death of furniture dealer at Market involves visiting Judge Knott

A chilling misadventure begins when Deborah, hunting high and lowboy for lodging, is befriended by an eccentric old lady calling herself Mrs. Jernigan. Deborah follows the chiffon-clad Good Samaritan through rooms of French provincial and high-tech modern when the lady suddenly vanishes, leaving a sexy hunk of manhood dead and motionless on a pricey piece of "motion" furniture. Who is the mysterious Mrs. Jernigan and why is Deborah herself suspected of killing a furniture executive who specialized in making after-hours bedroom arrangements and cutthroat deals? To clear her name, Deborah has to table all other plans and investigate. But the knotty heart of this case is a secret well hidden behind a wall of silence about a woman's past. It will take all Deborah's courtroom experience and intuitive skills to strip through layers of deception to solve a whodunit that is strictly top-shelf... ( )

Synopsis: Deborah is in a small town when the furniture market occurs. She didn't have the foresight to book a hotel room, not knowing that the market was a big deal, and is looking for a place to stay. She meets a woman who takes her to a reception and will then find her a place to stay. Unfortunately, this woman doesn't appear to be sane. Deborah does find a place, and is immediately embroiled in a murder case. This case may also explain the insane woman and the relationships among several people who are seemingly unrelated.
Review: Not a bad story, but rather thin on the plot. ( )

Judge Knott does Market Week in High Point and we learn much about the Home furnishing Industry and its denizens. A dead body appears and leads to serious family; not hers, this time, revelations and ramifications before Deborah sorts it out. Another good story and another NC venue is the appropriate setting. ( )

I don't think Killer Market is as good as the other book by Margaret Maron I read, or as most of hers are judging from reviews. There was too much intertwined detail about the family ties of a bunch of rather peripheral characters. But I like Deborah Knott, the judge/protagonist, the way she talks and think. What I liked best about the book was the local color, all the details about High Point, a furniture making capital, Furniture Market Week there, and the furniture business in general. Very North Carolina! ( )