A Minister's Ghost: A Fever Devilin Mystery [Hardcover]

Phillip DePoy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Fever Devilin | Publication Date: December 27, 2005

Fever Devilin is a folklorist who fled the fevered halls of academia to return home to the Blue Mountain region of the Georgia Appalachians and a hopefully quiet life. While on a trip collecting folklore, Fever spots an apparition at a railroad crossing. Such apparitions are traditionally omens of evil, and when he returns home he finds his suspicions are accurate: his friend Lucinda's two nieces have been killed in a suspicious accident. As he consoles Lucinda, Fever promises to investigate the girls' deaths. His promise leads him through a maze of train-hopping drifters, old ghost stories, and the wild ravings of an itinerant preacher - as he attempts to uncover the truth behind the tales that are told and the visions that are seen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Collecting stories from mountain folk suspicious of outsiders has taught Georgia folklorist Fever Devilin to be a patient investigator, a skill he once again puts to use in his winning third outing (after 2004's The Witch's Grave). Devilin has left a big-city university for his hometown of Blue Mountain, Ga., where he has reconnected with his sweetheart, Lucinda, and his boyhood friend, Skidmore "Skid" Needle, now the county sheriff. A new investigation hits home with a brutal sadness: Lucinda's two much-loved nieces are killed at a railroad crossing in what Lucinda fiercely insists could not be a simple accident. The final resolution doesn't stand up to the scrutiny of logic, but by then readers are so captivated by the characters in Blue Mountain they don't much care. DePoy writes with a poet's ear for the just-right word (making the occasional clunky sentence all the more startling) and manages, through the sheer charm of the smalltown characters, to avoid the obvious clichés of the city slicker returning home. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Folklorist Fever Devlin (The Devil's Hearth, 2003; The Witch's Grave, 2004) has returned to his family home in Blue Mountain, Georgia, to collect local lore and visit friends. One evening he spots an apparition near a railroad crossing, considered an omen of bad luck. News that his friend's nieces have died in a suspicious accident confirms the belief and prompts a request for Devlin to investigate the deaths. The trail leads to strange hoboes, ghost stories, and a mysterious itinerant preacher. DePoy, a folklorist, excels at providing local color and creating complex characters. The story unfolds slowly and lyrically, giving readers a taste of small-town Appalachian atmosphere. Readers who enjoy a dose of the supernatural in a rural setting will find this story compelling. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (December 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312339348
• ISBN-13: 978-0312339340
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phillip DePoy is an Edgar Award winning playwright, and author of more than a dozen published books. His play Lamb on Fire was produced in New York. He has been called "a master Southern storyteller" by Kirkus Reviews and "adept at clever word play" by Publisher's Weekly. THE KING JAMES CONSPIRACY has been compared, in BookList, to Umberto Eco's THE NAME OF THE ROSE. In a recent review, Kirkus said of his new novel A CORPSE'S NIGHTMARE, "Nobody writes Southern better than DePoy." In addition to his other pursuits, the author is currently Director of Theatre at Clayton State University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific Blue Mountain amateur sleuth, December 27, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Minister's Ghost: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

Georgia folklorist Fever Devilin knows that those residing in Appalachia distrust outsiders. When he gave up the boredom of academia to return to his hometown of Blue Mountain, the local Georgians considered him tainted and treated him like an alien (see THE DEVIL'S HEARTH). Still he perseveres and assisted his friend Sheriff Skidmore "Skid" Needle on an investigation and hooked back up with Lucinda.

An accident at a train crossing in nearby Pine City leaves Lucinda's two teenaged nieces, Rory and Tess, dead. Lucinda refuses to believe an accident occurred because as she logically says to Fever that even if their car stalled on the tracks, they could have left the vehicle. Though he believes the tragedy was an accident, he tells Lucinda that he loves her (saying this affection for the first time) and will make inquiries, but he soon finds the obvious conclusion false.

The third Blue Mountain amateur sleuth tale is a terrific entry in a strong series (see THE WITCH'S GRAVE) as Fever is caught up with investigating what seems a sad tragedy. The insight into the townsfolk and the local culture is incredible; so strong that in some ways it supersedes the fabulous investigation. Though the ending seems implausible, fans will appreciate Devilin's latest adventure on his hometown turf.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book., February 18, 2006

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Minister's Ghost: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

This book is not for everyone. As a reader, one must open oneself to the local culture, atmosphere and old beliefs of hill people where what's real can have a different definition. The characters include little people, a ghost, a snake-handling preacher, hobos, a junk-yard dealer with a unique musical instrument and Fever's best friend, the sheriff who is not acting like himself. The mystery is not the strength of the story. The strength is the unusual, intriguing characters and atmospheric, lyrical writing. Personally, I very much enjoyed this book and this series and want to find out more about these fascinating people.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, January 29, 2006

By 

L. Higgins (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Minister's Ghost: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

Depoy's latest work is simply wonderful. Fine characterization, sharp plotting, and engagingly written. Don't miss it!