Long Upon the Land (A Deborah Knott Mystery, 20)
The twentieth Deborah Knott novel begins with a body found on the family farm, tying a murder investigation to an old land dispute. Family history, local loyalties, and the pressures of law enforcement intersect as the case unfolds.
Work Information
A family farm brings old secrets back into the light.
Judge Deborah Knott is pulled into a murder case after a body is found on her father Kezzie’s farm. A long-running conflict over land quietly connects family memory with the present-day investigation.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Grand Central Publishing
- Published
- 2016-03-29
- Pages
- 304 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 10.67 x 2.79 x 17.15 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9781455545315
- ISBN-10
- 1455545317
- Price
- 4529 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Mystery & Thrillers/Mystery/Women Sleuths
Margaret Maron, New York Times bestselling author and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, returns to Colleton County with an exciting Deborah Knott mystery . . . LONG UPON THE LAND On a quiet August morning, Judge Deborah Knott's father Kezzie makes a shocking discovery on a remote corner of his farm: the body of a man bludgeoned to death. Investigating this crime, Deborah's husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, soon uncovers a long-simmering hostility between Kezzie and the slain man over a land dispute. The local newspaper implies that Deborah's family may have had something to do with the murder-and that Dwight is dragging his feet on the case. Meanwhile, Deborah is given a cigarette lighter that once belonged to her mother. The cryptic inscription inside rekindles Deborah's curiosity about her parents' past, and how they met. For years she has wondered how the daughter of a wealthy attorney could have married a widowed, semi-illiterate bootlegger, and this time she's determined to find the answer. But why are Deborah's brothers so reluctant to talk about the dead man? Is the murder linked to Kezzie's illegal whiskey business? And could his courtship of Deborah's mother have something to do with the bad blood between the two families? Despite Deborah's promise not to interfere in Dwight's work, she cannot stop herself from doing everything she can to help clear her brothers and her father from suspicion . . .
Margaret Maron grew up in the country near Raleigh, North Carolina, but for many years lived in Brooklyn, New York. When she and her artist husband returned to the farm that had been in her family for a hundred years, she began a series based on her own background. The first book, Bootlegger's Daughter , became a Washington Post bestseller that swept the major mystery awards for its year -- winning the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards for Best Novel -- and is among the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century as selected by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Later, her Deborah Knott novels Up Jumps the Devil, Storm Track, and Three-Day Town each also won the Agatha Award for Best Novel. Margaret is also the author of the Sigrid Harald series of detective novels. In 2008, Maron received the North Carolina Award for Literature, the highest civilian honor the state bestows on its authors. And in 2013, the Mystery Writers of America celebrated Maron's contributions to the mystery genre by naming her a Grand Master -- an honor first bestowed on Agatha Christie. To find out more about her, you can visit MargaretMaron.com.
Reviews
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I have enjoyed this series with its colloquialism and reality all mixed ...
This is the 20th and last book in the Deborah Knott series and sets forth not one but two mysteries. The first in the present is to solve the circumstances of the dead man found by Kezzie Knott on his property. Was he killed by Kezzie or someone close to him and how did he end up on their property. The second mystery surrounds the inscription in a lighter owned by Deborah’s mother and prized by her during her lifetime. When it is gifted to Deborah, she is determined to find out why her mother used to say that the original owner of this lighter changed her life. The story slips back and forth between the present and the past, as Deborah learns about how her parents first met and how she came to be part of Kezzie’s family. It was an enchanting story and helps to explain Deborah’s own character, as well as solidifying her relationship with her father and her husband. I have enjoyed this series with its colloquialism and reality all mixed together, to give us stories of family love and respect, hard work and dedication to each other and the future.
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Such a good book I hated putting it down.
It is hard to write this review as this is the last book in the series. It is an incredible story and I would encourage everyone to read this book and the rest of the series.
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Fascinating.
I love the intricacies of family life in Margaret's novels. I also love the imaginary landscape, plants and homes, which I Iive in whilst absorbing the characters and convincing storylines which wrap me up in a world I would love to visit. I loved this book.
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Nice ending to an outstanding series
I gave this book five stars because I love reading about Deborah and the Knott family, and I found the back story about Sue Stephenson Knott to be interesting and satisfying. That said, this is far from the strongest book in this excellent series, and I sadly agree with Margaret Maron's decision to end it here while it's still very good. Without explicitly doing so, this book manages to check in with the major characters and reassure us that some old friends are doing well--such as passing mentions of Cyl DeGraffenreid and Marcus, the boy who helped Deborah and Zell housebreak in an earlier story. I would not recommend this book to those who are not already familiar with the Deborah Knott series. On the other hand, those already fans will enjoy another visit with the Knotts and an answer to the question of how Sue and Kezzie met and married.
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Satisfying End to a Lovely Series
As always, Margaret Maron satisfies. Deborah Knott and her complex family help to find the killer of a wife abuser who has an unhappy history with Deborah's father. In the series, Margaret Maron has created characters who I really cared about and the plot was well-developed.
Related Literary Awards
- Agatha Awards Edition 28 (2015) ・Winner