Death's half Acre by Margaret Maron

Publisher's Weekly called Death's Half Acre (Find this book in our catalog) "a mellow, down-home mystery." I just consumed this book in only a few sittings and I sure it will have enormous appeal for readers of traditional mysteries for whom the key to a good read is an up-beat ending where the forces of right come out on top. I suppose this could almost be called a "cozy" mystery; but don't be afraid, Death's Half Acre has none of the cuteness and few of the frothy frills, enjoyable though they can be, of the current crop of punning mysteries centered on cooking or handicrafts.

Margaret Maron has got the tone just right in this 14th novel to feature Judge Deborah Knott. Drawing on her own North Carolina roots the author began the series with The Bootlegger's Daughter, which almost swept the board of major mystery awards. Light-handedly, Maron delineates her large cast of characters, the Judge's friends and vast extended family who populate rural Colleton County. Sure enough, the characters are rather stereotypical, but are drawn with sensitivity, humor, affection and tolerance for their failings. The author clearly understands what makes ordinary people in Colleton County tick.

When the book starts, people in the county are preparing for what will probably be a contentious hearing of the Planning Committee of the County Commissioners. County residents and politicians are divided about growth, as housing developments and shopping malls squeeze out the small farmers. Then the apparent suicide of Candace Bradshaw, a sexy and power-hungry small business owner and Chair of the County Commissioners uncovers a chain of corruption and murders.

Judge Knott tries to stay aloof from the investigation, carried out by her newly-wed husband, sheriff's deputy Dwight Bryant. For one thing she is busy with settling disputes in court and attending gatherings of family and friends. She's also concerned about what scheme her ex-bootlegger father can be up to with a manipulative and egomaniacal preacher. Eventually, however, worried about her political future, Deborah is driven to interfere with Dwight's case: she bends the law a little and suddenly is in the most terrible danger.

I'm sure I won't spoil the story if I say that good does triumph in the end in this is a modern-day parable about the dangers of greed spoiling the good things you already have. I am sure you will find as I did that it's very pleasurable just seeing how everything works out. I closed the book anticipating the next installment of the series, and I might go back and read some of the earlier books too; though it's not essential to be familiar with what went before to thoroughly enjoy this southern mystery!

Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead by Nick Drake

This week, rather than focusing on what a book group has been discussing, I wanted to recommend a book I have been reading myself. Since this book is by a debut fiction author, Nick Drake, I am hoping that I can steal a march on you and recommend a book you have not heard about. I think you should really try Nefertiti:the Book of the Dead. Though at times the plot gets a little confusing, I think you will put the book down well satisfied and looking forward to the next installment of the planned trilogy.

The story is set in ancient Egypt at the time of Akhenaten, the king who for political reasons dismantled the ancient structure of priests and gods and put in its place the worship of himself, as the incarnation of the one god, Aten, the sun disk. Our likeable hero, detective Rai Rahotep of the Egyptian secret police is summoned to Akhenaten, the new city built in the desert, to solve a mystery before the festival to celebrate the founding of the new regime. Should Rahotep fail he will be put to death, along with his young family. The mystery is the disappearance of Nefertiti, whose appearance at the festival is essential to Akhenaten to shore up his crumbling reign and equally crumbling city.

Nick Drake does an excellent job of describing the politics of the time, and also vividly depicts the palaces and streets of the city. The background details to me were one of the strengths of the book that kept me engaged. Even clothing and furniture is described, as well as the squalor of the ordinary people, who are not beneficaries of the new order as the rich are. The backstreets and the River Nile itself come into play a lot as Rahotep pursues suspects or is pursued himself. There is plenty of action and adventure in this book, together with some bloody and gruesome scenes of torture. Though there is a mystery to solve, this book is both longer and more complex than a traditional mystery. I think fans of Robert Harris’ Pompeii will enjoy this.

Things to think of as you read:
What does Drake have to say about love and family. Are there different kinds of love?
What are the motives of some of the great men described in the book? Are their characters well-developed? Are their motives believable?
Drake describes obsession and even madness. Is his depiction convincing?
One reviewer thought that the book had “a convincing aura of suspense.” Would you agree? What did you think of the scenes in the Otherworld?
What is the importance of the Nile and the Red Land?

Other authors of Egyptian mysteries:
Lynda Robinson
P. C. Doherty