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 for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Hard Row? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
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Mysterious Press (Hardcover), May 1992
ISBN-10: 0-89296-445-6 (0892964456)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-445-1 (9780892964451)
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ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-446-8 (9780892964468)
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Up
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ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-568-7 (9780892965687)
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Mysterious Press (Hardcover), August 1997
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ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-654-7 (9780892966547)
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Mysterious Press (Hardcover), April 2000
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Uncommon
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Mysterious Press (Hardcover), May 2001
ISBN-10: 0-89296-720-X (089296720X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-720-9 (9780892967209)
Slow
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Mysterious Press (Hardcover), September 2002
ISBN-10: 0-89296-764-1 (0892967641)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-764-3 (9780892967643)
High
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ISBN-10: 0-89296-808-7 (0892968087)
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Winter's
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Hard Row
Grand Central (Hardcover), August 2007
ISBN-10: 0-446-58243-3 (0446582433)
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-58243-8 (9780446582438)
Death's
Half Acre
Grand Central (Hardcover), August 2008
ISBN-10: 0-446-19610-X (044619610X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-19610-9 (9780446196109)
Sand
Sharks
Grand Central (Hardcover), August 2009
ISBN-10: 0-446-19611-8 (0446196118)
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-19611-6 (9780446196116)
Omnimystery
keywords for Hard Row
...
Location(s) referenced: North
Carolina.
