ISBN: 0-7887-0032-4 Order from: Recorded Books
A pleasant, if occasionally wordy mystery with a good plot, lots of Southern atmosphere, and a pragmatic and nosy protagonist.
Reviewed by David on October 20, 2002
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth)
Synopsis: This is an unabridged recording of Southern Discomfort. Deborah Knott, a recently appointed District Judge in a rural North Carolina county, has been forced by a rash election promise to participate in a volunteer project to build a house. The donated hours give Deborah aching muscles, as well as plenty of gossip, as an all-woman crew slowly puts a house together. Deborah, who seems to have relatives all over the county, is an astute observer of tensions and human conflict. Her experience, however, ill-prepares her to find her niece battered and bruised in the hald-built house. Or the colling body of a randy young man who chased the niece.
Along with the police, Deborah investigates the deadly events, to find the root of the murder in the web of lust, fear and friendship that surrounds human relations.
Full Review: As in the other books of the series, the narrative suffers a bit from a wordy, slightly condescending expositions and explanations scattered throughout the text. That aside, the first-person narrator, Deborah Knott, while prone to lecturing, is a good vehicle. Educated but deeply rooted in the culture of the South, including the dozens of relatives, pragmatic approach to politics, and a good understanding of human weakness, Deborah combines effective observation with compassion.
The resulution is not unexpected, but sufficiently ambiguous to bring satisfaction to most mystery readers. As a result, this is a pleasant if unexceptional addition to the Judge Knott series, likely to appeal to all who enjoyed other books in the series.
Overall: 5.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 5.5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5;
Copyright date 1993, Recorded Books, 1994, Audio cassette, 6 cassettes
ISBN: 0-7887-0032-4 Order from: Recorded Books