Home Fires

Deborah Knott Mysteries #6

by Margaret Maron

At a stop along her campaign trail, Judge Deborah Knott attends a community picnic at the Mr. Olive Church. When the historic building is destroyed by a fire shortly after the outing -- and the charred skeleton of a young man is found among the ashes -- Knott begins her own investigation into the tragedy. Earlier national news reports of a fire at a local African-American church had already gained the attention of Wallace Adderly, a Black Panther from the '70s. Knott and Adderly team up to discover if the blazes are merely coincidence, or the work of a racist arsonist. As the number of suspects rises, Deborah finds herself re-examining her own beliefs and values as she and Adderly race to prevent another devastating loss in the community.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Southern, Audiobook, Crime

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Born and raised in central North Carolina, Margaret Maron lived in Italy before returning to the USA. In addition to a collection of short stories she also authored numerous mystery novels.

Her works have been translated into seven languages her Bootlegger's Daughter, a Washington Post Bestseller won Edgar Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity awards.

She was a past president of Sisters in Crime and of the American Crime writers' league, and a director on the national board for Mystery Writers of America.

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Reviews

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. I liked it. Judge Deborah Knott grows on you; she's smart but she doesn't flaunt it; she's a people person but not overly to everyone; she likes a good party but there's a limit; she's in her 30s, not married, and likes men. How could she not with nine brothers! I'd enjoy meeting her in real life. What I would have done for a list of characters though! Rural and small town North Carolina takes some getting used to for this big city Canadian. You'd better get ready for third cousins once removed. And a different view of race relations. Plus so many churches - every chapter starts with a church sign such as, "Angels don't look for angles." When a cemetery is desecrated and a black church torched, with the resulting arrest of her nephew, our hero gets drawn in by one of those brothers. She's in the middle of her judicial re-election campaign, also something I'm not experienced with, and building a new house. Knott knows this is not a judge's role, but she really can't say 'No.' A murder or two makes an appearance, and more black churches are burned. All in all, an eye-opener of an outing in a beautiful part of the United States. (No2019/Ja2025)

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent mystery featuring southern judge Deborah Knott. In this story, she is trying to work on building house and on running a re-election campaign, when arsonists start burning churches. Of course, there is a murder and she has to figure out who the culprit is before the wrong person is put in jail.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading the Deborah Knott Mysteries that I have had on my tbr pile so this has moved me from Book 3 to Book 6. Readers of my previous reviews may remember my delight with the feature of italicized sentences which I enjoy as it provides a "heading" and/or very effective "lead-in" at the beginning of each chapter and have been related to the overall theme of each novel. In "Home Fires" although the sentences are related to the novel's theme, I did not find them as effective as in Books 2 and 3. As no credit was given on the copyright page I'm not sure if the author saw these sayings on church signage or if they are also of her own creation.

This is the first time that I have viewed "Deborah Knott's Family Tree" on the opposite page of Chapter 1 and it is very helpful. After reading several books in the series right in a row I'm more familiar with Deborah's large family but it was still convenient to refer back to the chart and I wish it would have been available in the first book I read in the series which was Book 2, "Southern Discomfort."

A very poignant paragraph in the novel states

"God knows life would be a lot simpler if we could all wake up one morning color-blind, but we're nowhere close to it on either side. Not by a long shot. We continue to lead separate, parallel personal lives, seldom connecting without self-consciousness, at genuine ease only at points of old familiarity such as Maidie and me here in my mother's kitchen.

It was at that point that I had to pause in my reading to look at the copyright page to learn when the novel was published and was saddened by the copyright date of 1998. 22 years since the author wrote those words. How little progress we have made as the author later writes,

"...that people might quit letting their eyes stop at a person's skin but keep on looking deeper until each saw the other's humanity."

Or as the saying goes, “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

Margaret Maron writes excellent murder mysteries and they occur in the midst of everyday life and highlight relevant themes that all beg the reader and even challenge the reader to be better tomorrow than we were today not merely with our words but more importantly with our actions.

[Richard Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of church burnings in North Carolina in the early 60's or 70's. I am not real sure. Helms and Harry Gant were listed as senate candidates. Of course, one of the Knott relatives is accused of the being a part of a group of teenagers who did the fires. We have all kinds of love interest with Deborah and her game warden. There is her building of a new house. There are lots of interesting discussion about race relations and there are many good insights into the dynamics of black white. This being read at a time when Black Lives Matter and Dallas cops being shot, it was troubling how much of this story is still deja vue. Maron does make her major character and the supporting cast feel like real people you know, and being southerners in North Carolina it is fun to know the TV announcers she mentions and the locales.

[RavenT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1998, this mystery rife with racial tensions accurately portrays racial politics and relations both for that time and currently. Until the older folks die off, there is not going to be much progress that is more than skin deep. I say that as a non-white, non-black woman raised in the Deep South, having faced both races over these issues. (Being Asian in the south was a weird experience for sure.)

The mystery plot brings up some painful scenes of prejudice and touches on colorism, but the theme is handled with Maron's typical deftness, both honest and understanding of human foibles and failings.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting snapshot in time

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Knott is back home in Colleton County where she belongs. She's nesting now, building her own home on a parcel of land her daddy deeded her. She needs the privacy now for visits from her beau. Another great mystery from a master.

[Dail Sams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The burning of three black churches causes Deborah and her neighbors to recognized the subtle racism that still pervades their community. Deborah builds a house on Knott land and prepares to begin a new stage of life.

[Marti]

Borrowed on Hoopla through JCPL.

Listening length seven hr 30 min

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

As Deborah and Kidd are enjoying a weekend together, she is called back by one of multiple brothers, Andrew, to help his son AK, who has gotten himself into trouble. AK and two friends Charles Starling and Raymond Bagwell desecrated a family cemetery, overturning headstones and spray painting. They are charged and given weekends in jail, community service and restitution.

This begins a strong narrative on the ongoing racial issues of North Carolina. First the Balm of Gilead Black church burns. Deborah is there to help save the bible and other pieces. A volunteer firefighter is by her side saving the pulpit. When a second and third church, Mount Olive and God Holiness Tabernacle burn it brings ATF friend Ed Gardner, the FBI and crowds of media to the community. The graffiti on the walls of the churches matches that from the cemetery. AK was at home, but the other two men are arrested. In the first fire a drunk who had slept at the church, and helped with some errands, was killed. Later a second skeleton is discovered under the floor, obviously from years before.

Deborah doesn't believe the men did it, and finally comes to the conclusion that Grace King Avery is the arsonist. She lives close to the God Holiness church. It is an eyesore. A small decrepit RV is pushed against the church where the Reverend Byantha Williams. She is a hellfire and brimstone woman, who has let the property deteriorate with old cars and appliances scattered on the land. So Grace devises a plan when she attends the trial of the three men who destroyed the cemetery to burn the churches. Donations from all over the country pour in to repair or replace the buildings. The property issues of the churches are handled. Grace didn't intend for anyone to get hurt. She had taken over the family home and was refurbishing is to its former glory. She could not stand to have the eyesore ruin her view.

Side issues addressing the integration perspectives and other racial problems come up during the story, making the narrative fascinating and informative. The skeleton is identified as the brother of the ADA Cylvia DeGraffenreid's grandmother, who had been thought to leave for Boston, with Wallace Adderly, who has become an attorney and activist. When confronted by Cyl and Deborah he tells of five white men cornering Isaac and killing. Adderly had then buried him under the floor of the church and fled. Another winner for Maron.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow managed to get ahead of myself in the 'Deborah Knott ' series - jumping four books ahead to “Home Fires”.
Not that it made much difference because little or nothing seems to have changed either in her life or in Colleton County, North Carolina.
There are no crime lords or mob bosses in Margaret Maron's book as she focusses on ordinary people and the evil that sometimes lurks within.
As a District Court judge Deborah can't turn a blind eye, but neither does she believes in the strict enforcement and maximum sentences of the law. It may have something to do with her Daddy being, at one time, the biggest bootlegger in the area.
Vandalism at a local graveyard sees the teenage culprits rapidly caught and one of them is her nephew, A. K., 17. He's looking at some jail time and there is nothing Deborah can do except get him the best lawyer she knows.
The vandalism is followed by several small churches being burnt to the ground and the graffiti at each is identical to that found in the cemetery. One, or all, of the vandals has to be the culprit and this time Federal laws against hatred apply - bringing the possibility of life behind bars.
It's a really solid read and poses some interesting argument on race relations (luckily not in a preachy way).
Throw in details on how to throw a BBQ for all and sundry, including how to build a BBQ from a 250 gallon drum, and it makes for a memorable journey.
4 Stars.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Knott's nephew gets involved with two boys who vandalize a cemetery. Some black churches are burned down and similar writing as found in the cemetery is found on the church walls. She believes her nephew innocent and starts poking around to find out the truth.
There is still a lot of conflict between blacks and whites in this southern county and tension simmers. She doesn't want things to get out of hand and is trying to understand things from both perspectives. She is also concerned with the building of her new house and her relationship with her boyfriend who doesn't live very close to her town. She tries to befriend a deputy DA who has issues from.her past that have been brought back to the present.
Deals with some interesting racial issues along with how connected to each other some families are and how important family history can be to some.

[Merlot58 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the Deborah Knott series. Set in the South, there is always an intriguing mystery, but more importantly, family and the general social network of the towns in the area factor as a more important part of the story. The characters are consistently well fleshed out and believable. These are relatively short books but they are so good.

This book (and others in the series) also deals with the race issues inherently found in North Carolina, in what feels to me a very real way. Admittedly, this is fiction. This was written in 1998 and Maron is talking about white privilege, a current topic, and this was written 20 years ago. So, I would say these books are still relevant as we still have the same problems.

There are still some glaringly dated turns of phrase, even though the heart of this book is in the right place.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this series again because I enjoy the main character so much. Deborah Knott is the youngest in a family of twelve and the only girl. She is a respected judge in her small North Carolina town of Dobbs who manages to get involved in the latest crime wave. In this book, the story is again set in Dobbs and involves members of her community. Fires are being set and black churches are burning to the ground. Deborah manages to be in the thick of it and helps solve the crimes. I also want to mention that the quotes at the start of each chapter are great too.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

While imperfect and tipping a bit into white saviorness (though given Deborah is the MC in the series, bound to happen), I give Maron props for writing about racism, about the layers in black-white friendships.

This novel is also a turning point in Maron's style, moving into multiple POV and starting characters who run in the secondary plot and take on more significant roles in the next book in the series.

Granted, I've now listened to enough of the series to recognize the subtle clues of who is going to be the it person, but I didn't foresee the motive.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy every book in this series. the beginning of each chapter of this one highlights the quirky messages of small-town church signs. If you drive on rural roads you will immediately recognize the accuracy and giggle just a little. Since the mystery revolves around church burning, it's a great touch. This is the "food" entry of the series. Almost every chapter highlights another quintessential food of this rural area just outside (SE) of Raleigh NC area. Read for the local flavor!

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deborah is in New Bern with her boyfriend, Kidd Chapin, when she gets a call from her brother about her nephew being drunk and damaging a graveyard. After her nephew is sentenced to weekend jail time a church goes up in flames and then 3 more churches are burned and the sexton at one of the churches is found dead. How Deborah with help from Dwight Bryant discovers the arsonist and murderer makes for an enthralling read. Really surprising ending.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Home Fires" was a fast-paced, page-turning book. Much better than the last one in the series which dragged. I liked the different viewpoints presented by the different characters about racial problems and injustices in their town. I also like Deborah's interaction with Dwight in these books. They seem much better suited than her and Kidd. We'll see what happens down the road. And the ending threw me for a loop. The guilty person was not one I expected.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery finds Judge Deborah Knott close to home, focusing on an outburst of arson at local African-American churches and dealing with family problems.

BTW, I’m used to cover illustrations not matching the story, but inaccurate descriptions in the blurb here on Goodreads? — c’mon, publishers, it’s not that hard to get it right, just read the book.

[Camilla Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mystery by Margaret Maron, an author I like. I'm sure I'll be sad when I finish this series as I believe she has ended it, but I do have about 10 left to go. I like to read a series in order, but in this one I have already read a few later on in the series. I did not see the ending coming in this one at all either!

[Julia Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it as I usually do with this series. I appreciate her sense of humor along with her attention to the cultural aspects of the place and time. In this book I found it a little harder to keep track of the characters. I listened to it as an audio book.

[Steve Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery. Set in piedmont NC with believable characters. I had no idea who the culprit was until the last pages. If you like rural North Carolina, or are interested in it, this is a great book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deborah should learn to listen more than she talks, especially when it comes to race. But other than that and my complete inability to keep all of the ministers and churches straight, I enjoyed this a lot.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am coming to like this series more as it progresses. They're older books - this one published in the late 1990s - but many of the problems that occur are still relevant today. Sadly, that especially applies to this book. A series of fires at small Black churches in the area causes concern for Deborah and many of the residents as well. When a body is found in the rubble of one fire, the problem becomes much more serious.

The list of suspects was relatively short, each with a similar motive. I kept changing my mind about who was ultimately responsible and was astonished when the actual culprit was revealed. The motive made me shake my head, but it made sense for that character.

The next book from this series is in my Audible+ library, and I hope to listen to it before it is withdrawn from the catalog (who knows when that will be?)

[Michelle Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debra and Dwight! Yippee!

[Nita · Rating 1 out of 5]

good southern influence but i just couldn't get into it

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book and I am really not sure why. Great writing and characters but the story did not grab me.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

great color. good relationships and history. good read. light on mystery.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. I enjoy the down home details of Deborah Knott stories.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good thriller with plenty of twists and interesting characters.