And One to Die On

Gregor Demarkian #13

by Jane Haddam

Attending the hundredth birthday celebration of controversial silent film star Tasheba Kent, author Bennis Hannaford is shocked when the centenarian is murdered and all the guests are trapped in her house. 20,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Aka Orania Papazoglou

Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).

Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

And One to Die On (Gregor Demarkian, #13) by Jane Haddam.

This story has its setting on a rocky island with the coast of Maine nearby. Its been inhabited for almost 60 years by Tabisha Kent and Cavender Marsh. Two old-time silent film stars that have gone into exile after the death of Tabisha's sister Lilith. The circumstance surrounding that death forced them into exile after a lengthy dramatic trial in France.
Tabisha is approaching her 100th birthday and has invited several people to her rock-island estate. Bennis Hannaford is among that list of invited guests. Tabisha is allowing Bennis to bring along a close acquaintance, Gregor Demarkian. The objective with this gathering isn't only to celebrate Tabisha's birthday but also to have an auctioning off of rare and valuable items from their past glory years as silent film stars.
The cast of characters in this entry range from Richard Fenster -a memorabilia fanatic who's main obsession is with Tabisha Kent, Kelly Pratt-the accountant that attempted to reason out the withdrawals from Lilith Brayne's account after her death, Carlton Ji -a journalist with Personality Magazine, Mathilda Frazier-in charge of the auction, Lydia Acken-in charge of any legal ramifications with this auction, Geraldine Dart-personal assistant to Tabisha and Cavender.

This was an enjoyable entry in the Demarkian series and my 12th book. Sorry to say this was my first book after the passing of the author, Jane Haddam. May she rest in peace.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've decided to start a reread of the late Jane Haddam's Gregor Demarkian series, in no particular order. I started with this one, the 13th in the series. However, as I read the book, I realized I had no memory of it whatsoever, so I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've read it.

It's set on an island off the coast of Maine, where Tasheba Kent, a former silent-film star, is about to celebrate her 100th birthday, with Demarkian and fantasy writer Bennis Hannaford among the guests. The setting and the story call to mind Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.

What makes these books so much fun to read is the way the author portrays the characters. I liked the gothic atmosphere in this one, with the isolated old mansion, the storm, the eerie sound effects, and the bats in the attic. As always, the mystery plot is good, and there's plenty of humor. I'm looking forward to rereading the rest of the series.

[David Allenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and easy read. I figured out the secret but not the killer.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. I’m left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied with the ending though. It’s never made clear as to WHY Carvender killed Tasheba. Briefly it’s alluded that Lilith forced him but even that doesn’t make sense. It also kinda sounds like he killed her on purpose but again this is me trying to interpret since it was never directly addressed. They were more so focused on the switcheroo twist which would have been good if they answered all the questions about it. We really needed to know more about the type of relationship dynamic that Lilith and Cavendar had. How is it possible that he’s twenty years younger than her, more healthy and agile yet in the 60 years they were locked away together on this Island he was unable to kill her himself? They say in the book that it would have been too suspicious since he was previously a murder suspect but he definitely could have made it look like she passed of old age considering she couldn’t even sit up in bed without help.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Haddam's take on the classic locked room mystery. While And One to Die On was not as drastic as Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The setting, murders, even the weapon were very cleaver! It also didn't hurt that there was a cold case from the golden era of Hollywood!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read this series out of order and find that it doesn’t matter. The setting of this book is not on Cavanaugh Stret in Philadelphia but on an island in the Northeast. That was a good thing as I sometimes find the relationships among the characters on Cavanaugh Street tedious. This book was OK, but the ending went on too long and there were a couple of racist remarks in thes story.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Worth reading.

It took 14% of the book to just introduce all the characters. I knew the catch in the story fairly early on but as usual there was a leap at the end that was just no way he or we could have guessed.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An over-the-top entry in the series which is appropriate given the characters and the setting: movie stars from the 20's and 30's trapped on an island in a storm. I hadn't read the series for awhile and it was good to be back.

[Lizzytish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a hoot. Add elements of Alfred Hitchcock, Christie, and a haunted house and you have a fun mystery. Not to mention the great exaggerations of the different characters! I laughed more than being scared. And..I knew the mystery of the situation!

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books was just okay....maybe a little bit on the hokey side. The first one of the series that I was not engrossed by...But I will keep reading them!

[Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who done it ..type. Sorta ok. TOO much detail!

[Peggy Ritchey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this before, but decided to read some of this series again. I think these are great books! The mystery is always very good and there is usually humor too. One of my favorites aspects of this series is that the author lays out the characters at the beginning of the book and tells you something about their character and motivation. Then the mystery starts and Gregor Demarkain is called in. He is a retired FBI agent who quit when his wife died, but is now a private consultant. I don't think of these as cozies although there is no gore, etc. In this book, two very elderly movie stars, who have lived on an island in Maine for the past 60 years, invite s number of people to their home to view items for an auction. Sure to come up is the fact that the 2 were involved in a love triangle 60 years ago and that the other woman died under mysterious circumstances. Then one of the movie stars is murdered.

[Ariadne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads easily but Gregor Demarkian is no Hercule Poirot, and Jane Haddam is no Dame Agatha.

The plot is similar to that of Christie's Ten Little Niggers , at least the beginning is: a group of people is invited on a rocky private island, and bad weather will prevent calling the police after someone is killed, leaving the invited detective to deal with the investigation.

Much like the eccentric inhabitants of the island, Haddam likes to stage things a little too heavily, without much care for realism or loose ends, maybe having had in mind a television adaptation. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger or some wise arse making a clever comment.

The final scene dragged on for far too long, and although the reader has figured it all a while ago, a lengthy conversation then happens, in a clumsy epilogue that is as tedious as unnecessary.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had elements of horror movie aspects, but she stressed it so much in her character's conversation, it was hard to miss. It put me in mind of Christie's "And Then There Were None".

I love her character descriptions - especially the over-plasticized Hannah.

Really liked the old house. I'd like to see one like it in real life and explore it. Minus the bats in the attic, of course. I was a bit surprised Gregor was held back by them.

Something about the story appealed to me - not sure what exactly. I liked it anyhow.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gregor Demarkian visits the remote Maine island where famous movie star Tasheba Kent is about to turn 100, because her paramour and former brother-in-law is related to his friend Bennis. A storm cuts the island off, and mysterious--sometimes fatal--things happen, possibly related to the long-ago death of Tasheba's sister.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the style of Agatha Christie, which helped me figure it out. Still very good though. A group of 8 people are invited to a 100th birthday party on an island off of Maine so when someone dies, it has to be one of the guests.

[Pam Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older book from the Armenian-American Hercule Poriot Gregor Demarkian series. He's a retired FBI profiler who helps people connected to his Armenian-American community. If you like police procedurals, this series should fit the bill.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

quirky, fast-paced guessed early

[Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy time spent with ex-FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. This was no exception.

[Allison Henle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possibly the most grotesque of all the books in the series.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read, 2016. Re-read, March 2019.

[Sara Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of Jane Haddam. Good character development, Ill read more.