Flowering Judas

Gregor Demarkian #26

by Jane Haddam

Twelve years ago, Chester Morton disappeared from his hometown in Mattuck, New York, leaving no trace and never to be heard from again. For the past twelve years, his mother has kept the search for her son alive—paying for a billboard overlooking the local community college, putting up new flyers every week, hounding every law enforcement agency she can get to listen. Her determination has made his disappearance very high profile but it’s also been damaging to her family, her children and to herself.

Now, Chester’s body is finally found—hanging from the very billboard that has been advertising his disappearance. Chester’s corpse, however, is recent—meaning that Chester had been alive, somewhere, until very recently. Under pressure and with limited resources, the local police turn to Gregor Demarkian—a former FBI agent and a frequent consultant on such cases—to try and unravel the truth buried within this very complex and tragic case and find out once and for all what really happened all those years ago.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Crime

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 2, 2011

About the author

Aka Orania Papazoglou

Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).

Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flowering Judas (Gregor Demarkian, #26) by Jane Haddam.

This series has become my main go-to read for some time now. The reasons are quite clear: The characters are people I like and would like to live near. Gregor Demarkian and Bennis. their neighbors & friends. the usual breakfast where they congregate in fellowship. This marvelous author who presents the characters in the mystery clearly at the beginning of each story. She goes beyond that to having each chapter divided into 3 sections. Each section focuses on an individual and how they are progressing at that time in the storyline. Excellent writing that kept me interested in this developing story/mystery.

Chester Morton has gone missing for 12 years when his body is discovered hanging on the side of a billboard his mother, Charlene Morton, has kept up in the search for her son.

My highest recommendation for this book and this series. Demarkian is as down to earth as a former FBI agent can get and his investigation methods are up there with the best of them.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series -- I probably couldn't tell you the mysteries, but I want to live in Gregor Demarkian's neighborhood and hang around with his friends.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read one in this series; I enjoyed this, though I would suggest starting this series from the beginning. The mystery here involves a 12-year disappearance, the discovery of two suspicious deaths-one body hanging from a billboard, and one set bones of an infant.

I do like the way the author fleshes out her characters. There are always 2 stories in her Demarkian books: the primary mystery itself, and the goings-on in Gregor Demarkian's (largely Armenian) Cavanaugh Street neighborhood. As you read through the series, the Cavanaugh Street residents are like family--you begin to know what they will be doing at any given time (where Fr. Tibor will go to breakfast and when, for instance). This 'family' does change over time-people get married, move away, etc. I feel as if I need to start this series over again to re-aquaint myself with everyone.

The mystery here is interesting to watch unfold. You have the mother of the missing individual, who seems certifiably nuts, the (less than refined) residents of a trailer park, a family business or two, and young love! The mystery is solved (and explained). This series is actually very 'clean' for an American author--it reads more like a British mystery,people tend to keep their clothes on, and the language is appropriate to the characters (it can be crass at times, but only if it makes sense for the character; them main characters have a good vocabulary that usually does not require a lot of '4-letter words').

If you like British mysteries and haven't tried Jane Haddam's Demarkian series, I would suggest giving it a try.

[Vicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my lord, I can't believe I finished this book. Those are days I'll never get back, especially when I could have saved myself the time and aggravation by just reading the epilogue. There were so many little things that drove me crazy, not only about the plot, but about the characters, as well. Like why would a former FBI agent, who seemingly had all his facilities, have a driver? How did he come up with the stunning conclusion about the murder-suicide, the only other tragic crime that happened in this quiet little town years earlier? I had high hopes since I'm looking for another crime series to read but I can say with certainty, it won't be this one.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flowering Judas has to be one of the best in the Gregor Demarkian series! Chester Morton disappeared 12 years ago in the town of Mattatuck, NY.His mother Charlene has never given up hope that he will be found, putting up billboards and fliers all over the town. One day, a yellow backpack like the one he disappeared with is found at a construction site with the skeleton of an infant inside..and then Chester Morton's body is found hanging from a billboard looking for him! Local law enforcement needs help...wh other than Gregor Demarkian to solve the case! I did not guess the killer til the end!

[Meg Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haddam is on her stride here--the mystery is intricate and difficult to unscramble. Gregor and Bennis remain happily married, and a new character--a driver--is introduced who I hope will come back in future books.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest in an outstanding mystery series, this book, like the others, features an excellent whodunit plot, fine writing, depth of character and ideas, and layers of meaning throughout. Highly recommended for those who enjoy well-crafted, thoughtful traditional mysteries.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Haddam consistently comes up with a new plot twist for her mysteries. The characters are great and she keeps you wondering who did it all the way through the book. One of my favorite authors!

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly very good! Kept me guessing until the very end literally! LOL I did not see that coming......

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could say, "Oh, Gregor Demarkian sets another small town in the Northeast straight", but that's kind of like saying, "Oh, Miss Marple solved another mystery in her small village". Yes, some of the mysteries seem the same, but Haddam fleshes them out, makes them interesting, and draws a person into the tale willingly.

This one has a lot to do with family - those we're born into, those we create. Good families, bad families, families that learn to change with the times.

At the same time, it's about how police departments and cities have to grow with their boundaries.

Mostly, though, it's a good murder mystery about possibly a murder? Maybe a suicide? Two other murders? A few really old murders?

Honestly, small towns in the Northeast are scary places!

10/10/21 Reread, and I have no idea what some parts of my previous review refer to. It was a good twisty mystery, and I enjoyed it. I had forgotten how it all came together in the end. So it held up better than my review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the first book I have ever read featuring Armenian Americans. In fact, the author's name is really Orania Papazoglou. Apparently many people know Flowering Judas is a kind of tree since there are several books with this same title.

This is really a thinking person's mystery. While there are many possibilities, the story has to be decided the way it is. There are no other alternatives. The description of Mattatuck's governing body sounds like a lot of small towns trying to hold onto their Eisenhower era village.The characters are pretty believable, as is the dialogue and setting. Overall, a good, satisfying read. I will look for the 25 previous novels

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm.

Pros
Good mystery. Good audio narrator.

Cons
F word like crazy in a couple chapters.
Went on and on.
Anytime the author has a character explain the entire case in detail to another character at the end of the book, you can tell the author isn't even sure their book had a solid story. In this case, the author did, and this summary just made the story go on and on even more than necessary.

[Phyllis Bismanovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Interesting characters. I looked up the authors of the quotations at the beginning of each part for their relevance to the coming chapters. Very interesting. I read the chapters with the quotations and their authors always in my mind. Added yet another layer of interest to the story. I would recommend this mystery.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. This was a fun mystery to read. Gregor Demarkian is a great police consultant. This book is about a death and a mystery that goes back a decade. He is like the Armenian/American Poirot.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern mystery, but not too modern. The plot involves the convoluted psche and behavior of a family of wealth and power in the town it's set in. It's well presented, and unfolds seamlessly. I liked the character of Gregor Demarkian. Also, there's a strong cultural aspect of immigrant groups expressed in the story.

[Lizzytish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than some of her others. Was there a murder, or was it a missing person? Wait, a suicide? A hanging? Crazy family dynamics are revealed admidst this small,town where everyone one knows everyone, but wait, not really a small town. Twisty, turny and I don’t mean the roads.

[Angela H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of drama about who killed who…. And mom’s not understanding their kids.

[Deb W · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't listen to it long, it may be the reader's rendition of the writing, but I just found it overly dramatic drivel.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The first person to see the body hanging from the billboard on Mattatuck Avenue was Haydee Michaelman, and she wasn’t paying attention….Later, Haydee would wonder why everybody had managed to miss that thing up there. She wouldn’t wonder for long. It was “The Billvoard,” after all. It was that big sign asking if you’s seen Chester Ray Morton. It had been up there for twelve years. Nobody looked at it twice anymore.”

Once Haydee brought the body to everyone’s attention, it became another page in the twelve year saga that had begun when Chester disappeared without a trace, carrying with him his new yellow backpack. The body on the bill board is definitely Chester but it is the Chester of today, not the Chester that was. This Chester is only recently dead. Wherever Chester has been for twelve years, it wasn’t in someone’s basement or in a hole in the ground.

The second question that arises, after the “where has he been” question, is did he commit suicide or was he murdered? It doesn’t take long for the police to determine that Chester was murdered, or, that is what they assumed. Mattatuck, New York is known for having the most tight-fisted town council in the state. They will not vote to have a forensics specialist any more than they will vote to buy the police radios that cover the entire county. How is it possible that the council thinks it makes sense that the police can’t stay in contact with each other if they are beyond the zone of coverage? Mattatuck prides itself on being a little town without any crime. Residents refuse to see that Mattatuck is a medium sized city and that it has all the same crime as the big cities

Howard Androcoelho, chief of police in Mattatuck, decides to take a vacation to Philadelphia so that he can look for Gregor Demarkian and persuade him to come and figure out what happened to Chester. Bennis is happy to get Gregor out of the way so she can concentrate on choosing the various small details that will finish off the old house she and Gregor are restoring. Gregor is happy to get to work on something other than handles for the kitchen cabinets.

Mattatuck is not what Gregor expected but there is enough that is strange about Chester Morton’s death to keep him busy. Why had Chester disappeared and what brought him back?

FLOWERING JUDAS is the twenty-sixth book in the Gregor Demarkian series. Most of the books are centered on the neighborhood of Cavanagh Street in Philadelphia, the street on which Gregor grew up. A retired FBI agent, Gregor was responsible for setting up the Behavioral Science Unit so he is an expert in the motives and methods of killers who don’t necessarily need much of a motive for their actions. When his wife dies, Gregor moves back to Cavanagh Street which has been gentrified but is still home to the tight-knit Armenian community in which he was raised. Bennis Hannaford, a member of a Main Line wealthy family, is also the author of a very popular series of fantasy novels that have added to her substantial income. But Bennis loves the sense of belonging that comes on Cavanagh and, gradually, over the course of the books, a relationship develops between Bennis and Gregor.

Jane Haddam writes a series that has such colorful and warm characters that Cavanagh Street should exist in reality. The various crimes that lure Gregor out of retirement are complex and the writing and the stories are so good that it is unlikely that a reader, having found her, will not want to read all the books in the series. I have enjoyed everyone.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery.
The story involves Gregor Demarkian being asked to help out the police in the small town of Mattuck, NY while dealing with some issues at home. He has bought a house and he and his wife are in the process of remodeling and there are samples everywhere in his current home that seems to confound him. One of the old gentlemen he has know forever is hospitalized and he is very worried about him and constantly calls home to check on him. I enjoy how the people who populate the close knit area he lives in are brought into the story and the concern for each other.
The police chief in the small town seems to be incompetent and it is amazing he has the job. A young man had gone missing 12 years prior and is now found dead hanging from a billboard that ironically is one asking for help with his disappearance. Lots of side stories that at first don't seem to have anything to do with the main story but eventually little bits of each weave their way into the whole. Gregor is frustrated quite often with some of the people and events that occur. His wife has hired a driver for him so that he can concentrate more on the case and not be concerned with finding his way around the town and he uses the man as a sounding board.
The missing/dead man's mother is a nutcase and is very annoying as is the mother & boyfriend of a girl who is getting involved with the missing/dead man's brother. Some stereotypes about people who live in trailer parks. Gregor also helps out a woman who is a teacher but homeless and she plays a small part in the story.
The author does spend a lot of time fleshing out each character and explaining the story from their prospective even though the parts they play in the whole thing is small. Quite a few people have something to do with the dead man after he is found and there are some coverups that occur. A controlling mother driving her children away is a main theme of the story and people trying to avoid being considered suspects in something they didn't do.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a blast. My first foray into this author and the retired FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. Full of wit, sly references to American icons and myth, for example: I grew up knowing Howard Johnson's as HoJo's the place you went to eat back then that the whole family could afford. Never really thought about anyone acutally staying there. And thus all the internal and vocal comments Gregor makes about HoJo's are wonderful. This was a very good read, and difficult to put down. AT first I thought I would not buy into some of the characters, but was quickly pulled in and wondering what the heck was going on! On the sub plot about old George was sweet and very much an insight into Gregor's personality.
Overall it was a story about how ordiary people screw up and try to cover up and just end up screwing up some more, just like any of us might do.

There are tons more of these stories to read, and I am always happy to discover a new (for me) author with lots of books already written to look forward to!

Makes up for discovering authors like Dorothy Dunnet and George RR Martin and Robert Jordan on their first books in their series and having to wait years between each new installment!

And in Robert JOrdan's case being thankful that he had a son who decided to make sure the end of the series got written and published after his Dad passed away.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve years ago, Chester Morton disappeared from his hometown in Mattuck, New York, leaving no trace and never to be heard from again. For the past twelve years, his mother has kept the search for her son alive—paying for a billboard overlooking the local community college, putting up new flyers every week, hounding every law enforcement agency she can get to listen. Her determination has made his disappearance very high profile but it’s also been damaging to her family, her children and to herself.

Now, Chester’s body is finally found—hanging from the very billboard that has been advertising his disappearance. Chester’s corpse, however, is recent—meaning that Chester had been alive, somewhere, until very recently. Under pressure and with limited resources, the local police turn to Gregor Demarkian—a former FBI agent and a frequent consultant on such cases—to try and unravel the truth.

Of course, there's also lots going on on Cavanaugh St - Old George's 90th birthday and his health.

This is an excellent book. I could barely put it down. The mystery has an unusual story line and the Cavanaugh St subplot is the comforable old friend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

another reviewer said that this book is a real "thinking person's mystery" and they are completely right. The book is not action-packed, it's no thriller, but it relies on we the complex story of a mystery with many layers. The best part of this book was wondering about how will all be solved. I admit to being completely mystified as to what the answer would be the killer(s) would be and when it was revealed, it was very satisfying. Everything fit neatly together and I could see how the answer was right there on the facts, even though I missed it. I love the characters of Gregor Demarkian and his family. All the characterizations were very well done. Some of the characters were likable, some were not, but all seemed realistic and very human.

I now want to hunt up all the other books by Jane Haddam just so I can read them – if they are all as good as this, I found a new one of my favorite authors. The only people who will be disappointed by this book are people who need action on every page. The book is far from boring, but it's a mystery and thriller. I didn't find the book slow all – but those who want constant action in their books may find it a bit slow.

[Nancy]

Gregor Demarkian is asked to go to western NY state to help solve the mystery of Chester Morton, who disappeared 12 years ago and whose body is found dangling from a bulletin board, put up by his mother, saying, "Have you seen this man?" Many people are involved including "trailer trash", the Morton family - particularly Charlene, the mother - the police chief, the mayor, a community college teacher, a former girlfriend, a police officer, the skeleton of a baby, an Albanian construction company, a young woman studying at the college and Kenny, another Morton.

The town does not follow evidential procedure, Chester's body is stolen, and the "trailer trash" couple are murdered in Chester's truck. Demarkian concludes that Chester killed himself and his mother, Charlene killed the couple.

Demarkian is saddened by the illness of "old George Tekemanian" in Philadelphia, who has liver cancer, is not expected to live, and is celebrating his 100th birthday.

[Elly Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2* I have just finished some very strong audiobooks which puts anything that follows in a difficult position. I had passed on one book and when I was having trouble getting into this one too, thought maybe I was just in one of my moods. So I slugged on. But I was not impressed. I was having trouble with the writing and certainly with the characters who I did not find to be at all believable, and the dialogue which was often stilted and seemed more an attempt to move the plot along than true dialogue. In frustration I checked the reviews on Goodreads where I found a range from “I can’t believe I wasted my time on this book!” to positive reviews raving about the cleverness of the series. Interesting. So I continued, hoping I’d warm to the work as sometimes happens. But no, it didn’t happen. I guess I just don’t get it. I doubt I will try another in the series. At least, not anytime soon.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chester Morton disappeared twelve years ago from the small town of Mattatuck, NY. His mother says she's sure he's dead, but is determined to keep looking until she finds his body. But when Chester turns up, he's newly dead, apparently by suicide. Why would he come back only to kill himself? The not-too-competent police don't want to have another twelve years of dealing with Chester's wealthy, determined mother Charlene, so they ask Gregor Demarkian to consult on the case, just so everyone knows that Chester really did kill himself. But Gregor finds some anomalies on the body, and soon has the gossipy town in an uproar. There's no one like Haddam for weaving a rich tapestry of well-defined characters. In fact, the most mysterious character is Chester himself.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reappearance of Chester throws his home town into turmoil. Chester disappeared as a teenager. He reappeared freshly hanged by the neck from his "Have you seen this boy?" poster.

Gregor Demarkian is called in by the astonishingly incompetent local police force. Chester's crazy mother, his ex-girlfriend, his former trailer park neighbors, and his own paripetetic body disguise the frantic behind-the-scenes manipulations that have been going on from the time Chester disappeared.

I took a special liking to one of Chester's former neighbors, and one of his former teachers, and of course to the inside of Gregor's head as usual. I saw through part of the mystery, yelled aloud when I figured out another part of it, but was far from the mark with the rest of it. A highly satisfying read.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story about a mother's obsessive love and need to have her children support her.
One son, Chester, is an alcoholic, gambler and thief. Charlene makes her son leave as his theft is threatening her company.
He is gone for 12 years and then returns and commits suicide at the home of an old girlfriend. Charlene has convince Chester that Narvel is still making him the villain.
Narvel and Kyle move the body to hang on a billboard and bury the yellow backpack with baby's bones in it.
Charlene had killed the baby that Chester bought to pass off as a grandchild. He had bought the baby from a woman in the trailer park who then turns around and blackmails Charlene. Charlene kills the woman and her boyfriend.
Natural selection....

[FM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another murder mystery to divert my mind from the end-of-semester grading blitz.
I've read all the previous Jane Haddam books and have enjoyed them; by now I know all the characters and their quirks, so it felt like visiting old friends. This one was very much like the others I've read, which was the perfect thing for me to read in the evening after grading papers all day.
Remove a star or two if you've never read a book in this series because there's a lot of extraneous stuff that I find enjoyable that may drive a new reader crazy.
In looking to see what other books are in this series, I was saddened to read that this author died in 2019, and her last book was published in 2020. I only have two books left to read in the Gregor Demarkian series and I will miss these people.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I got past the Prologue, I enjoyed the story; but I was more interested in Gregor's family and friends than I was any of the people he met in Mattatuck. The case involves a man who's been missing for twelve years. Gregor is asked to consult when the man turns up hanging from a billboard in Mattatuck. All of the people involved, including the mayor and the chief of police, have their own secrets about their involvement with the dead man. Other deaths occur/have occurred, and Gregor has to determine whether they're related to the hanging man and/or to each other, and if the same person was responsible for any or any combination of them.