Small-town crime fighter
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		PCs   films   music   health   fiction   games   science   relating   websites   postcards   wargames			The author Margaret Maron has two ongoing series that I’ve come across, one of which I very much enjoy. Her character Deborah Knott is an attorney (and later a district judge) in small-town North Carolina, and the books follow her through events in her private and professional life. These being thrillers, she tends to find herself more deeply involved in the cases that cross her path than her professional role would suggest—but these aren’t high-powered, white-knuckle reads.   Maron devotes a considerable amount of attention to Knott’s family life (hers is a sprawling family, an integral part of local society), her love life, and the details and ramifications of small-scale politics. We see crimes happen, including murder, and the effects this has on those involved—but we also see the way in which life goes on for everyone else.   Titles I particularly enjoyed include Bootlegger’s Daughter, the first in the Knott series. This sees Knott investigating a long-unsolved murder case while attempting to run for district judge. As always in these books, there is plenty of local colour. Home Fires is the latest Knott book, and touches more explicitly than any of the others on the issue of racism in the contemporary South. In between the two come Southern Discomfort and Shooting at Loons.   Also worth a look is Bloody Kin, a standalone volume in a similar setting. This follows Kate, a grieving widow who moves from her native New York to her late husband’s North Carolina home town, and discovers that his death may not have been the accident everyone has assumed. Bloody Kin shares many of the features of the Knott books, and is good at describing the difficulty of fitting into a tight-knit rural community.   Amazon.co.uk carries the Deborah Knott series: Bootlegger’s Daughter, Southern Discomfort, and Home Fires.   These books are also available from Amazon.com: Bootlegger’s Daughter, Southern Discomfort, Shooting at Loons, Home Fires, and Bloody Kin.   We receive a commission—at no extra cost to you—from the businesses we refer you to. If you decide to purchase something that we have recommended, please do so by following the links from our website. Thank you!
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