The Drop Edge of Yonder (Alafair Tucker Mysteries (Paperback)) [Paperback]

Donis Casey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2009 | Series: Alafair Tucker Mysteries (Paperback)

One August evening in 1914, a bushwhacker ended a pleasant outing by blowing a hole in Bill McBride, kidnapping and ravaging Billas fiancA(c)e, and wounding Alafair Tuckeras daughter Mary. All Mary knows is that the crime had something to do with the Fourth of July.
Or is there more? The answer seems to be working its way through the fog of Maryas shock and grief and floating to the surface of her consciousness. Several malicious acts suggest that Billas killer is still around and attempting to cover his tracks.
Can Mary remember the crime before the murderer manages to eliminate everyone who could identify him?
 

Editorial Reviews

Review

 

“In this third in a series, set on a farm in 1914 Oklahoma, Casey lovingly portrays the Tuckers’ close extended family, immersing the reader in both the domestic aspects and the harsh realities of everyday farm life.” –Booklist of The Drop Edge of Yonder

 

“Casey gives convincing voice to the early Midwest much as Sharyn McCrumb does for her Appalachians, including period recipes that help to convey the literal flavor of the era.” –Publishers Weekly of The Drop Edge of Yonder

 

"So homespun the text should have been cross-stitched instead of typed."  --Kirkus Reviews

 

About the Author

A third generation Oklahoman, Donis Casey and her siblings grew up among their extended family on farms and in small towns. There they learned the love of family and independent spirit that characterizes the population of that pioneering state. Donis graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in English, and earned a Master's degree in Library Science from Oklahoma University. After teaching school for a short time, she enjoyed a career as an academic librarian, workign for many years at the University of Oklahoma and at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. For the past twenty years, Donis and her husband have lived in Tempe, Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (January 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590585992
• ISBN-13: 978-1590585993
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donis Casey is the author of five Alafair Tucker Mysteries, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, Hornswoggled, The Drop Edge of Yonder, The Sky Took Him, and Crying Blood (Feb. 2011). She has twice won the Arizona Book Award for her series, and been a finalist for the Willa Award and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her first novel, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, was named an Oklahoma Centennial Book.

While researching her own genealogy, she discovered so many ripping tales of settlers, soldiers, cowboys and Indians, murder, dastardly deeds, and general mayhem that she said to herself, "Donis, you have enough material here for ten books." The resulting historical mystery series, set in Oklahoma in the booming 1910s, features the sleuthing mother of ten children.

Donis is a former teacher, academic librarian, and entrepreneur. She was born and raised in Tulse, Oklahoma, and now lives in Tempe, AZ, with her husband, poet Donald Koozer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I love Alafair Tucker!, December 30, 2010

By 

Cathy G. Cole (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Drop Edge of Yonder (Alafair Tucker Mysteries (Paperback)) (Paperback)

First Line: When I think about that day, Mama, here's what sticks in my mind.

One hot but pleasant evening in August 1914, a gunman ended a group's outing by killing Bill McBride, wounding Alafair Tucker's daughter, Mary, and kidnapping Bill's fiancee, Laura. Although the authorities are searching high and low for the bushwhacker, they can't seem to find him. As Mary recovers, a pall of sadness seems to hang over her, and her mother Alafair would do anything to put a smile on her daughter's face and to hear Mary's laughter.

Mary can't get rid of the idea that she has information that would help find her Uncle Bill's killer-- if only she could remember it-- but her head wound is slow to heal. She begins trying to find quiet spots away from everyone else, which drives her mother crazy. After all, the killer is still in the area.

Much of author Donis Casey's series (and her recipes) is based upon her own family history during the early days of Oklahoma. Life on a farm at the turn of the twentieth century is so wonderfully depicted that it reminds me of Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels set in Appalachia. The mother of twelve children, Alafair Tucker knows that the only reason why she's able to find the time to play detective is because the elder of her children are old enough to take care of their younger brothers and sisters as well as the house and the chores around the farm. Alafair is also lucky that the sheriff in Boynton has a relaxed and practical attitude towards her clue gathering:

"I don't know if it's just an accident or luck or what, but in the last couple of years, she's managed to find out things I couldn't that helped bring a couple of murderers to justice. I expect folks will tell her things they won't tell me, since she can't throw them in jail. But however she does it, I'm not too proud to stand back and see what she comes up with."

The mystery is a strong and interesting one in The Drop Edge of Yonder, especially since Alafair's daughter is in danger. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Mary's diary in which she writes everyday in an attempt to remember anything that may lead to the identity of her uncle's killer.

What impressed me the most in this book was the character of Alafair herself. While interacting with her daughter, Mary, and her youngest child, Grace, Alafair's behavior epitomizes the best in motherhood and can easily bring smiles or tears to a reader's face.

This series is one of my favorites, not only because of the plotting and characterization, but because the language and the setting reminds me of my own farming roots. If you're in the mood for an historical mystery series that sets you smack dab on farm wife/sleuth Alafair Tucker's porch for a chat and a glass of iced tea, look no further than Donis Casey's excellent books.