The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Phillip DePoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2004

An Edgar Award-winning Author

Fever Devilin, now a college professor and noted folklorist of Appalachia, he has returned to the deceptively quiet life among his hill-country people. When Truevine Deveroe, a local girl reputed to be a witch, goes missing and the local mortician turns up dead near Devilin's home, Fever finds himself in the midst of a very difficult situation. With very little time, and lives at stake, he must unravel the mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murder, ghosts, folklore and echoes of a recent, macabre news story combine to make Edgar-winner DePoy's second Fever Devilin adventure (after 2003's The Devil's Hearth) a memorable stroll through the graveyard. Fever, a folklorist and native of the Georgia Appalachians, is host to a vacationing British colleague, Winton Andrews, when they witness a lover's quarrel between Able Carter and Truevine Deveroe. After the lovers disappear and a body turns up, Fever, Winton and Fever's best friend, Sheriff Skid Needle, face the beginning of a mystery whose tendrils spread like kudzu. Fever stands out among Blue Mountain folk not only because he's unusually educated but because, as Winton describes him, "You're near seven feet tall, your hair's white as snow, you're loud, you're a know-it-all, and your name is Fever." Fever's knowledge of his neighbors, their geography and history enables him to interpret signs and clues in a case that grows more complex and deadlier as he pieces it together. Sharp characterization, a broad humorous streak and sumptuous descriptions of country cooking all add to DePoy's beguiling brew.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In this second in a series, folklorist Fever Devilin is asked to help find two young lovers--Able and Truevine, who happens to be the local witch--who have disappeared after an argument at a church dinner. When the body of the local mortician is discovered near Fever's cabin, the lovers are also wanted for questioning in the murder. The mountain folk will only offer obscure hints to Fever and his friend Dr. Andrews as they try to trace the two before someone else is killed. The reason for the mortician's death becomes horrifyingly clear as Fever uses his knowledge of folklore and the ways of his neighbors to solve the crime and locate the missing lovers while dodging both Truevine's drunken brothers and ghosts from his own past. Vividly evoking Georgia's Appalachia and the people who live there, DePoy seamlessly weaves the folk history of the region into the story. For readers who enjoy Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian novels, including Songcatcher (2001). Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 375 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (July 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587247518
• ISBN-13: 978-1587247514
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,246,516 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

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read! Complete with action and downhome cooking, February 17, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

Phillip Depoy hits the bullseye again with his protagonist, Folklorist Dr. Fever Devilin. Fast-paced action with lots of cultural anecdotes to keep the reader entertained and engaged. In this novel, we learn more about Fever and his intuitive approach to crime solving, while getting to know his buddy, Dr. Andrews, a British colleague. Andrews provides constant entertainment as he discovers new things about life in North Georgia including nonspoken interpersonal communication and homemade apple brandy. The novel has a well-crafted plot with complex, intriguing characters. While I didn't want to put it down once I got into it, I didn't want it to end, either. An excellent mystery novel from one of our best. Thank you, Mr. Depoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Fever's world., November 12, 2005

By 

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

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This review is from: The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

Fever Devilin, a folklorist, has returned to his home deep in Appalachia Georgia. Truevine Deveroe, a local girl considered to be a witch, goes missing; the mortician Harding Pinhurst, one of Fever's least favorite people, turns up murdered and Truvine's fiancé, Able Carter, is the suspect. Fever, his friend, houseguest and Shakespeare scholar, Dr. Winton Andrews, and childhood friend Deputy Sheriff Skidmore Needle, need to find Truevine and Able, and Harding' killer.

It's hard to resist a protagonist who is in his 30's, is almost 7 feet tall, has snow-white hair and sees ghosts. Or a story that's filled with music, folklore, literary quotes, southern food, humor, unique characters, an excellent sense of place, suspense and twists along the way. My recommendation is, don't try. Sit back and enjoy the world of Fever Devlin. I certainly did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting regional mystery, February 2, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery (Hardcover)

Born and raised in the Hill Country of Georgia, Fever Devlin grew up observing his parents wretched marriage and wanted no part of the institution. He attended college, traveled all over Europe, and finally came back to the United States to become a folklore professor at a notable university. When the department, of which he was the chairperson, broke up, he came to his home in Blue Mountain, recording the lore that residents have passed through the generations.

At the local church, Dev hears an argument between the witch woman Truevine Deveroe and her boyfriend Able. Hours later Dev discovers the body of the murdered mortician Harding Pinehurst. At times, Dev and the local deputy think that either Able or Truevine murdered the man. They make a grisly find in the winds where over three hundred bodies that were supposed to be buried are found barely covered. Everyone wants answers to who the killer is and why the bodies were never given a proper burial. The answers will astound readers as much as they stun Dev.

Phillip Depoy captures the ambience of life in a small isolated mountain hamlet where generations of families have lived and contributed to the culture of the area. Dev is an educated, polished man who accepts his neighbors on their own terms and never condescends to them. When it comes to regional writers, Mr. DePoy is one of the best.

Harriet Klausner