Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron

This is another series I have not read before, and I am very pleased to have found it.  It is the Deborah Knott Mystery series by Margaret Maron, the latest of which is "Sand Sharks."

Knott is a district court judge in Colleton, North Carolina, who experiences more excitement than she bargained for when she goes to a conference for state judges in Wrightsville, NC, near Wilmington.  She discovers the body of a judge colleague near the restaurant where she eats for dinner the night before the conference starts and is caught up in helping the detective assigned to the case to determine who killed the judge.  Of course, there is some collateral damage and more dead bodies along the way to the truth about Judge Jeffrey's murder.  Did another judge kill him off?  Was it the friend of Deborah's cousin, who's son was victimized by a criminal the judge let loose?  Was it someone completely unassociated with the judge or his cases?

This is a profession I know little about, so watching the politics that goes on to get judges elected and kept in office is interesting.  What I liked best about the book is that all of the characters are given very human feelings and reactions.  Reading the book is like taking a page out of the lives of ordinary people and weaving a tale around them.  There are personalities you like and others you hate, and some that are just interesting or different.  All are described, warts and all, including the main character, Judge Knott.

This was a fast read.  I didn't want to put the book down and spent a large part of two days finishing it.  That is one of the tests of a good book for me.  If I am so involved that I can't put it down, it rates highly with me.  It means that the characters speak to me, the plot is absorbing and paced right, and the transitions are skillfully written so that you want to keep going on from one chapter to the next.  That is a skill that is accomplished by only the best and most experienced authors, usually, and Maron is experienced.  She has about 15 books in the Knott series, 8 books in the Sigrid Harald series, and 4 other novels.

Maron grew up near Raleigh, NC, lived in Brooklyn for many years, and has returned to her native North Carolina.  She has won awards for many of her mysteries. You can learn more about her at her website, www.MargaretMaron.com.

Liz Nichols
lizdnichols at gmail.com