Customer Reviews

Shooting at Loons

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are reading this book for the mystery, Shooting At Loons starts out a little slow and I probably would have returned it to the libary unfinished if Margaret Maron's wonderful characters and descriptions hadn't kept me from putting it aside. She draws great visuals of people, personalities, and places. I never really got into the mystery, but I loved her character relationships. Every character in this book struggled with something that was important to them. If I was reviewing this book as a mainstream instead of a mystery, it would have been at least 4 stars and probably 5.

While not as strong as other installments in this series, this is yet another enjoyable book from this wonderful author. The main characters are warm and likeable and the Southern settings attractive and evocative. The plot in this book takes somewhat second place to the characterisations and environment but still makes its strong point.

My recommendation is that no Judge Deborah Knott story should ever be passed over unread.

As a somewhat recent resident of Raleigh (4 1/2 years, though that almost makes me a native), and lifelong mystery lover, I truly enjoy reading Maron's books set throughout North Carolina. I stumbled upon her Deborah Knott series at the library and have devoured the entire series in less than a year. (I rarely dedicate myself to one author or one series.)

But to correct Jerry Bull, this book is set on North Carolina's Crystal Coast, not the Outer Banks. It just so happens that I spent the weekend at the Crystal Coast while reading "Loons" and have spent some time at the Outer Banks -- they are two different areas of the coast.

I really enjoyed finding this author and this book in particular. It was set in an interesting, an unusual setting (at least for us Californians)and was full of general information that displayed an understanding of the subject. The characters were agreeable and disagreeable as appropriate to the plot. The plot itself could have been a bit more well drawn, but overall this was a fun, easy to read diversion. I would recommend it to anyone who is not interested in having nightmares, but is interested in a mystery to solve.

Shooting at Loons (Deborah Knott Mysteries)
I just found this series and this is the second book I have read. I have been trying to read the book in order. At first, I loved "Bootlegger's Daughter" but thought I would stop at that book but couldn't get Deborah out of my mind. I have continued with these wonderful books. "Shooting at Loons" was a good cozy book with great charactors. I can't wait to read the next books. I have ordered "Southern Discomfort" which was the second in this series and then hope to find the other in order of publishing date. I recommend this series highly.

This was a good book, fun to read. If you like Judge Deborah Knott, you will enjoy reading about her further adventures. The characters are interesting. The plot kept me guessing. I would recommend it.

Judge Deborah Knott is not Travis McGee, but Margaret Maron puts up a strong case against random development with SHOOTING AT LOONS.
The story quickly evolves into finding a lost romance and discovering a killer before said friend goes to jail for murder.
The judge travels to the lush NC coast for a working vacation, but rest isn't on the agenda.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS.

The author did a good job of setting the scene and protraying the geographic area. The characters were interesting; since I know next-to-nothing about this area, I can't say whether the characters were realistic.

The mystery aspect left me pretty cold. It's hard for me to believe that a murder in such a small community didn't generate much more than casual discussions. Seems like it would have been a bigger deal. The ending/resolution was much too rushed and seemed to come out of left field.

That said, I'm willing to try this author again sometime.

I liked the way Margaret Moran continues with the life of Debarah Knott and how she copes with family and being a judge.

This was another enjoyable read; she introduces the reader to a character from Deborah's past, and a future character. The dialog is interesting, as well. Great continuation of a great series!