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From the pen of the Edgar Award-winning author of Bootlegger's Daughter and Southern Discomfort flows a tale of mystery, money, and murder on the Outer Banks. Populated with colorful, richly drawn characters, Margaret Maron's latest novel captures the flavor of life in rural North Carolina. Arriving in Carteret County to fill in for a sick colleague, Judge Deborah Knott finds herself in the thick of battles between sport and commercial fishermen and between old and new money. It is Deborah's bad fortune to discover the body of Andy Bynum, a retired waterman respected by all sides. With no obvious suspects in the murder, Deborah must find the killer in a place where people shoot at loons, sea turtles, and their neighbors. C.J. Critt's skillful narration brings Deborah Knott to life, as the judge-detective searches for the truth in her quiet but determined way. Shooting at Loons is Margaret Maron at her suspenseful best.… (more)
User reviews
As she unravels the tangled web of connections between possible suspects, she also discovers the battle
The hook in this book is the tension between local fishermen and developers, wealth and the struggle to survive, rigidity and compromise, and the odd alliances that are often found in politics. As with all Maron's Deborah Knott books, this one is as much about place as it is about people, and it tells us a story about change and growth and North Carolina at the same time as it's telling us a story about murder and mayhem.
I do enjoy these stories and the cast of characters that inhabit them. Deborah is a fascinating character and all of her relatives just add to the fun.
I thought I had this one figured out and Maron threw me for a loop so as usual I was surprised at the ending.
More of her books are on my tbr list.
Deborah soon realizes that the centuries-old way of life in this isolated part of the South is just as endangered as loons and sea turtles, and the fisherman's murder is somehow tied to the coming changes. In her time both on the bench as well as off, Deborah has certainly seen her share of change, and she's intensely aware of the rage and fear and greed such changes arouse.
Even so, sipping her bourbon in the fresh salt air does wonders for Deborah's weary soul, and life at the beach takes a definite upswing when she meets a game warden who's hunting for loon poachers. Yes, in her mind, Deborah's short vacation certainly has proved to be beneficial. Not until a second murder occurs and a lover from her past is implicated does Deborah realize she's up to her own neck in intrigue - and dangerously close to a killer...
To be perfectly honest, I may not have been in the proper mood to read this book to begin with. It was very difficult for me to get into the flow of the story. I had such trouble keeping the characters straight in my mind, that it lessened my enjoyment of the book somewhat. Actually, it was only when the story picked up appreciably - about halfway though, I think - that I began to enjoy it more.
I have one other book by Margaret Maron on my bookshelf, the twelfth book in this series. I may read Winter's Child some time in the future, but I have to give this book - Shooting at Loons - a B!
She meets a lot of
The mystery is interesting enough, who killed the victim and there are definitely a lot and a wide variety of suspects. Maron keeps the reader guessing pretty well too, until the end, and the killer isn't someone we've never met either (one of my pet peeves in mysteries).
The novel is also one of the novels in the Deborah Knott series that stands alone very well, partially because her family isn't in the story. A solid 4 stars.
Review: This interesting, fun to read, book takes you down several paths before revealing the murder and making all the clues that led in one direction lead in another.
Maron takes no sides in the argument over use of resrouces but does a beautiful job of showing ALL sides, not an easy task.
This instalment also introduces Kidd Chapin, game warden, as Knott's romantic interest.
The murder mystery itself is well done and builds to a nice climax. As usual, good writing and believable characters in a well-defined North Carolina setting--all Maron trademarks in this series.
Chapter headings are verses from hymns taken from Gospel Hymns: Nos. 1 to 6, by Ira Sankey, james McGranahan and George Stebbins, copyright in 1895. Each hymn uses the sea or sailing as metaphor.
Highly recommended.
Deborah is staying at a cousin and his wife's cottage on Harkers Island on the southern coast of North Carolina as she's substituting for another judge at the Carteret County courthouse. Discovery of a body brings Deborah a close-up view and understanding of the differences between appreciating the offerings of the island as a "weekender" or "tourist" and that of a "local."
Margaret Maron does an excellent job of giving readers this "insider's or local view" through Deborah's experience and learning curve which gives her a deeper perspective to the challenges of all parties. Sadly, "weekenders" and vacationers are not always respectful to the environment of not only coastal towns but all locations they so revere during their escape planning.
This book is one of many that clearly highlights that a novel doesn't need to be over a certain number of pages to offer a powerful message and especially for those that visit coastal towns. I think this novel would make an excellent book club selection to provide a comfortable setting for thoughtful discussion.