Dangerous
Undertaking
A Barry Clayton
Mystery
Mark de Castrique
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1590580559 (1590580559)
Publication Date: May 2003
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Barry Clayton has a job he doesn't want. When his
father is stricken with Alzheimer's, Barry leaves the Charlotte police
force for the small mountain community of Gainesboro, North Carolina, where his family runs
the local funeral home. "Buryin' Barry" reluctantly assumes the mantle
of town undertaker, trying to fit his life into this somber profession.
Almost at once it turns deadly. At the graveside service for an elderly
woman, a grieving grandson strides in like Clint Eastwood in a duster,
rips out a shotgun, and murders his family. Then the shooter turns the
weapon on Barry. "Take a message to my grandmother," Dallas Willard
shouts. "Tell her they tried to take the land. Tell her I love her."
The blast hits Barry in the shoulder.
Barry is not cut from the same black cloth as his father, and his
irreverent wit and independence have already won him the friendship of
the county sheriff, Vietnam War hero Tommy Lee Wadkins. Besides,
Barry's a police pro. Though his wounds are in the hands of local
surgeon Susan Miller, Barry begins search for both the killer and the
reason for his crime. It isn't long before a second shooting occurs -
but Dallas Willard's body is then discovered at the bottom of a quarry
pond, indisputable evidence that someone else committed the second
crime, someone who now has his sights set on Barry ...
Review:
This debut mystery from television and film producer Mark de Castrique
introduces Barry Clayton who has returned to his family's home and
funeral business in rural North Carolina. de Castrique, a native of the
mountains of North Carolina, does a fine job providing detailed
descriptions of the area and sensitive portrayals of the local
residents. The relationships between the principal characters are well
defined yet have room to evolve in the future.
The mystery is fairly complex, but the author keeps the story moving
forward by not straying too far from the primary plot outline. There is
a nice scene towards the end involving the sheriff that is completely
in character and provides a very satisfactory conclusion to the book.
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing
an ARC of Dangerous
Undertaking for this
review.
Review Copyright © 2003 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Mysteries in this series ...
Dangerous Undertaking
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), 2003
ISBN-10: 1-59058-055-9 (1590580559)
Grave
Undertaking
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), 2004
ISBN-10: 1-59058-116-4 (1590581164)
Foolish
Undertaking
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59058-227-6 (1590582276)
Final
Undertaking
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-055-9 (1590580559)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-229-9 (9781590582299)
Omnimystery keywords for Dangerous Undertaking
...
Location(s) referenced: North Carolina.
