Hard
Row
A Deborah Knott
Mystery
Margaret Maron
Grand Central (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-446-58243-3 (0446582433)
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-58243-8 (9780446582438)
Publication Date: August 2007
List Price: $24.99
Synopsis (from the publisher): As Judge Deborah Knott presides over a case involving a barroom brawl, it becomes clear that deep resentments over race, class, and illegal immigration are simmering just below the surface in the North Carolina countryside. Soon after, a farmer known for his harsh treatment of migrant workers is found brutally murdered. The search for the killer leads Deborah and her new husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, into the desperate realm of undocumented farm laborers who are exploited for cheap labor. In the meantime, Deborah and Dwight must continue adjusting to married life and having Dwight's eight-year-old-son, Cal, live with them full-time. As the case expands to multiple murders, Deborah and Dwight discover dark truths that threaten to permanently alter the serenity of their rural surroundings and new life together.
Review:
Margaret Maron's 13th Deborah Knott mystery, Hard Row, is a
potpourri of well-written and well-crafted stories that blend together
into a singularly satisfying crime novel.
Deborah and her new husband, Sheriff Deputy Dwight Bryant,
have taken in Dwight’s young son, Cal, who, because of the
untimely death of his mother, has come to live with them full time. In
and of itself, this tale of a new family is a wonderfully told story.
But then reality (as it were) intrudes when a dismembered body is
found. There is no shortage of suspects and complicating matters are
the large number of undocumented workers in the area. Deborah and
Dwight each pursue their respective jobs, in the courtroom and at the
police station. There are also several subplots: a rich landowner who
is in the throes of a very hostile divorce, a family who finds out
their daughter is dating a Mexican lad, and an elderly gentleman who
disappears from a local nursing home. It’s a true measure of
Maron's talent how a few complete and really excellent storylines can
come together and be a part of the resolution to the mystery behind the
murder, withholding the identity of the killer until the surprising
conclusion.
Life on the farm, life in the city, and life at home are all part of Hard Row. There's
even a bit of humor as the author delves into the lives of Deborah's
eleven (11!) older brothers and the families.
Hard Row is an exceptional mystery, an amazing book of family, friends,
laughter, crime, and punishment. And it all fits together like a comfortable, well
worn, and much appreciated pair of suede gloves.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Hard Row and to Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Bootlegger's Daughter
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1992
ISBN-10: 0-89296-445-6 (0892964456)
Southern Discomfort
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1993
ISBN-10: 0-89296-446-4 (0892964464)
Shooting at Loons
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1994
ISBN-10: 0-89296-447-2 (0892964472)
Up Jumps the Devil
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1996
ISBN-10: 0-89296-568-1 (0892965681)
Killer Market
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1997
ISBN-10: 0-89296-654-8 (0892966548)
Shoveling Smoke (Collection of Short Stories)
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1997
ISBN-10: 1-88594-114-5 (1885941145)
Home Fires
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 1998
ISBN-10: 0-89296-655-6 (0892966556)
Storm Track
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2000
ISBN-10: 0-89296-656-4 (0892966564)
Uncommon Clay
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2001
ISBN-10: 0-89296-720-X (089296720X)
Slow Dollar
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2002
ISBN-10: 0-89296-764-1 (089296761-1)
High Country Fall
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2004
ISBN-10: 0-89296-808-7 (0892968087)
Rituals of the Season
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2005
ISBN-10: 0-89296-809-5 (0892968095)
Winter's Child
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), 2006
ISBN-10: 0-89296-810-9 (0892968109)
Hard Row
Grand Central (Hardcover), 2007
ISBN-10: 0-446-58243-3 (0446582433)
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-58243-8 (9780446582438)
Omnimystery keywords for Hard Row ...
Location(s) referenced: North Carolina.