Why this is classified as a mystery is a mystery. It was a sappy romance novel with an incidental crime buried in all the lovey- dovey muck.

Also, way too many minor characters. They all seemed to be related and contributed nothing except to help with wedding preparations. Quite a dull bunch and that includes the main characters.


This is one book in a series. To be fair, it’s the only one I’ve read and this is going to be it. There are too many good series in the crime/mystery genre so no need to waste more time on these.

I gave it 2 stars because I finished it. I reserve 1 star for books so bad that I just can’t go on and quit mid stream.
( )

Judge Deborah Knott (High Country Fall, 2004, etc.), who dated Mr. Wrongs for years while her daddy, 11 brothers and numerous sisters-in-law were convinced she’d never settle down, has opened her heart to Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant. Their big day is only a week or two off when the murder of ADA Tracy Johnson sends their plans off-kilter. Although Deborah and Dwight have a pact never to discuss cases that might come before her on the bench, Deborah can’t say no to two college kids who beseech her to look into the Martha Hurst case. They believe that Hurst, due to be executed in a month for the murder of her son-in-law and ex-lover, is innocent. If DA Doug Woodall is correct in saying that his case was airtight, why was Tracy asking to see the old case files before she died? While Deborah and the college kids wrestle with long-ago witnesses, Dwight worries about the surprises in Tracy’s autopsy and his suddenly missing deputy Don Whitley. There’ll be another death, hints of an irregular pregnancy or two and more police corruption in Colleton County before the DA redresses a wrong, Tracy is avenged and Deborah and Dwight celebrate their nuptials. ( )

Christmas and a wedding are the cultural niches of rural North Carolina featured in this folksy but good mystery series. Deborah, a judge, is getting married to Major, nee Dwight, a law officer in her jurisdiction; therein lies the potential for conflict. Plainly speaking, how can the Major keep Deborah from being involved in the crime solving part of the Judicial System? Boundaries are established giving The Judge even more tightropes to walk.

Solving the crime; the death of an ADA and her infant causes some of the luster of local law enforcement to dull as does Judge Deb'rah's look back into a past "done deal" solution of a domestic murder. The races to the finish, getting married and exonerating the person on death row provide the
woof and warp for another fine entry in this good series. ( )

A good entry in the Deborah Knott series of mysteries. Deborah is preparing for her upcomign wedding to Dwight but they also become involved in the murder of an ADA and whether a woman really should have recieved the death penalty in a case the ADA was looking into. ( )

I don't like spoilers, but this review will have some if you haven't read the preceding ten books in the Deborah Knott series. Just a bit of warning, followed by a sentence of stalling.

Ironically while the last few books where the mystery took a back seat to the Deborah Knott relationships subplots here's the novel where Knott's supposed to get married (in the middle of the winter, really, people do that?) and yet the mystery takes up most of the book's time.

An ADA gets murdered (As well as her child dying, which is a heart wrenching detail) and that sends both Major Dwight in his official capacity and Deborah in her capacity as the ADA's sorta friend trying to find out who would do such a horrendous thing. The motives vary, from a possible scorned lover, to a pissed off drug dealer, or someone trying to keep her from finding out if a woman on death row is really guilty or innocent.

Again I think this is one of the best mysteries in the novels that Maron has written. It kept me guessing on motive as well as who the perpetrator was until near the very end. As well as having a great couple of subplots as usual. Awesome. ( )