Long Upon the Land

The last of Maron's Deborah Knott series, which I've been hoarding because I knew there would be no more. It was a good one, since the author planned to end the series and obviously gave a lot of thought about how to do it. There's the requisite mysterious death, and the usual family stuff, but in this one Deborah sets out to learn a bit more about her parents' first meeting and courtship than she has ever known before, prompted by contemplation of an engraved cigarette lighter her mother had kept since WWII. Why did her dying mother tell Deborah that the man who gave her the lighter at a USO dance saved her life? Who was he, and who was his lost love? How DID a widowed bootlegger with 8 young sons persuade the daughter of a prominent show more lawyer to marry him?
2018 show less

On a quiet August morning, Judge Deborah Knott's father Kezzie makes a shocking discovery on a remote corner of his the body of a man bludgeoned to death. Investigating this crime, Deborah's husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, soon uncovers a long-simmering hostility between Kezzie and the slain man over a land dispute. The local newspaper implies that Deborah's family may have had something to do with the murder-and that Dwight is dragging his feet on the case.

Meanwhile, Deborah is given a cigarette lighter that once belonged to her mother. The cryptic inscription inside rekindles Deborah's curiosity about her parents' past, and how they met. For years she has wondered how the daughter of a wealthy attorney could have married a show more widowed, semi-illiterate bootlegger, and this time she's determined to find the answer.

But why are Deborah's brothers so reluctant to talk about the dead man? Is the murder linked to Kezzie's illegal whiskey business? And could his courtship of Deborah's mother have something to do with the bad blood between the two families? Despite Deborah's promise not to interfere in Dwight's work, she cannot stop herself from doing everything she can to help clear her brothers and her father from suspicion . . . show less

Long Upon The Land (Deborah Knott Mysteries #20)
By: Margaret Maron
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 2015
Copy Courtesy of The Reading Room Advanced
Reading Copies
Reviewed By: tk

A man who appears to have been bludgeoned to death is found on Judge Deborah Knott’s family farm by her father Kezzie. Things take a turn when Kezzie is thought to be the hand that may have killed him. Why is everyone so hesitant to talk about this dead man, and just what does he have to do with the Knott’s family? Deborah has decided to investigate and will find that some secrets are better left alone…or are they?

A brilliant story of suspense, family secrets, murder, and toss in a love interest makes this a superb tale. Margaret Maron has the incredible show more talent to wrap her words around you and take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. The smooth style of writing moves you quickly through the pages and leaves you wanting for more. I look forward to what Deborah Knott is up to next. Enjoy! show less

Maron interweaves family history with modern drama, once again causing Deborah Knott to question possible involvement of her Father and/or her brothers in a local murder. So much of the story flows from the land and its ownership, that the land itself is more than setting, almost a character capable of triggering both love and hatred.

Oh my, what will I do, the last Deborah Knott Mystery. I totally understand that Margaret Maron, well maybe I don't know the reasons she has ended the series, but I can imagine it would be a good reason. With that being said here are a few reasons that I will miss this read that has been in my life year after year for so long, just a few; I love the judge herself, I love where she lives, on the edge of her daddy's farm, the edge of her childhood, I love the clothes she picks out to wear, I love the food she feeds her family, rummaged from the pantry, tuna salad, sliced tomatoes with hot crispy rounds of cornbread on the side, how she drives down the highway, how she puts her robe on in court. These are a few reasons I will keep my show more Margatet Marons together and pass them out to be read by friends now and new reading friends in the future, also I can't wait to try the legal moonshine for sale everywhere now, bye Deborah! show less

This last book in the author's "Deborah Knott" series, like the others before it, is excellent! Judge Deborah Knott is the youngest of 12 (all brothers) and daughter of a bootlegger. When her husband, Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant, investigates a murder, it becomes clear that many of the clues point toward Deborah's father and brothers as suspects! Her family has not always held a respectable standing in the community. At the same time, Deborah begins to look into her family history and wonders how her mother gave up a life of privilege to marry Kezzie Knott. But since her mother died when Deborah was a teenager, she wishes now that she would have discussed issues like this with her when she had the chance. As she attempts to piece show more together the early years of her parent's relationship, as well as help Dwight solve the murder, Deborah discovers some shocking information. There are also some surprising changes in the wind for the Knott clan. The conclusion of this book brings together many of the "lose ends" that surfaced throughout this delightful series. These mysteries all have an excellent plot and are rich in southern flavor and filled with engaging characters. I'm sorry to see the series come to an end, but this last installment is a real winner! I look forward to anything new this author writes in the future. show less

I like all to the Deborah Knott mysteries.I liked this one a lot. Read it quite a while ago but once I read a little of it I remembered that I read it before. It has a really nice backstory about Deborah's mother. It gave a real feel about the South, about the dark side of the prejudices here, and about how people can react to difficult situations.