Shooting at Loons (Deborah Knott Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The flashlight was square, waterproof, and a bright fluorescent orange..." (more)
Key Phrases: Barbara Jean, Linville Pope, Andy Bynum (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

North Carolina Judge Deborah Knott, introduced in the multiple award-winning Bootlegger's Daughter , returns in her third adventure in as many years. Maron constructs a tight mystery, peoples it with an original cast and powerfully evokes her Outer Banks setting, but dry issues of civil law drag at the narrative. Deborah, filling in for an ailing judge at the Carteret County courthouse, stays in her cousin's waterside cottage and, while clamming, finds the body of the president of the Independent Fishers Alliance, shot in the chest. The murder quickly involves her in local conflicts among commercial fishermen, upstate sportsmen, land developers and conservationists. Real estate mogul Linville Pope, with an eye on the half-billion-dollar tourist industry, wants to buy the Neville Fishery property owned by the wife of a local judge. When Pope turns up dead, dressed in the colors of the endangered loon, suspects range from the judge, whose hands might be dirty, to a crusty islander who is--illegally--building a boat on Pope's property. Deborah discovers corpses, reads dull files for clues and falls for a local cop, but she doesn't determine the killer until she's looking down the barrel of a .22 rifle. In this drama, she's more a passive participant than a catalyst.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

District Court Judge Deborah Knott, a native North Carolinian, looks forward to filling in for a sick colleague at the Harker's Island courthouse. But on her first fishing trip after arriving on the island, she discovers the body of an old fisherman known to her since childhood. Without taking much action, Knott learns of a motive for the murder: the victim's opposition to an environmentally damaging development scheme. The down-home prose flows well, spiced by Judge Knott's wit, charm, and extended family as well as by references to the local food and drink. A highly recommended work from the author of Southern Discomfort (LJ 5/1/93).
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446404241
• ISBN-13: 978-0446404242
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #288,480 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Deborah Knott Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Author writing in wrong genre., July 29, 1999

By A Customer

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile read, January 19, 2001

By	Helen (Highgate, South Australia, Australia) - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars North Carolina resident enjoys Maron's books, July 21, 2003

By A Customer

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.