Customer Reviews

The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery

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

 

 

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!

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.

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

a mystery and learning about folk lore all in one book. so interesting. a must read for people who love old cemeteries and the stories they tell.

I love surprises. Finding this series by accident while working at the library came just in time, and relieved me from a long reading slump. Depoy's creation Fever Devilin is a folklorist from the Appalachian hills of Georgia. There is alot of Hamlet in him, or "a piece of him" you could say, and once you are under the spell of these books there is no recovery.
Combining Southern Gothic, razor-sharp wit, Shakespearean gravitas, and just a taste of nostalgia, Depoy creates a place both forboding and familiar. Treat yourself to this series.

For the fourth Fever Devilin mystery, THE WITCH'S GRAVE Phillip DePoy takes from the national news a true incident and weaves a complex tale of secrets, hidden passions and hatred of the different.
Fear rides the road as Fever and his friend Dr. Winston Andrews are asked by Sheriff Skid Needle to help unravel the clues and blind allies in Blue Mountain when a local mortician is murdered and the local witch Truevine Deveroe cannot be found. She and her friend, Abel are suspects until the real killer is discovered amid the ruins of a cemetery/sanctuary.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Outstanding book. Great mystery and plot. The cemetary is so detailed that it is like you are standing there. The same way with dinner, you can almost smell the home cooking. Fever is a interesting charactor. Depoy has a great since of humor in the aftermath of chaos. The ongoing changes in the story line keeps if from being a boring "who done it" book.
Would highly recommend to mystery readers.

This was a fun read and I admit to enjoying it cover to cover. I love folk lore, food and the region in which the story took place. The author's character developement was good, the story moved well and was not only entertaining, but informative. There was obviously much research that went into this one and it shows. The story did have some twists and turns but not the sort that were so unrealistic that it made the story bad (like so many books of this genre suffer from). Note to author: I have to say that the character of Andrews was one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered in fiction. That being said, the character of Andrews did work as I suspect that is how and why you developed him. Had he, Andrews, be a guest at my house, he would have been packed on the first flight to Atlanta after the first evening. All in all, I enjoyed this one and do recommend it.

Who doesn't relish a good witch/ghost story? Phillip DePoy delivers this in fine form. His new book is a good choice to take to the beach. There in the bright sunlight you'll find chills comes over you as you read this wonderfully entertaining, at times light-hearted, tale of strange goings-on in the Georgia Appalachians.