The Law of the Dead [Mass Market Paperback]

Tess Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999

THE LAW OF THE LAND . . .

Appalachian country was shaped by misty valleys, hardship, mining strikes, and the legacy of the Cherokee people. Now the small Kentucky town of Contrary is being reshaped--by murder.

THE LAW OF THE LIVING . . .

Reconciled to settling down in the community she fled years before, attorney Alma Bashears finds herself embroiled in random acts of violence that soon become chillingly connected: the tragic death of her pregnant cousin, the shooting of a factory owner, the disappearance of a teenage girl. As Alma delves into family secrets, witnesses a preacher's mysterious power, and begins a curious relationship with a handsome stranger, she realizes how much of Contrary she still doesn't know--including a killer who has made himself at home. . . .

THE LAW OF THE DEAD

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tess Collins writes of Appalachia with an intensity that reminds me of Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad series. . . . With her nimble plotting and modern sensibilities, she's another authentic voice for the region."
--MARGARET MARON

"Tess Collins captures the atmosphere of Appalachia and the essence of its hill people with a tenderness, vividness, and accuracy that is positively brilliant."
--amazon.com

From the Inside Flap

THE LAW OF THE LAND . . .

Appalachian country was shaped by misty valleys, hardship, mining strikes, and the legacy of the Cherokee people. Now the small Kentucky town of Contrary is being reshaped--by murder.

THE LAW OF THE LIVING . . .

Reconciled to settling down in the community she fled years before, attorney Alma Bashears finds herself embroiled in random acts of violence that soon become chillingly connected: the tragic death of her pregnant cousin, the shooting of a factory owner, the disappearance of a teenage girl. As Alma delves into family secrets, witnesses a preacher's mysterious power, and begins a curious relationship with a handsome stranger, she realizes how much of Contrary she still doesn't know--including a killer who has made himself at home. . . .

THE LAW OF THE DEAD

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 327 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books; First Edition edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804117950
• ISBN-13: 978-0804117951
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,993,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tess Collins is a coal miner's granddaughter raised in the southeastern Kentucky town of Middlesboro, she spent her early years listening to mountain tales of haunted hollows, ghosts, moonshiners and unsolved murders. No doubt they influenced her writing. She is the author of THE LAW OF REVENGE, THE LAW OF THE DEAD, and THE LAW OF BETRAYAL, thrillers set in Appalachia. Her non-fiction book HOW THEATER MANAGERS MANAGE (June 2003) is published by Rowman and Littlefield's Scarecrow Press. Her web page can be accessed at www.tesscollins.com/


THE LAW OF BETRAYAL was a 2003 finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year in the Mystery Category while HOW THEATER MANAGERS MANAGE garnered the Bronze Award in the Performing Arts Category.


Miss Collins received a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. from The Union Institute.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real characters, a real setting, June 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Law of the Dead (Mass Market Paperback)

Contrary, Kentucky, the setting of this novel, is by no means Mayberry RFD. This Appalachian town is brought to life in appearance and smell and feeling--in atmosphere. It's a good-sized modern-day hill town, with strikes at the factory, corruption in government, social manipulation, and murder. The characters in the novel are as flawed and human as those in your own home town. Am eager to find out where the next book takes Alma Bashears, a protagonist so real I sometimes wanted to shake her for being so single-minded.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable down home mystery, March 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Law of the Dead (Mass Market Paperback)

Years ago she left Contrary, Kentucky following a traumatic incident. She managed to carve out a good life as a California attorney. She once vowed to never return home, but circumstances force her to give up her job, home, and relationship as her brother needs her to defend him from a murder charge. After she won that case, she entered into a partnership with fellow lawyer Jefferson Bingham. However that ended when she ran and won the post of Commonwealth Attorney by defeating her enemy Walter Gentry.

The small Appalachian town has its own rules and Alma has to relearn them if she wants any success in her new job. That turns out to be a much more difficult task than Alma expected as several problems simultaneously surface. Her cousin Kitty has been mutilated and murdered. A strike protester shoots a factory owner. Someone kidnaps her two nephews. Alma concludes that these three seemingly independent incidents are tied together. However, her theory leaves her life in jeopardy by an assailant who wants to remain anonymous.

Although the heroine acts more like a police detective than a lawyer, this distinction fails to distract readers from the colorful and exciting novel. In THE LAW OF THE DEAD Tess Collins explores the Appalachian culture with a precision, empathy, and understanding that can only come from a talented insider. The numerous sub-plots coalesce into a fantastic police and legal procedural.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars A Taste of Appalachia, July 21, 2001

By 

Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Law of the Dead (Mass Market Paperback)

As a mystery author, I read THE LAW OF THE DEAD as preparation for an author panel I was moderating at a recent Left Coast Crime mystery convention. Written by Tess Collins, a coal miner's granddaughter, THE LAW OF THE DEAD gives the reader a taste of life in Appalachia. Set in Contrary Kentucky, the book features a strong female lead. Alma Bashears was born and raised in Contrary, yet she relocated to California. Now she is home in Appalachia, relearning her old turf, and dealing with a series of seemingly random acts of violence. This novel succeeds on many levels. Terrific plot. Memorable characters. Excellent capturing of the locale. Tess Collins has written an excellent book. Read it!