Winter's Child

Starred review from May 22, 2006
Whoever shot J.D. Rouse dead in his pickup truck gives "taking out the trash" a whole new meaning at the start of Maron's outstanding 12th Deborah Knott mystery. Judge Deborah Knott and her new husband, Colleton County, N.C., chief deputy Dwight Bryant, are soon embroiled in the murder investigation. Then Dwight's eight-year-old son, Cal, who lives with his mother, Jonna, in Shaysville, Va., phones late one winter night to report that Jonna hasn't come home. Early the next morning, Dwight drives to Virginia, where Jonna reappears but later both she and Cal disappear. Meanwhile, in Colleton County, the hunt for J.D.'s killer leads to further fatalities. As the body count and suspense mount, the unflappable Deborah joins Dwight in the hunt for his missing son. And just when you think matters couldn't get worse, they most certainly do. Maron brilliantly connects the unconnected, hides one killer in plain sight and tucks another into a most unexpected position.

Starred review from July 1, 2006
Judge Deborah Knott ("Rituals of the Season") and Chief Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant have been married for a month when Dwight gets a call from his eight-year-old son Cal, who wants Dwight to come to Shaysville, VA, where he lives with his mom. Upon arrival, Dwight discovers that his ex-wife has not been home since the previous morning and young Cal has been left alone. Then Cal disappears; a neighbor reports seeing him leave with his mother. Meanwhile at home in Colleton County, NC, Dwight's detective team is investigating the sniper shooting death of one of the county's bad boys. In her 12th Deborah Knott mystery, Maron continues to display her storytelling skills with well-rounded characters, an intriguing plot, and a strong sense of place. Maron's books are more serious than fellow Southerner Joan Hess's Maggody series. Readers who enjoy mysteries that depict strong female characters in positions of power may also want to check out J.A. Jance's latest Joanna Brady mystery, reviewed above. Strongly recommended for all collections. Maron lives near Raleigh, NC. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ "4/1/06.]

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2006
The twelfth entry in Maron's Deborah Knott series finds the family-oriented judge blissfully content in her brand-new marriage to her childhood friend turned marital partner Dwight Bryant, deputy sheriff of Colleton County. Part of an extended family so large it requires a map of the family tree to help readers keep track of the various relatives, Deborah is jolted from her routine when, first, Dwight's ex-wife and, then, his eight-year-old son, Cal, go missing. Meanwhile, Dwight's colleagues are busy tracking leads in the case of a local roustabout who has been killed by a shot to the head while sipping a beer in his pickup truck. As always, familial concerns take pride of place over the mystery as Deborah tries to stanch her jealousy upon perusing old wedding photos of Dwight's beautiful if shallow ex-wife; she also worries about establishing a solid relationship with Cal--when and if they can find him. In Maron's charming, folksy, small-town world, even the mayhem is domestic in nature, in this case prompted by stolen antiques and highway litter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)