Down Home Murder [Mass Market Paperback]

Toni L. P. Kelner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

When a tragic family accident brings Laura Fleming back home to Byerly, North Carolina, the sleuth discovers that her beloved grampaw's fatal fall from a ladder in the old mill was not an accident. Original.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Laura Fleming is the prodigal daughter returning home to Byerly, N.C., from her adopted and very Yankee world of Boston academia. She joins her family at the bedside of "Paw," the family patriarch, who was hospitalized following an accident at the textile mill where he, like most of his clan, earns a little extra money doing piecework. Just prior to lapsing into a coma, Paw whispers to Laura that this mishap was no accident. Acting on Paw's final words, Laura and her husband, Richard, a literature professor with an annoying habit of quoting Shakespeare, set out to find the killer. Many suspects--including kin--arise and then are eliminated from suspicion by the Yankee interlopers. Eventually, the two stumble upon a connection to another crime--the recent rape and murder of a local girl--which reveals the identity of the old man's killer. Kelner's first novel is replete with stock characters speaking "southern" ("Lord-a-mighty it is so hot out there, and as muggy as all get out"). Failing to involve readers with strong characters, this tale derives flavor not from its ingredients but from where it's served.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575664291
• ISBN-13: 978-1575664293
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great Southern mystery, medium-light, not too gory, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Down Home Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

A great beginning to a series. I especially liked the married couple detectives- and their relationship to each other. I also enjoyed the way that their interactions with each other and with relatives echoed the themes of the mystery itself- this interweaving of themes enriches the story and makes it richer and more interesting than the typical mystery. But, the book is not too heavy- there is good-hearted humor in the descriptions and characterizations, and the murder is handled well- with seriousness but not too much gore.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great start for the series, December 30, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down Home Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Laura and Richard Fleming are called home to Byerly, North Carolina because Laura's grandfather, Paw, who raised her after her parents death, had a serious accident. Paw is semiconscious in the hospital and tells Laura that he didn't fall, he was pushed. A young local woman also went missing about the same time. Soon after, Paw dies and Laura is determined to bring his killer to justice. Laura has always felt like an outsider in her family and the possibility that one of them murdered her much loved grandfather can either bring the family together or blow them apart completely.

I wish that I had read this mystery first, it explains alot of the family dynamics for the later books. It is also a first rate mystery and I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Light and funny!, July 11, 2006

By 

Coppertop (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down Home Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

I wasn't sure about this mystery, but it turned out be a great read! The characters are fun and interesting and really quite humorous!

Laura and her husband, Richard, live in Boston, but are in her hometown in North Carolina because her grandfather had an "accident." He tells Laura that he was hit before he dies and so she investigates. While the plot is a little slow at times, it is enjoyable. I even managed to figure out "whodonit" - something I seldom do!

I will definitely be picking up another book in this series and recommend you do as well!