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Justin and Cuddy #1
Uncivil Seasons
The polite Piedmont town of Hillston, North Carolina, wants to go on believing it is still too temperate to require homicide experts. But when the wife of a state senator is found beaten to death, the inner circle of Hillston's ruling families arranges to have the case assigned to Detective Justin Savile, the charming black sheep of the dynasty that founded the town.Aided by his wise-cracking, working-class partner, Cuddy Magnum, and a young woman from the Carolina mountains whose strength and love rescues him from his own destructive impulses, Savile sets out to unravel the deceit hidden in Hillston's past. His obsessive pursuit of one of this own and his determination to save a petty thief from being railroaded for murder not only lead to other deaths, but bring the detective very near to losing his own life. With striking humor and a rich range of characters, Malone creates a landscape struggling the New South's high-tech lifestyles and the Old South's inherited codes.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
70 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Michael Malone
85 books206 followersMichael Malone was the author of ten novels, a collection of short stories, and two works of nonfiction. Educated at Carolina and at Harvard, he was a professor in Theater Studies at Duke University. Among his prizes are the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writers Guild Award, and the Emmy. He lived in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 5, 2008
I can't do this book, or this three book series so far, justice. From the first page you are hooked. Malone's use of the English language is beautiful to read. I am humbled by his mastery of prose. There are several contemporary writers who make me feel that way. That would be enough to make me recommend a book, with reservations. Malone, however, delivers in every other way. His lead characters, Justin Savile V and Cuddy Mangum, police detectives in a small North Carolina college town, are engaging and endearing. You will love them, and their weaknesses. This book features Justin. The other books in the series are unique in that they change main character point of view. The second book, TIME'S WITNESS, is narrated by Cuddy, and the third book, FIRST LADY, features Justin again. Malone brings the new South into crystal clear focus with his grasp of small, southern town politics, strange and delightful characters, class and race issues. And the mystery is top notch, too. A real page turner that keeps you guessing. And last but not least, a good romance.
September 7, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in June 2004.
Over the last few months, I have suddenly started seeing and hearing the name of Michael Malone, basically out of the blue. Because of this, I assumed that he was a novelist who had taken up his pen relatively recently, and so was a little surprised to find out how old this novel, the first in a series set in Hillston in North Carolina, actually is. Apart from anything else, it is reminiscent of other more recent crime writers, particular Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels, or Donald Harstad's relaxed Iowa cop.
The narrator of this novel is Justin Savile V, a police lieutenant in Hillston, but also from one of the foremost families of the area, with connections to everyone from the State Governor down. He has turned his back on privilege, finding investigation more interesting than the top-notch legal career mapped out for him (though alcoholism had something to do with this decision as well). His partner, Cuddy Mangum, couldn't be more different, his background being the rundown East Hillston, the wrong side of the tracks.
When Justin's uncle's wife is killed, there is an obvious suspect - one of the "usual suspects", in fact - lined up, but Justin begins asking dangerous questions which threaten those who have run the town for generations, relatives and family friends who consider him one of their own. The detective story works extremely well, with several sources of conflict driving the plot - resentment between the poor and the rich, lack of understanding between the under and over privileged, Justin looking to find the truth rather than cover up a potential scandal. There is also conflict in the narrator; his turning away from his background was to a large extent not a matter of principle but because he wasn't interested in the sort of rewards it could bring him (and many people would agree that investigating murders is more interesting than sitting on the North Carolina state legislature). The characterisation is well done, and makes both Justin and Cuddy interesting (Cuddy is much better realised, in particular, then the usually stereotyped sidekick characters in detective fiction). Uncivil Seasons is an extremely well written novel, with nods to the American noir tradition, without being as angst ridden as Connelly or Deaver.
Over the last few months, I have suddenly started seeing and hearing the name of Michael Malone, basically out of the blue. Because of this, I assumed that he was a novelist who had taken up his pen relatively recently, and so was a little surprised to find out how old this novel, the first in a series set in Hillston in North Carolina, actually is. Apart from anything else, it is reminiscent of other more recent crime writers, particular Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels, or Donald Harstad's relaxed Iowa cop.
The narrator of this novel is Justin Savile V, a police lieutenant in Hillston, but also from one of the foremost families of the area, with connections to everyone from the State Governor down. He has turned his back on privilege, finding investigation more interesting than the top-notch legal career mapped out for him (though alcoholism had something to do with this decision as well). His partner, Cuddy Mangum, couldn't be more different, his background being the rundown East Hillston, the wrong side of the tracks.
When Justin's uncle's wife is killed, there is an obvious suspect - one of the "usual suspects", in fact - lined up, but Justin begins asking dangerous questions which threaten those who have run the town for generations, relatives and family friends who consider him one of their own. The detective story works extremely well, with several sources of conflict driving the plot - resentment between the poor and the rich, lack of understanding between the under and over privileged, Justin looking to find the truth rather than cover up a potential scandal. There is also conflict in the narrator; his turning away from his background was to a large extent not a matter of principle but because he wasn't interested in the sort of rewards it could bring him (and many people would agree that investigating murders is more interesting than sitting on the North Carolina state legislature). The characterisation is well done, and makes both Justin and Cuddy interesting (Cuddy is much better realised, in particular, then the usually stereotyped sidekick characters in detective fiction). Uncivil Seasons is an extremely well written novel, with nods to the American noir tradition, without being as angst ridden as Connelly or Deaver.
February 15, 2022
This is a case where I really need a half star. I liked this book and three stars seems too paltry, but four just marginally more than I can honestly offer because, while I think Malone’s writing is great and his characters definitely interesting, there were a few things that just didn’t flesh out properly.
It’s meant to be a mystery, and it is, but appropriate to its North Carolina setting, the novel is like a long southern drawl. It’s a casual pace with most of the focus on character and not so much on plot. The two main characters, Justin and Cuddy, are a good pairing and their dialogue is fun. But the other characters mostly seem like backdrop to the duo. And the two romantic story lines seemed unconvincing to me. At risk of seeming sexist, they felt like romance from a masculine point of view — one and done without much flourish and nuance.
Still, I did like the characters and would be willing to try the next novel in which they are featured.
It’s meant to be a mystery, and it is, but appropriate to its North Carolina setting, the novel is like a long southern drawl. It’s a casual pace with most of the focus on character and not so much on plot. The two main characters, Justin and Cuddy, are a good pairing and their dialogue is fun. But the other characters mostly seem like backdrop to the duo. And the two romantic story lines seemed unconvincing to me. At risk of seeming sexist, they felt like romance from a masculine point of view — one and done without much flourish and nuance.
Still, I did like the characters and would be willing to try the next novel in which they are featured.
September 4, 2023
Found this book at the library sale. It had a receipt from 2016, $10.20, purchased at 2nd Ed Books in RDU airport terminal 2.
January 26, 2015
The cover of Uncivil Seasons by Michael Malone caught my interest in a display at my library. It is the first book in a “much more than a mystery” series featuring two police officers named Justin and Cuddy. I was impressed by what I read about the author’s body of work. He has won a number of awards – an Edgar, an O. Henry, a Writers Guild Award and an Emmy. He’s written short stories and both serious and comic novels. He was also head writer for a popular daytime television series (One Life to Live) for a number of years and now teaches Theatre Studies at Duke University. Every literary review I read spoke highly of Malone’s work and writing skills.
The clincher was that the series takes place in North Carolina, Malone’s home state, an area that I knew very little about but have always been interested in learning more.
I quite enjoyed Uncivil Seasons. The mystery is excellent but as indicated earlier the book is much more than a mystery. The plot line seems to serve as a back drop for the author to delve into the emotions and pressures people grapple with in their daily lives as well as the conflicting demands they face and the choices they make.
Michael Malone writes seamlessly. He uses very interesting and descriptive language and really knows how to describe nature and make you feel like you’re there. His character development is not superficial. Rather, he takes you inward and introduces you to the character’s thoughts, feeling and motivation. Malone is particularly skilful in writing dialogue. The dialogue is full of accents and idioms, each unique to the many and wide ranging characters.
The characters themselves are full of life and each very different from the other. The author also demonstrates that he has an excellent imagination and does a good job of showing the “new” south in transition. The “new” south is a combination of the “old” south - those whose families have been born and living in the south for multi-generations, born into privilege and wealth and used to calling the shots in small town America. Times are a changing however and with technological advances and a new generation of younger, working people from outside the south are moving in and changing it into the “new” south. The “new” southerners want to share more in the south’s wealth and have a greater say in their own life and governance. Malone doesn’t lecture but this story definitely has an underlying theme of opinion and critique on status quo and old ways needing to make way for new ideas and meritocracy.
Justin and Cuddy are the heart and soul of the book. In some ways they are polar opposites – Justin was born entitled and his family has lived for generations in North Carolina but he has never really bought into the old school entitlement. He doesn’t want to be in the legislature. He thinks that police work is more interesting and his stubborn streak tells him to follow his heart and intuition despite the criticism and resistance from others. Cuddy was born into a working class family on the other side of the tracks. He is full of personality, ambition and aspiration. He is a wise-cracker who brings his dog to work, has a silver tongue and loves Elvis and the ladies. He has studied hard and used higher education in addition to his personality to get ahead. These two are partners and friendly banter abounds making for quite pleasurable reading. They clearly enjoy each other’s company and I found myself smirking and chuckling often and was frequently touched by demonstrations of their friendship.
While Justin and Cuddy are the principal characters, there is an incredible ensemble cast in the book and it runs the gamut from mountain bootleggers to high society. I really did get a sense for all of North Carolina and quite enjoyed the variety of folks there. The author’s character development and dialogue, as mentioned earlier, is extremely well done.
Now I know why Michael Malone has won a number of literary awards. I am looking forward to the second book in the Justin and Cuddy series and am also considering reading some of his other books. I am a big fan of writers who express themselves well, and write as if character development is as important as plot and who also have some intelligent commentary, observations and life lessons included in their stories. Michael Malone packages all three criteria into one enjoyable Uncivil Seasons.
The clincher was that the series takes place in North Carolina, Malone’s home state, an area that I knew very little about but have always been interested in learning more.
I quite enjoyed Uncivil Seasons. The mystery is excellent but as indicated earlier the book is much more than a mystery. The plot line seems to serve as a back drop for the author to delve into the emotions and pressures people grapple with in their daily lives as well as the conflicting demands they face and the choices they make.
Michael Malone writes seamlessly. He uses very interesting and descriptive language and really knows how to describe nature and make you feel like you’re there. His character development is not superficial. Rather, he takes you inward and introduces you to the character’s thoughts, feeling and motivation. Malone is particularly skilful in writing dialogue. The dialogue is full of accents and idioms, each unique to the many and wide ranging characters.
The characters themselves are full of life and each very different from the other. The author also demonstrates that he has an excellent imagination and does a good job of showing the “new” south in transition. The “new” south is a combination of the “old” south - those whose families have been born and living in the south for multi-generations, born into privilege and wealth and used to calling the shots in small town America. Times are a changing however and with technological advances and a new generation of younger, working people from outside the south are moving in and changing it into the “new” south. The “new” southerners want to share more in the south’s wealth and have a greater say in their own life and governance. Malone doesn’t lecture but this story definitely has an underlying theme of opinion and critique on status quo and old ways needing to make way for new ideas and meritocracy.
Justin and Cuddy are the heart and soul of the book. In some ways they are polar opposites – Justin was born entitled and his family has lived for generations in North Carolina but he has never really bought into the old school entitlement. He doesn’t want to be in the legislature. He thinks that police work is more interesting and his stubborn streak tells him to follow his heart and intuition despite the criticism and resistance from others. Cuddy was born into a working class family on the other side of the tracks. He is full of personality, ambition and aspiration. He is a wise-cracker who brings his dog to work, has a silver tongue and loves Elvis and the ladies. He has studied hard and used higher education in addition to his personality to get ahead. These two are partners and friendly banter abounds making for quite pleasurable reading. They clearly enjoy each other’s company and I found myself smirking and chuckling often and was frequently touched by demonstrations of their friendship.
While Justin and Cuddy are the principal characters, there is an incredible ensemble cast in the book and it runs the gamut from mountain bootleggers to high society. I really did get a sense for all of North Carolina and quite enjoyed the variety of folks there. The author’s character development and dialogue, as mentioned earlier, is extremely well done.
Now I know why Michael Malone has won a number of literary awards. I am looking forward to the second book in the Justin and Cuddy series and am also considering reading some of his other books. I am a big fan of writers who express themselves well, and write as if character development is as important as plot and who also have some intelligent commentary, observations and life lessons included in their stories. Michael Malone packages all three criteria into one enjoyable Uncivil Seasons.
Want to read
May 7, 2019Synopsis: when the wife of a state senator is found murdered, Hillston NC's ruling families assign the case to Detective Justin Savile.
May 19, 2012
In Hillston, North Carolina, Justin Savile, police detective, dipsomaniac, and black sheep of the ruling plutocracy of the town, partners with fast-talking, lower-class Cuddy Mangum to investigate the beating death of the wife of a state senator (his uncle). A petty thief is found with her stolen silver, but it doesn’t add up, and Justin starts uncovering some secrets that the family would rather keep hidden.
Written in a playful, stylish, literate tone, this is a delightful mystery, an actual whodunit with tight plotting, lots of red herrings and convoluted suspense. But it’s also a sophisticated romance, a character study, an evocation of old-money southern mores, and a comedy in the style of the fast-talking, quick-witted films of the ‘40s. Although a slightly jarring note, to me at least, rang in Cuddy, who is presented as a hulking blue-collar vet and auto-didact, but who talks in a never-ending spout of aphorisms, highly erudite references, and puns, like a straight Oscar Wilde. I suppose there are all kinds in every walk of life, but it struck me as a bit off given his background. Self-taught and disarmingly smart, certainly, but a blatherer? It seems off-type. That aside, this book is a rarity: a smart, engaging police procedural that also delves successfully into the wider world of love and the meaning of life.
Written in a playful, stylish, literate tone, this is a delightful mystery, an actual whodunit with tight plotting, lots of red herrings and convoluted suspense. But it’s also a sophisticated romance, a character study, an evocation of old-money southern mores, and a comedy in the style of the fast-talking, quick-witted films of the ‘40s. Although a slightly jarring note, to me at least, rang in Cuddy, who is presented as a hulking blue-collar vet and auto-didact, but who talks in a never-ending spout of aphorisms, highly erudite references, and puns, like a straight Oscar Wilde. I suppose there are all kinds in every walk of life, but it struck me as a bit off given his background. Self-taught and disarmingly smart, certainly, but a blatherer? It seems off-type. That aside, this book is a rarity: a smart, engaging police procedural that also delves successfully into the wider world of love and the meaning of life.
September 19, 2022
An enjoyable whodunit. It takes a bit for the story to really roll, to introduce the main characters and a little history. I'd guess the others in this 3 part series that won't be so since that groundwork is laid. There are a few times when sentence structure causes me to trip up for a moment, but not often. I'm entertained when lead to guess who the 'bad guy' is - there are more than one - this time it was not until late in the game one popped up for me as a 'suspect'.
I look forward to 'Time's Witness'.
I look forward to 'Time's Witness'.
October 21, 2013
I think Michael Malone deserves to be a more well-known author. He has great characters and terrific dialogue, and this book did not disappoint. It's a story concerning a death in a small town in North Carolina with plenty of southern manners and family intrigue. Although it's a relatively short book (274 pages), it's not a quick read as there are multiple plot lines and many characters to keep track of. The mystery kept me guessing until the end.
October 17, 2024
I read maybe thirty books a year. Most I’m good with putting down when I’m done. Some (too many) I keep looking at the page numbers, hoping I’ll finish much sooner than I am fated to. And if I’m lucky I’ll read one or two that I really don’t want to end, like this one. Malone’s prose is effortless yet wonderfully descriptive; his mystery is intricate and undeniably hard-boiled, yet leavened with humor and beauty. This is the third of Malone’s novels I’ve read so far and I’ve loved every one.
October 20, 2020
Justin Savile is a police detective in the town of Hillston, NC. He also has a law degree, is a descendant of the family who owns the local textile mill, and has done two tours of duty in rehab for alcoholism. The fact that he still drinks is a red flag, but his partner, Cuddy Mangum, has enough common sense for both of them and a very witty gift of gab. In fact, all of my favorite passages in the book are Cuddy’s remarks and nicknames for other people, including Justin’s married girlfriend, who Cuddy refers to, somewhat accurately, as Lunchbreak. The plot’s focus is on the death of Cloris Cadmean, who was murdered in her home, possibly as collateral damage to a robbery, but Justin doesn’t think so. He also begins investigating the accidental death of her former husband as a possible homicide and enlists the help of a renowned psychic. Honestly, I’ve read better whodunits as far as the plot is concerned, but this book’s strong suit is the two main characters. Cuddy and Justin are so much fun that I found it hard to take their detective work very seriously. There are no super nail-biting moments, but Southern charm and kidding around more than make up for the plot deficiencies. This is my first Michael Malone detective novel, but I am sure that I will seek him out again when I’m in the market for some suspense, peppered with a bit of good-natured ribbing. Malone even throws in some old-fashioned romance for good measure.
December 19, 2021
Overall, a decent mystery with some great characters built in. My only issue seems to be Malones writing style gets confusing at times and other time seems brilliant. Some of the dialog between Justin and Cuddy that is meant to be quirky and kind of Tongue in cheek is just not as easy to follow as it should be to me. Not a game changer for me though and maybe it's just a learning curve on my part. I have the other two in this series and will continue on with it but not biting at the bit for the next one sooooo?
April 1, 2024
I’m not a mystery reader. Most mystery books I’ve read seem hastily written. However, I enjoy Micheal Malone’s books. Uncivil Seasons was an entertaining read, especially with the character of Cuddy. He gets the best lines and provides the comic relief. My only criticism is that the plot/mystery was a little complicated and had a few too many characters. I read in short intervals so it may a result of that and not the fault of the book.
September 1, 2023
I had high expectations for this book. It's been on my "to read" shelf for years and I was reminded of it when I heard the Audible version was slated to be released this summer. I listened to the sample audio and was hooked. The story is not amazing but the narration is one of the best I've listened to. Very funny. Well done.
June 24, 2024
I stumbled on this book in our local Oxfam, took it home, and just loved it. The evocation of life in North Carolina is beautiful, the author captures the timbre of the characters' speech with real skill, and cleverly brings out the different lives of the wealthy and landed and the poor and ill-educated. It is also a very good murder mystery. I hope very much to read more books in this series.
December 27, 2024
First book in a trilogy following two police detectives in a small North Carolina town. Published in 1983. Lots of life in a small southern town where everybody knows or thinks they know what everyone is up to. Enjoyed Justin and Cuddy, the two primary characters and their banter. MacLeod Andrews is the perfect narrator of the audio, plenty of distinctive, but not annoying, voices.
November 5, 2017
I started this book because I'd liked his other book Handling Sin so much. This was a good whodunnit, though I petered out before I finished. Since I saw that he got the girl and found out who killed the woman, I lost interest when my life got busy. I LOVED the Cuddy character!!!
December 26, 2019
Entertaining characters but a pretty weak murder mystery. The detective duo don't even solve the mystery. That is done by an older tycoon who twice tells the lead detective the solution, providing info we as readers had no exposure to.
March 21, 2022
I read this series backwards: #3, #2 and lastly #1. So I have to admit that this first novel in the series is not as crisp as its successors. But still a nice solid read. I LOVED #2 and #3. Especially #2. Thank you, Mr. Malone!
November 6, 2019
Set in a quiet college town of Hillston, North Carolina, this book has a few interesting, likeable characters.
November 10, 2019
Malone is a new writer to me, and a very good one. Elegant, even. The story is page-turner until near the end, when I though it slowed down and got a bit confusing.
Read
January 14, 2023A bit hard to follow the twists and jumps of plot at times, though the dialogue was fantastic: realistic and funny, in the way unself-conscious people who care about each other talk.
January 29, 2023
More like 3 1/2.
January 22, 2024
3 and 1/2 stars, averaged up. Justin is basically the straight man for Cuddy; even though Justin is the main character. Good plot and good story.
June 5, 2024
Terrible! What a god awful book I can't remember who killed who or who did bad to who but I'm sure glad I've finished!!
August 13, 2024
Pretty good read. A bit ponderous with elegant touches.
August 25, 2024
So well written. Read it. Enjoy.
November 7, 2024
Enjoyable read, strong (and interesting) point of view from the narrator, good storyline.
November 10, 2024
Good fun and generally well-written. The only main flaw was in the unrealistic romantic relationships of the two main characters, which were at odds with the quality of the rest of the prose.
December 1, 2024
Very well written - one of the few murder mysteries that required a dictionary
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews