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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Pretty good start for the Deborah Knott series. She has so many family members that it's hard to know whether we've been introduced to them all. Deborah Knott, small town lawyer, decides to run for a judgeship. She worries that her father's history as a bootlegger will hurt her chances, even though all her relatives will vote for her, and she is related to half the county. As she is in the middle of the campaign, a family friend asks her to help his daughter. She agrees and winds up researching an almost 20-year-old murder case. Set outside Raleigh in modern day, but has an older feel due to the family and community and the way the author tells the story.
this was an easy read with an interesting mystery and characters. enough to interest me in the next in the series
A wonderful page-turner that acknowledges some stereotypes about the American South, but then moves beyond them. The clues are well seeded and yet the climactic scene comes as a surprise. A very enjoyable read!
Late to the party, but enjoyed this story. Looking forward to next in series.
Re-reading this book after many years for the Somerville Public Library's Mystery Book Club, I was struck by how Margaret Maron created a setting that was entirely real from the first page onward. The town and the county where attorney Deborah Knott lives are populated with her friends, foes, family, and connections through her profession and her politics, and you get a sense that the author didn't create them but discovered them, fully formed.
The mystery was a deeply sad reflection of its time, and I certainly hope that it would not happen today--but I may be too optimistic. The twists and turns of the plot might be obvious to you if you're a good detective. On second reading, I could see them coming. You will still enjoy the book, however, if you like good writing and a strong heroine with a wry sense of humor.
And if you do like it, you're in luck, because there are seventeen more!
The mystery was a deeply sad reflection of its time, and I certainly hope that it would not happen today--but I may be too optimistic. The twists and turns of the plot might be obvious to you if you're a good detective. On second reading, I could see them coming. You will still enjoy the book, however, if you like good writing and a strong heroine with a wry sense of humor.
And if you do like it, you're in luck, because there are seventeen more!
Meh. More like 2.5 stars. I just wasn't that into it. Thought the main character was kinda dull and that the author tried too hard to inject Southern cham into the writing. However the resolution of the mystery was more complex than I had suspected.
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First in the Deborah Knott series, here we are introduced to the attorney, single and working hard to become elected to a judgeship.
Having started towards the end of the series, it was refreshing to see where it all begin. Getting to know her father and soon to be husband as well as what inspired her to become a judge. And of course, during the election process, she's drawn into a 1972 murder. As Deborah splits her time between her election campaign and law practice, she begins to investigate the death of Janine Whitehead. Her investigation places her right in the middle of two additional murders and a drug ring.
Loved this book from start to finish. The storyline was intriguing and was a complete page turner. Who was the killer, why was Janine killed, then why were the two others killed as Deborah looked into the original murder. And of course the sparks that flew between Deborah and Dwight (who we know she ends up marrying). Good story, interesting characters, and authentic. Looking forward to reading Southern Discomfort next. I can see why this has been a popular series.
Having started towards the end of the series, it was refreshing to see where it all begin. Getting to know her father and soon to be husband as well as what inspired her to become a judge. And of course, during the election process, she's drawn into a 1972 murder. As Deborah splits her time between her election campaign and law practice, she begins to investigate the death of Janine Whitehead. Her investigation places her right in the middle of two additional murders and a drug ring.
Loved this book from start to finish. The storyline was intriguing and was a complete page turner. Who was the killer, why was Janine killed, then why were the two others killed as Deborah looked into the original murder. And of course the sparks that flew between Deborah and Dwight (who we know she ends up marrying). Good story, interesting characters, and authentic. Looking forward to reading Southern Discomfort next. I can see why this has been a popular series.