A House to die for is the first book in a mystery series. Darby Farr is a hotshot real estate agent in California. She is called home to the small Maine Island she left ten years ago when the Aunt who raised her is taken ill. Her last request is for Darby to close a real estate deal on the sale of the prestigious Fair View Mansion. Where Darbys former best friend Lucy used to live. But a dead body found on the grounds is not the worst problem Darcy has confronted with a desperate buyer, a dangerous local and a storm coming! Darby is fast running out of time to salvage the sale and prevent more people from dying. ( )

First Line: The ring of the hospital pager ripped through the quiet night like a gunshot.

Hotshot realtor Darby Farr made a new life for herself in California because she wanted to get away from her controlling aunt and the small island they lived on in Maine. After a phone call from her aunt's assistant, Darby finds herself returning to Hurricane Harbor whether she likes it or not-- she has to fulfill her dead aunt's last wish that she close a deal on a multi-million dollar sale.

Darby doesn't plan on being there long. After all, the sale of Fairview is pretty much a done deal... until a local resident digs up an obscure deed restriction and kills it. Speaking of killing, the back-up buyer for the estate is found hacked to death on Fairview's grounds. Confronted with a desperate buyer, a dangerous local, and a storm making its way up the coast, Darby's time to salvage the sale and prevent additional deaths is rapidly running out.

Have you ever identified the killer early on because one of the characters was just too good to be true? That's what happened to me while I read A House to Die For. Since that's happened to me more than once, I don't let it put me off reading the book as long as something else within its pages is holding my interest. Indeed there were other things holding my interest: the book's setting on a small island off the coast of Maine and the knowledge of real estate that the author shared. Towards the book's end, I also found myself in a small sinking boat out on the open sea in the middle of a storm. Not only were those particular scenes very exciting, I think I'm still a bit seasick.

I have to admit that the cover of this book was its major selling point, and although I hoped that the house and its history would figure more prominently in A House to Die For, I was ultimately disappointed. The characters were well-drawn, but for some reason I never really "clicked" with any of them, which means I doubt I'll continue with the series. If you're less of a character-driven reader than I, don't let me put you off. Your mileage is almost certainly going to vary, and there is a lot more to this book than its characters. ( )

This was an amazingly fast, easy and enjoyable read. There are just enough characters to make it interesting, but not too many to confuse the reader. Darby Farr, a real estate agent in California, receives a call from her aunt's business in Maine that her aunt is in a coma and Darby is to come immediately to close a deal. Darby reluctantly agrees to return to Hurricane Harbor, a place that has too many memories for her.

One of the buyers for the estate that Darby is to close is murdered. The caretaker is attacked and one of the owners is charged with murder. Who is behind this? A secrets are revealed, Darby and her friends try to solve the mystery.

five stars for a first effort from this author. Her next book is Open for Business,but no release date is noted in the chapter at the end of this book. ( )

The last thing that successful, west coast realtor Darby Farr is expecting on a beautiful sunny morning is a deathbed demand from the past. Having fled the small island she grew up on years before, she had no desire to return to her haunting past even in the face of her aunt’s tragic illness and request for assistance.

Regardless of her irritation, it is impossible to turn her back on what may be a final bid for help from her long lost Aunt and Darby is compelled to hop on the plane. She soon finds that this simple request isn’t going to be so easy.

Grab a pint of ice cream, put on comfy pajamas and enjoy. Light and entertaining, “A House to Die For” is a fun mystery and fantastic way to spend an evening!

Reviewed by Shannon Raab with Suspense Magazine
www.suspensemagazine.com ( )