The Witch's Grave: A Fever Devilin Mystery
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.