Customer Reviews

Sand Sharks (Deborah Knott Mysteries)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although I've never been to North Carolina, I always have a sense of coming home when I open a Deborah Knott book, and not just because the series has been going for a long time. No, I've felt that way ever since the first book I read, which wasn't the first in the series. (Shocking, I know, but I was on vacation and I ran out of books, and someone had left Slow Dollar (Deborah Knott Mysteries) in the lobby lending library, so I picked it up.) Maron paints a clear picture of the environment and an even clearer one of the characters. In fact, the setting pretty much *is* a character in her books.

There are a few too many characters introduced too quickly in this book, but that's inevitable given that the murder takes place at a conference. So don't read the first few chapters while you're exhausted, or you may have trouble following all the names. Some of the characters in this book have appeared in earlier books, which makes it a little easier if you've been following Knott's history, but you don't have to have read any of the earlier books to enjoy this one.

Some of the Deborah Knott books concentrate more on mystery, some more on character. This is one of the latter type. The motive came as no surprise at the end of the book, and the villain almost seemed an afterthought. But that's the kind of thing you realize later, when trying to write a review; while reading I was enjoying the ride, watching the interaction between the characters, seeing Deborah adjust to the new circumstances of her life.

Something else that struck me after reading this was that, more than any other book in the series I can think of, Sand Sharks is a feminine book. Deborah has had romances in other books, has had to deal with her situation as a woman in a "man's" job, as the only daughter in a family of a dozen children, but somehow those aspects of the books have always remained secondary. Here, Maron gives them primacy. We see Deborah's concern over the state of her new marriage and her even newer full-time stepson. Her reactions to her nerves, as well as to the events at the conference, are essentially feminine. That's not to say a man wouldn't recognize and enjoy them but his feelings toward Deborah here would be sympathetic rather than empathetic (and he might learn a thing or two about the "mysterious" inner workings of a woman's mind in the process).

Sand Sharks is definitely an enjoyable read. The only real weakness is in the mystery itself and, as I said, you probably won't notice that until you've finished devouring the book and have had time to digest it.

Margaret Maron's Sand Sharks is a good continuation in the reliable Deborah Knott series. The main characters--Deborah, her new husband Dwight, and his son Cal--continue development as realistic, sympathetic people, though Dwight and Cal do not figure strongly in this story, since Deborah is in Wilmington attending a continuing education conference for NC judges. The secondary characters are well drawn and distinctive. Maron does a good job of conveying the passage of time without detailing every thought and action. The plot isn't the strongest she's written because the motive for Judge Jeffreys's murder isn't connected with the murderer until he attempts to eliminate Deborah. Still, Sand Sharks is well worth the time.

I have my own copies of all of Maron's Deborah Knott books, and her other 2 NC mysteries - Bloody Kin & Last Lessons of Summer, and have audiotapes of most. I have re-read them & listened to them many times, and especially enjoy the 2 non-series mysteries. I agree with other reviewers that the involvement of Deborah's home county and her relatives adds much to the series, but I have enjoyed the previous books that were set away from Deborah's home.

Sand Sharks is one I probably won't re-read. None of the characters is very developed, and few are likeable. Two characters from previous books are dragged in for no particular reason, and add nothing to the plot. The first motive for the crime that Deborah & the police arrive at is absurd and bigoted. The ending is illogical, and and comes pretty much from out of nowhere. Deborah's frequent obsessings about her marriage (why, oh why hasn't he called?), and her stepson are very annoying.

I hate to give such a bad review. I've recommended Maron's books to friends for many years, and I wait impatiently for each new release. This one was very disappointing.

Opening this book is like coming home again after a years absence. I have been reading and sharing in the adventures and life of Judge Deborah Knott since the first book way back when. Ms. Maron does not disappoint in this latest telling of the life and times of Judge Knott. Now she is a stepmother, feeling her way into the role and doing pretty good at it. She is able to step back and look at herself objectively (a very difficult thing) in her relationship with her stepson. She has new problems in this novel in that she is a wife and mother and a Judge and she must make all three work. And of course she sticks her nose into the latest murder mystery at the judges conference and before you know it she is up to her eyebrows in the solving of the murder. Again her ability to step back and look at things logically and objectively end up working to a solution.
Margaret Maron never fails to satisfy. She always writes a novel of good suspense and tension, with well drawn characters and just enough menace to keep you up at night reading to the finish.

When a Deborah Knott mystery becomes available, I have to declare a holiday and read it immediately. It's less about the suspense than about spending time with this complex, intelligent heroine. I love the way she thrives in the south with girlfriends and good old boys. She manages to be loving in a clear-eyed, unsentimental way. She knows how to stay independent and still fit in to a complex, ordered society.

In this volume, Maron finds another reason to take Deborah out of Dobbs and give her a new background and cast of characters. I wasn't disturbed by the number of judges; in fact, Maron captured the spirit of a typical conference where you encounter a jumble of people, eat out a lot and discover a new side to your colleagues. With just a few tweaks to the presentation titles, this conference could have been one of mine.

Maron does offer a true mystery plot, complete with clues and red herrings. The ending is plausible, although it's not as satisfying as in previous novels. I was amused by the reviewer who questioned how Deborah keeps getting involved with dead bodies. Like, duh, it's a mystery series! You expect a murder in every story, whether the heroine is a dog trainer, a PI, or, yes, a judge.

But although I appreciate a good plot, that's not the main reason I keep reading this series. It's just fun to spend time with Deborah and watch her gracefully handle each new situation. We get snippets of legalese here and there and enough detail about the environment to make me admire people who chose to live in North Carolina. I even like the details about food and fashion. Deborah may be a judge who once lived in New York, but her tastes show she's a real southern gal.

I hope the next volume takes us back to Dobbs so we can spend more time with Deborah's extended family and see her in action in the court room. Hopefully Deborah (along with the readers) will get more comfortable with those scenes involving Dwight's young son, Cal. It would be fun to hear from parents who know the realities of raising a kid that age.

And now...we've got to wait a whole hear for the next Deborah Knott to come out. Let's just hope Maron doesn't get tempted to put Deborah aside for another type of book. We need our yearly fixes.

When Judge Deborah Knott decides to attend the Spring Conference of Judges what she is seeking is a little beach time, a chance to mix and mingle with her friends and peers plus grab an insight on all the updates to the judicial system. What she never expected is to be the one that would discover a dead body the first night nor be involved in anything even remotely unsavory this far from home. With Dwight away with Cal cleaning out the home of his deceased ex-wife's in Virginia, Deborah's first line of support is unable to provide the emotional support she has come to rely on. He is always free with advice even if it is over the phone but any problems that arise will be hers to handle. After it is discovered the dead man was an unpopular and disliked judge who is suspected of a number of not unprofessional acts Deborah does her best to work the case on her own.

Deborah is never one to sit idly by or shy away from any investigation whether her assistance is requested or not is asked by the officer to do a little snooping amoungst the judges and help him uncover why someone would want this judge killed. Deborah of course being the "helpful" officer of the court that she is jumps at the chance. While circulating through the crowd and listening in on the different workshops she spends a bit of that time asking questions of everyone including her cousin Reid Stephenson who it turns out is attending another conference in the same area. While Deborah would never suspect Reid of anything untoward, he appears to have had a history with the murdered judge and while it may be just a coincidence why is he pleading with her to not tell the authorities - what is Reid up to now? While Deborah has always viewed Reid as a younger brother such is not the case with her ex-husband Allen Stancil. Why are so many of the men in her life that she doesn't need showing up at the wrong place. It appears that Allan now is a respectable businessman with custody of his children but it seems he too has a questionable relationship with the judge prior to his being killed.

There are so many judges, too much personal drama for her liking and way too much of her ex-husband who is really not an ex-husband since he failed to divorce the other wife first. On top of dealing with Reid, her ex-husband, a lecherous judge that refuses to understand she is not interested there is also the drama of the judge who just can't stop cheating on his wife even while they are trying to reconcile. What a mess Deborah is in now and Dwight is too far away to offer anything but emotional support which she needs but not as much as the comfort his presence brings.

This book is what every reader dreams about - a great lead character, superior storyline and a mystery that until you are told "who did it" you cannot even venture to guess. The only downside is the number of judges mentioned can be a little confusing but not overwhelming as the story progresses and you figure out all the players - it just takes some long term memory to remind you of who is doing what with whom. You miss Dwight, Mr. Kezzie and the extended family but Deborah can and does indeed carry her own story without any of them even being a secondary character. Ms. Maron is the master of this genre and every year the end of summer she reminds the reader how a great mystery is written.

Reviewed by Mary Gramlich ([...]) "The Reading Reviewer"

Before starting this review I read some of the others, and I can't really argue with any of them. A lot depends on one's expectations, I think. I only looked forward to the 15th of a series I've enjoyed; Judge Deborah Knott has kept me interested all this time and continued to do so.

To really enjoy the book, the reader should have read at least number one, "The Bootlegger's Daughter." It helps to know that the judge is the youngest of 12 children of Kezzie Knott, a North Carolina bootlegger, now retired (we hope). Also, that she is the only daughter. From that start, all sorts of interesting stories flow. If possible, it would be useful to find one of the series that has a family tree to examine to keep everyone straight. The latest book stands on its own, but knowing what has gone before adds context and richness to the story so that it doesn't seem lacking in detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, white space included. Lately I have bogged down in books that offer too much detail; so I'm happy with a book that tells the story of four days in less time than that. And I'm looking forward to number 16!

This latest Judge Knott book, was a very good read and tied together some old characters from previous books. The ongoing saga of her family and friends is delightful and very entertaining. You feet like they are part of your family and you just have to see what will happen to Deborah and the rest of the Knotts next.

The Good: I enjoyed the senses conjured up by the author's depictions of the surrounding nature - the solidarity on the beach, the buoyant saltiness of the ocean, the sun's warmth, the bright glow of the moon, and even the breezes were described with such artistry that they came alive for me. Also, the author conveyed a feeling of realness, by describing the annoyances of certain bratty children scurrying about the hotel, whining that they want to watch "Sponge Bob." This added a sense of reality. After all, no professional conference at a hotel is perfect.
I enjoyed the liberal use of comic relief in this book. I liked the inclusion of odd, funky characters - real, flawed people. Okay - sometimes they were rather exaggerated to the point of being a bit over the edge of being normal. But I liked that. Unlike other reviewers, I thought that the return of some of Deborah's ex's showing up unexpectedly as "bit" characters was rather entertaining. I enjoyed the silly side stories that made the characters seem real and human.
I found it satisfying to get a glimpse into how Judge Deborah Knott is regarded by her peers. And I enjoyed getting a sense of who she wants to be in several years, as she "grows up" (in her words). She seems to have fine aspirations and a good balance of ethics and principles that she wants to use cautiously with her judicial privilege. I enjoyed the light debates on touchy issues and especially the discussion regarding, when ruling on who should get custody of a child, and whether a grandparent (or even Godparent) should have visitation rights, that the child should (probably) be allowed as much genuine love as is available to them.

The Bad: In many other ways, though, this book truly disappointed me. Too many situations were beyond my suspension of disbelief, and therefore, I was not completely engaged and invested in the story. For one, in the beginning of the book, Deborah feels (natural) tension and insecurity in being a new stepmother to Cal. That's okay. But the author created an awkward situation that seemed totally artificial. The conflict was a completely unbelievable, blown-out-of-proportion miscommunication between Deborah, Dwight, and Cal, having to do with packing a lunch (or not). Good grief!! Deborah stews about the disagreement (if that's what it was) for 2 days, meanwhile not listening to any messages left on her cell phone! My eyes were rolling and I was tsk-ing in disbelief.
Second, there were way, way too many (mostly unimportant) characters introduced (rather quickly) in the story, while the reader was not provided enough clues regarding which characters might be of importance. Judges, attorneys, spouses, wait staff, relatives, friends, ex-friends, children of ex-friends, friends of relatives, etc., were in abundance; and many of them had opinions to offer. It was overwhelming.

The almost-Ugly: Finally, the murder mystery was diminished because of so many unanswered questions. For one, why in the world would an educated businesswoman and judge not turn on her cell phone more often? There is the ubiquitous "Silent" setting Deborah could have used during the conference. I don't know of any professional woman who refuses to "switch her phone on" except right before retiring for bed. Eye-rolling. Tsk. Tsk. No belief.
Other unanswered questions not included in this review because they may be spoilers.

Margaret Maron sends Judge Deborah Knott to a seaside judicial conference in this weak episode of an otherwise outstanding series. Dozens of new characters engage in moderately entertaining shenanigans ... but when it really comes down to the murder investigation, it turns out that the entire show has been a dish of red herrings disguised as soft-shell crabs. Judge Knott avoids betraying her brand-new wedding vows, but makes a point of revelling in how irresistible she is to any male who crosses her path. Yawn.