High Country Fall: A Deborah Knott Mystery

I have been a fan of Margaret Maron’s Deborah Knott series for many years. Her writing is excellent, both as to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, as well as her character development and plots. There are 20 books and several collections of short stories in this series. This book,High Country Fall, is my favorite. I failed to understand why three of the full length novels in this series are not available on Kindle in the United States, but this is one of them. The next one in the sequence, Rituals of the Season, in which the FMC and MMC marry, is also unavailable, as is a later book in this series, Christmas Mourning. At one time, Rituals of the Season was in fact available on Kindle, because I had it. I would very much like to see all three of these available on Kindle again.

Other than conflicting delivery times sent for three days, the product was fine. If I could figure out how to put a half-star above, I would have given the transaction four-and-a-half stars. Thank you.

I enjoy the Deborah Knott series. The characters are well developed and the story lines are believable. When I read these books, I can hear the mosquitoes buzz, and feel the humidity. I love a book that transports me to the setting and the Deborah Knott book do this.

Love this entire Deborak Knott series! Hard to put down! Judge Knott seems to end up in the middle of trouble whether she is looking for it or not. The characters are believable and never boring. There is a murder, a mystery, and a little romance in each book. Maron is a wonderful storyteller!

I love Maron's writing, but then, I'm from a small town in the South. Her descriptions are right on, both of characters and of the landscapes. I've known people like the ones in her Deborah Knott books all my life. Her dialogue is true, as well, and her plotting keeps me interested. I appreciate her slow pace, just as I do that of James Lee Burke. I'm not sure I'd recommend her to my city-bred friends, but I'll certainly be happy to continue reading her Judge Knott books until she stops writing them.

I love everything that Margaret Maron writes. Being a lady born and raised in North Carolina does make me more inclined to read most fiction from writers of this beautiful state. That being said, I found this book to be well written and enjoyable to read. Margaret Maron has a style that I like to read. She describes the beauty of the mountains that are present and the characters are so real. A good book, easy to read and most enjoyable. Would recommend to read.

Always enjoy her NC sites from coast to mountains. Local color and legal matters that blend with the current murder mystery. It is good reading and not too quick to figure out. I am a fan.

I am a souhern girl lawyer with a grandpa from north Georgia who made moonshine. Margaret captures the essence of these aspects of who I am. She is also an excellent, fun writer. The twist in this book caught me by surprise, but is so right in retrospect.

I really enjoy the Deborah Knott novels, although sometimes her family is overwhelming. As, in this book, she is not in her hometown, you do not get so much of that, which is good, as far as I am concerned. The author always sneaks in some social commentary, and sometimes she weaves in larger issues, but it is generally expertly done (and not done much in this book). Not all the characters are well fleshed out, but enough that you get a feeling for them. I would not say that these novels are memorable, but I don't think they are meant to be. Thus, the four-star rating is not for the literary value of the book, but for my level of my enjoyment while reading it. Disclosure: I lived in North Carolina for several years, and liked it there, so I might be somewhat biased.

High Country Fall tells the story of female judge (interesting) that finds herself on secondment to a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains (scenic) where she engages with a closely knit community (too much detail). She helps to solve a murder, survives a murder attempt on her own life, and eventually comes to terms with her relationship issues. Other reviews cover the details, if you are interested. For me, I found the book soft, nice, twee, and the mystery was easy to solve. On the other hand, I did enjoy the details describing the Blue Ridge Mountains (never having been there myself) and the commentary on how small towns like Cedar Gap are in such danger of losing their identities and local colour. If you don't mind lots of extraneous and interesting detail running alongside the mystery that is presented, then I think you'll enjoy this book. If you like 'hard crime' and quick, sharp, fast mysteries then this is not for you.