live on an island off the coast of Maine. Now Tasheba's 100th birthday is coming up, and she and Cavender are having an auction, and have invited people involved to the island. Bennis Hannaford is a relative of Cavender's and she is invited and takes Gregor Demarkian along. While on the island a storm makes leaving and communications impossible, and, of course, a murder happens.

It infuriates me, as a would be writer, that Haddam can take a cliched plot like murder on an island in a storm and make it work. She does. ( )

I have to say I'm getting a little frustrated with this series. On one hand, it doesn't try to be one of those "all characters frozen in time" things like the Nero Wolfe books. On the other hand, nothing ever seems to move forward. For example, we're 13 books in and Gregor and Bennis are still where they were at the end of the first book. ( )

#13 in the Gregor Demarkian series.

Fifty years ago, silent movie superstar Tasheba Kent and her lover, Cavender Marsh, also a movie star, left France under suspicious circumstances--the death of Lillian Brayne, Tasheba Kent's sister--and Marsh's wife. the French police rule the death an accident; Kent and Marsh go into seclusion on an island off the coast of Maine, shunning everyone except a few employees.

Now the couple (who never marrried, however) need money, and they decide to hold an auction of some of their memorabilia, the auction to be held through the services of Halbard's Auction House. But the auction is not open to just anyone. Kent decides to use the occasion to celebrate her upcoming 100th birthday, and the guest list is selective. Among the invited are Bennis Hannaford, a distant relative, and, as her escort, Gregor Demarkian. Also to be present are Marsh's long-estranged daughter, Hannah Graham; Richard Fenster, a wealthy Wall Street speculator who is also a rabid collector of Tasheba Kent memorabilia; Mathilda Frazier, as the harried representative of Halbard's, there to make sure all goes smoothly--or as smoothly as possible; Carlton Ji, a magazine reporter with an obsessive interest in the Brayne death; Lydia Acken, who handles the legal affairs of Kent and Marsh; Kelly Pratt, their accountant; and Geraldine Dart, secretary and general factotem for the couple.

But after a celebratory dinner in which kent makes a dramatic entrance, the scenario shifts to one of murder, as within hours, Tasheba winds up dead from a blow to the head.

All are isolated on the island as the weather turns too nasty to use a boat. Also, the solitary phone is out of order. with no way to reach the mainland and report the death, the company makes do. soon, however, it becomes obvious that one of their number is missing; sure enough, there's another murder victim.

With a violent nor'easter as background, the story takes on the character almost of one of the old silent movies themselves--all that is missing is the player piano music in the background. There are plenty of macabre details, including a bat attack. It's a fun story for aficionados of the old silent movies and those who have heard about them. The climax, which corresponds with that of the storm, is very well done.

Even without Cavanaugh St., a good read. ( )