10th in the Judge Deborah Knott series set in North Carolina.[return][return]There is simply too much hullabaloo over Deborah s upcoming marriage to Dwight, and she gratefully accepts a call to substitute for a judge in the western, piedmont part of the state; escape from all the attention looks real good. She accepts an invitation from one of her many cousins to stay at a condo in Cedar Gap, a consciously cutsey town in the middle of leaf country high mountain area with spectacular views in the fall of the trees as the leaves change. Cedar Gap caters to day tourists as well as seasonal visitors; the latter buy up expensive pieces of mountain property to put up vacation or second homes; the attraction is the rigidly covenanted town, where high-end boutiques, antique stores and the like catr to the tourists and the wealthy.[return][return]But Deborah also lands in the middle of a murder investigation. One of the town s best-known citizens has been murdered, and as a district judge, she sits in on a probable cause hearing for the most likely suspect. Later, she attends a party where the controversy over development produces a heated discussion. [return][return]Since she adjudicates other misdemeanors, when she stiffly fines a young college student for drunken behavior, she nearly winds up dead as he tries to force her off a mountain road with no guard rails. Given a 2nd murder that may or may not be connected to the first, Deborah certainly has her fill of distractions from her upcoming wedding![return][return]This is a good if not spectacular addition to the series. As always, when Maron takes Deborah away from home, she loses the considerable strength and interest that the recurring characters lend to the story. But Maron is still a skillful writer, and has neatly woven controversial issues into her plot indeed, making them integral to the story instead of an interesting sidebar.[return][return]Highly recommended for fans of the series.
Usually I prefer the Deborah Knott mysteries that are set in her NC hometown where members of her large family are included in the story. This one is set in the Applachian mountains of NC during fall's leaf-peeping season. Deborah uses a temporary judicial assignment to flee the hoopla surrounding her upcoming marriage to childhood friend Dwight Bryant. A lot can happen in a week.Maron retains the mystery as the key storyline while Deborah assesses her personal life and comes to an important realization. She unexpectedly shares her condo with twin cousins who are college aged and who involve themselves in the mystery to defend a friend. Deborah's relationship with May and June is delightful and realistic. Dwight is 'off-screen' for most of this one but still a key part of the story through his sheriff connections and in his absence.All in all this was very well done. The difference in locale added a freshness to the series and introduced another branch of Deborah's extensive family. The mystery was compelling and complex. And Deborah and Dwight's relationship continues to evolve. Maron does all this with a light touch so nothing seems forced or unnatural. She weaves every little, seemingly insignificant, fact into the story and uses them all to tell a richly detailed and satisfying story. Well Done! Highly recommended.
#10 in the Judge Deborah Knott series. "Finalist 2004 Agatha Award for Best Novel; Finalist 2005 Macavity Award for Best Novel"#10 - Judge Deborah Knott mystery - For Judge Deborah Knott, Colleton County is becoming unbearable since the announcement of her engagement to longtime friend Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant. It seems as if Deborah's collection of sisters-in-law, cousins, aunts, and family associates all have something to say about the upcoming nuptials. When she is asked to fill in for a vacationing judge up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Deborah is happy for a quiet week away. However, even before she arrives, a body is found. The accused killer, Daniel Freeman, is a friend of Deborah's twin nieces, May and June, who insist he is innocent. When a second body turns up, Daniel is exonerated, putting Deborah on the track of the real killer, who may also be trailing her.
—Ed
HIGH COUNTRY FALL (Amateur Sleuth/Judge-Cont) – VGMargaret Maron – 10th in seriesMysterious Press, 2004 – HardcoverNewly engaged Judge Deborah Knott is looking to escape the chaos of her family and agrees to sit in for another judge in the small mountain community of Cedar Gap. But when the friend of her twin nieces is brought before her accused of murder, she becomes more involved in the community that she planned.*** Maron’s first book “Bootlegger’s Daughter” is still a standout for me, and I’d moved away from this series. But, while lighter than I usually read, although not really a cozy, I very much enjoyed this book. The character Deborah is a wonderful blend of southern gentility, contemporary independence and backwoods strength and survival that make this book well worth reading.
—LJ
The setting for this book was the mountains of northern North Carolina in the autumn. Deborah had agreed to substitute for another judge and stayed in a cottage owned by her cousin Beverly. She met a number of local persons while there, attended several dinners and social events, and enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage scenery in the mountains. Of course two murders occurred in which she got involved in the investigation process; and she also came to a significant conclusion about her fiance' and impending marriage.
—Ellen Moore
