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The Famous DAR Murder Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Graham Landrum (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

July 15, 1995
The search of the grave of a Revolutionary War soldier takes a bizarre turn when four members of the Old Orchard Fort chapter stumble on a modern-day corpse. Though the sheriff dismisses the body as a transient battered in a drunken brawl, one of the ladies, organist Helen Delaporte, has other ideas. First, there are the victim's finely manicured hands...and then there is the map dropped at the scene of the crime.

Soon the members, including feisty, eighty-six-year-old Harriet Bushrow, are rebels with a cause, mounting an investigation of their own. Of course, when the press catches wind of it, they go to town. the coveted publicity for their chapter sets the ladies reveling...until Helen's windshield is showered with bullets...and it's clear that their new pet project could spell deadly ends for them all.

Told in the alternating voices of chapter members and other colorful characters, Graham Landrum's stunning debut novel is the first in a delightful series narrated by members of the community of Borderville (smack on the Virginia-Tennessee line).


Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

First novelist Landrum advances his plot with wit, grace, and warmth as several Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) ladies relate their roles in solving a murder. When four members of the Old Orchard Fort chapter (Borderville, Virginia) of the DAR visit an unfrequented graveyard in search of a patriot's grave, they find a battered body behind a tombstone. Ascertaining that the sheriff will give the killing of an apparent vagrant low priority, Helen Delaporte, regent for the chapter and wife of a lawyer, spearheads an investigation that uses genealogical know-how, gossipy information from lively oldsters, and shrewd common sense. Solid, wholesome, and lively.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A delightful first novel relating the experiences of some members of the Old Orchard Fort chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Borderville, Virginia, in solving the murder of Luis Garcia, a world-renowned harpist from California. The chapter's savvy Regent, Helen Delaporte, along with other members, discovered Garcia's beaten corpse while placing a grave marker in an out-of-the-way cemetery. Sheriff Butch Gilroy dismisses the unidentified body as that of just another drifter, but Helen- -curiosity sparked--makes some astute deductions that lead to a positive identification. Now she wants to know why the victim, on the eve of a world tour, would detour to this backwoods area. Helen enlists the help of three DAR stalwarts--one of them expert in local genealogy; another the gutsy, guileful 86-year-old Harriet Bushrow (no flies on her!). The ladies take turns telling their part in the saga. The result is a story full of suspense, lively characters, and unforced homespun charm. The DAR should be grateful. Readers of this divertingly different first-class murder mystery will be too. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 198 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (July 15, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312955685
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312955687
  • Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,094,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Full of fun and delightful recipies, this book is delicious., June 24, 1998
By A Customer
Graham Landrum writes a droll novel of murder and mayhem in a small town, with the DAR ladies in hot pursuit of a ruthless killer. Sprinkled with lots of delicious recipies, you get the feeling that life has an order and cadence despite the horrific events in the story. A wonderful who-dun-it, and a fast-paced read. I enjoyed every minute of it, and wish Graham Landrum was still with us to work his magic again and again.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for every DAR member!, June 1, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Famous DAR Murder Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
If you always thought the DAR was for little old ladies, you really should read about them here! If you belong, you'll appreciate this even more.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun Mystery Novel Honoring DAR Members, March 23, 2007
By 

For some reason the librarian added a green hardback edition of this book to some material pulled for me. I decided to accept it and give it a try. I was glad I did.

My grandma was an enthusiastic DAR member and this novel gives me a peek into what that part of her life was like.

This is the first of the five Borderville mysteries, so if you've thought about reading those, start with this one.

I have seen green hardback covers in this series as well as some red-border paperback covers (like this: The Famous DAR Murder Mystery), so if you plan to collect several in the series, keep that in mind.

This is not just a mystery that happens to involve some daughters. The solid character, the projects and the skills of DAR members are crucial to the solving of the mystery. Even the style of conveying the story reminds me of hardworking, carefully researching ladies.

I laughed while reading this, too. I hope that is OK.

I recommend this for any DAR member or someone who loves one or anybody who loves a mystery solved by some on-the-ball ladies.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
We were looking for a dead man-one who had been buried over a century ago; and we found a dead man-one who had not been buried at all. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
commonwealth attorney, suede coat, transfer business
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Allen Comming, Helen Delaporte, Borderville Transfer, Brown Spring Cemetery, Duncan Yardley, Elizabeth Wheeler, Santa Barbara, Hogg's Gap, Luis Garcia Valera, Butch Gilroy, Harriet Bushrow, Margaret Chalmers, Adoniram Philipson, Anthony Hancock, Baker Comming, Miss Rose, Kenneth Raebon, New York, Quin Drover, Quinby Drover, Three City Airport, Evelyn Haverty, Henry Delaporte, Sheriff Gilroy, Angus Redloch
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