A Change of Pace in the Deborah Knott Series

THREE DAY TOWN
Margaret Maron
Grand Central Publishing
November 2011



I am a long time fan of Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series and was delighted to meet her at BEA this year and get a signed copy of her most recent book.  As a native North Carolinian who has lived "away" for a long time, these books are almost as good as a visit home!


Three Day Town is number 17 in the Deborah Knott series, winner of the Edgar, Macavity, Anthony and Agatha Awards. Deborah is a judge in fictional Colleton County, NC and surrounded by a large and colorful family headed by Kezzie Knott, former bootlegger and local political party power. Over the course of the series we have watched Deborah grow in her judgeship, stumble through several failed relationships and finally settle down happily with Dwight Bryant, childhood friend of her brothers and local policeman. Dwight had been waiting for her to take a look at him as someone other than a "buddy" for years. When that finally happened it was a happy event indeed even though as in life, nothing is perfect. When Dwight's ex-wife was killed Deborah became a step-mother to his son, Cal. It has been an adjustment but all seems to being going well.


This novel is somewhat different as the action takes place on New York's Upper West Side. Dwight and Deborah are finally taking a long-delayed honeymoon in New York, staying in an apartment loaned to them by Deborah's sister-in-law. They only have one errand to accomplish, the delivery of a package to Lt. Sigrid Harald from her NC grandmother. Lt. Harald had her own series before Margaret Maron began the Deborah Knott series. When Sigrid comes to collect the package the apartment has been broken into, the package is gone and a doorman is dead. By the time the mystery unfolds there are more disappearances, death and Deborah gets herself into a whole lot of trouble, as usual.


I did miss the North Carolina setting and Deborah's extended, somewhat eccentric family. However, the mystery was full of twists and turns and was tied up very satisfactorily. I enjoyed having Dwight on hand for so much of the action. Until reading this book, I had never read the Sigrid Harald series but as they are available again in ebook form, I am reading them now. Sigrid is a very different character but in the series we get to see her grow through an eventful year of her life. I would recommend starting with BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER, first of the Deborah Knott series, to meet all the engaging characters mentioned in this book and watch the evolution of Dwight and Deborah's relationship. 

RATING- 4 stars