Rituals of the Season

Deborah Knott Mysteries #11

by Margaret Maron

- "High Country Fall, Margaret Maron's most recent installment in the Deborah Knott series, was published in Mysterious Press hardcover in 8/04, with a first printing of 40,000 copies.- Margaret Maron swept the top mystery awards with her first Deborah Knott hardcover, "Bootlegger's Daughter (Mysterious Press, 1992), receiving the Edgar1 Award for Best Mystery Novel, the Agatha Award, the Macavity, and the Anthony. She also won a 1992 Agatha Award for the short story that introduced the character of Deborah Knott, and later, she received the Agatha Award for Best Novel for "Up Jumps the Devil (Mysterious Press, 1996). Maron was nominated for an Agatha Award for "Home Fires (Mysterious Press, 1998), and most recently, "Storm Track (Mysterious Press, 2000) won the Agatha Award for Best Novel. "Last Lessons of Summer (Mysterious Press, 2003), was also nominated for an Agatha Award.- "Last Lessons of Summer, Slow Dollar, and Uncommon Clay were all selected as Mystery Guild Main Selections.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

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

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a satisfying read. This is an awesome series, and I've been away from it too long.

Deborah Knott is getting married as well as trying to help her fiancee solve a murder of a work colleague. She's no Girl Friday as they are at cross purposes as she is a judge and he is a deputy investigating the murder.

Margaret Maron has won numerous awards for her mysteries and it shows as she is a solid writer. No big bells and whistles with the mystery, but the story is so enjoyable for that as well as the local color she brings to the crew living in a small town in North Carolina. In each of the books that I've read in this series she brings out the best of the South while acknowledging the downside as well.

Deborah comes from a tight knit family in a tight knit community where more many people know your business than you may want.

I am definitely going to go back and catch up.

The first in the series is Bootlegger's Daughter which won the Edgar's award many years back.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've said this before, but I'll say it again, I like Judge Deborah Knott. Yes, she gets involved in solving murders; however, she's much smarter about it than most cozy heroines. Also, as judge, she's involved at least tangentially on a professional level.

In this one, she's really involved on a personal level - she knew the victims. As the countdown winds down to her wedding with childhood friend and "brother", Dwight, she's finding her way in how involved she can be in Dwight's cases and still remain impartial as a judge. It's tough for Dwight too. Obviously, as his love and partner in life, he would like to discuss and confide in Deborah, but doing so, on both their parts can compromise their professional careers.

I find these books well above most cozies written today. You have an intelligent, professional woman, who does not act impulsively and stupidly. Yes, she does find herself involved in very dangerous and life threatening situations, but she didn't get there by going off half-cocked and confronting murderers because she can't contain herself and has no impulse control. Hear that cozies.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rituals of the Season by Margaret Maron.

A Deborah Knott mystery or so I thought.
Assistant D.A. Tracy Johnson is on the highway when she spots someone she knows well. She no sooner rolls down her window to say "Hi" in passing then she is shot and crashes. That shot killed her before her car ever hit the concrete support but the crash kills her toddler in the back seat. Judge Deborah Knott is horrified to learn the news of her friend and colleague. She's even more distressed to learn it was murder.

This wonderful mystery grows deeper with another case brought to the Judge's attention of a convicted killer awaiting execution. Can these two murders be connected and if so do they have the wrong person about to be executed?

The mystery element of the book would rate 5 stars and kept me focused and interested...however and unfortunately the romance portion of the Judge's life inappropriately interrupted the story line for me and brought my rating down to 4 stars.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the books I've read, by Ms. Maron, this one is my favorite. You have an intense investigation of murder, that kept me turning the pages until the very end. Also, a wedding, and wonderful characters that carry through all her novels, that brings every story to life and then some.
Great read!!!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An assistant district attorney is shot right before Christmas, and Deborah Knott’s fiancée is leading the investigation into the baffling crime. In the meantime, the holidays are coming, and, oh yes, the wedding is approaching.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#11 in the Judge Deborah Knott mystery series. Finalist 2005 Agatha Award for Best Novel.

Judge Deborah Knott mystery - The judge and her fiancé, sheriff deputy Dwight Bryant, are distracted from their impending nuptials by a fatal car crash involving assistant D.A. Tracy Johnson. When it turns out that someone shot Johnson as she was driving, Deborah and Dwight become involved in a murder investigation that will uncover a web of crime and corruption in Colleton County, N.C. Meanwhile, members of Deborah's large, extended family, among other warm Southern characters, hurry to complete the renovations on Deborah's old farmhouse and to prepare, celebrate and sometimes complicate the upcoming wedding. When two young students approach Deborah about a death-row prisoner who they think is innocent, she can't resist helping.

[ChiQuito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such A Good Read

I loved the characters and the referee made to Raleigh, NC my hometown and surrounding area. Dwight and Deb'rah were married surrounded by family and friends.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very satisfying read! I had forgotten this series and am glad I spotted a favorite author scrolling though the kindle mystery section. The main characters in the series are solid and the plots serve up a good mystery and interesting plot twists.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good story

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to go back to catch up on things, as it had been awhile since I had read Margaret Maron. This one involves the murder of a colleague, and the wedding of Deborah and Dwight. These are good, quick reads.

[Marilyn Heyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

RITUALS OF THE SEASON by Margaret Maron

ADA Tracy Johnson is shot while driving on the freeway crashing her car and killing her adopted baby daughter. Judge Deborah Knott is stunned. Who could have murdered her friend and co-worker? Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant, Deborah’s fiancé, is handling the case. He and Deborah are planning their wedding in two weeks. Her brothers are building a room on to her house and promise to have it completed by the wedding. Deborah has her doubts. She is running around trying to get everything done, but she also wants to help Dwight solve the murder.
Two law students are looking into the guilt of a woman on death row for murder. They are convinced that she didn’t do it.

As Dwight investigates the murder, Deborah questions the people who knew Tracy. Several things come to light pointing in different directions, but no one seems to know much about Tracy’s personal life. She also gets involved with the law students while she is trying to get ready for her wedding. Beautifully written and an excellent story, Margaret Maron keeps readers on their toes trying to figure out who the culprits are. She is able to juggle both stories and come to a satisfactory conclusion.

[Nell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the series. Maron balances the personal and professional aspects of the main characters' lives and adds not one but two mysteries to solve. It takes a skillful writer to make that appear effortless.

The story takes place leading up to Deborah's and Dwight's wedding. Both are involved in pre-wedding preparations, holiday parties to celebrate their nuptials, merging households, blending families, decorating and shopping for Christmas. And then there's murder - an ADA is shot on the highway by someone she knew resulting in an accident that also kills her infant daughter. The ADA was rasing questions about the guilt of a woman on death row scheduled to be executed in a month. Was her reexamining the investigation related to her murder?

Half of the focus is on Dwight, the Sheriff and deputies he works with making this one more of a police procedural. Members of both Dwight's and Deborah's families and extended families are woven in and Dwight's son, Cal, is introduced. Maron does an excellent job solving both cases (Dwight solves one and Deborah figures out the other) just in time for their walk down the aisle. Well done. Highly recommended.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#11 of the Deborah Knott series-I have read 9 of the series just this year. Mostly because this was a bookclub book and I made it a point to read all the books that led up to #11. This was a critical book for the series. Deborah ties the “knot” in this one. I enjoyed the Knott story and the mystery wasn’t bad either. An ADA is shot while driving in her car and her adopted daughter dies in the crash. Dwight is working the murder and of course, Deborah is involved as usual. A third mystery is added to the mix because, Tracey, the murdered ADA, was looking into a case where the convicted murderer (a female) is currently on death-row. The question is, did she really do it? Two young law students are reviewing the case and Deborah gets involved because, like almost every other character in the series, they are distantly related to her some how. I enjoyed the book. I thought the mystery and the storyline blended well. However, it wasn’t spectacular.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid series.

With books that cross into the cozy mystery category, many series become predictable and formulaic. However, Maron does not fall into this trip.

Intrepid heroine, Deborah Knott, frequently ends up in a new community temporarily due to her work as judge. So you don't end up with the feeling, "Why doesn't anyone ever move to Jessica Fletcher's town when someone new dies there every week?" It feels organic and not contrived.

With a large family, there is usually someone who knows someone with requiring one character to know everyone.

That's all generic review material. Specific to Ritual? I enjoyed seeing more inoput into Deborah's finance/husband. I wasn't sure I would like the marriage plotline, but this episode set that at ease. I think it will work.

This is a strong, steady reliable series that I can always reach for knowing I will be satisfied.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

With only weeks left until the wedding, one would think that Judge Deborah Knott would be focused on preparations at hand, but a new murder case and an old one have her and Dwight tangled up in work. An attorney is shot in her car on the highway after looking into a death-penalty case, where the woman is due to take her final gurney ride in just a month. Are the two connected? Can the murders be found--the ones who killed the attorney and the one who really should be on death row?
Perhaps I shouldn't be reading about other people's weddings right now with my own only two months away; I get too emotional. But I have to say, Deborah and Dwight's wedding is as perfect as one could wish it to be.

[Dail Sams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Deborah Knott prepares to marry long-time family friend Dwight Bryant while
helping get a wrongly convicted woman off death row. Meanwhile Dwight is up to his eyeballs in a murder investigation involving an attorney colleague of Deborah's and her adopted baby. Throw in a fire at the country club where the reception was to be and preparing to welcome stepson Cal into their new home, and Deborah is feeling a little stressed. But through it all, she is suffused with a profound sense of gratitude at the gift life has given her.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Deborah Knott is finally getting married but, since she's marrying a law enforcement officer, even their wedding preparations are interrupted by murder. The oft-used trope of amateur sleuth involved with official crimesolver is done very well by Margaret Maron, especially since there's the twist that Deborah is required to be impartial in her job. Her large family is always entertaining and I love "visiting" Colleton County.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story as I always do with the Judge Knott series. However, I really noticed in this book how the author has to describe every person by their race. I'm not against describing characters with race when it's a character you're going to care about but Deborah stopped to sign a warrant for a "white police officer" who never showed up again and that was the only description we got...I just don't think that's necessary and it was very noticeable in this book.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book since Deborah and Dwight will be getting married. Unfortunately, getting to that point was a bit of a downer.

Let's start with the murder. I was disappointed to see Tracy Johnson's character killed off. She was a secondary character whom I always liked to see pop up in Deborah's courtroom. What a way to dampen the enthusiasm for the wedding. It might have been better to have the crime involve a stranger instead of someone they all know and respect.

Speaking of the murder, I found the setup somewhat implausible. Who the heck opens the window while driving 70 miles an hour on the highway and carries on a conversation, all the while it's freezing outside and you have your little child in the backseat? Not only is such a scenario unlikely, but it would be nearly impossible to hear one another. Plus, I can't see Tracy attempting something so dangerous for a mere colleague. A relative or a boyfriend, maybe. But a detective in the sheriff's office? Nope. Most normal people would just wave. Which brings me to Mei. Nothing was mentioned in previous books about Tracy adopting a little girl. Why stick it in here just to kill her off? Felt unnecessary and overly macabre.

I also guessed the culprit early on in the story and wasn't really thrown off by any of Margaret Maron's red herrings. During the first half of the book at least, there is also too little of Deborah. I used to prefer the books set in Colleton County, but now I'm rethinking that opinion. At least when Deborah is out of town, she is more of a focal point in the story. Because like some of the past books, too many characters populate this book and some become muddled. By the time the wedding was approaching, I'd forgotten who the heck Kate was and had to turn back to jog my memory.

Another annoying aspect of the book. At parts, I felt like I was reading a romance novel. I don't mind a little romance, etc., but "Rituals of the Season" went overboard, in my opinion.

Thankfully, the last chapter was perfect. (I didn't mind the romantic elements here because I'm expecting it at Deborah and Dwight's wedding.) The ending kept the rating from dropping to a 2.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

Judge Deborah Knott's wedding is the main focus of this installment. She is marrying Deputy Major Dwight Bryant, longtime friend, and family and friends are handling the plans and setup for the large event. Portland Brewer, her best friend, is ready to deliver and they are hoping that it will not happen at the ceremony. The normal problems arise when the Country Club venue burns and a new place must be found last minute. ALSO, it is happening a couple of days before Christmas, doubly stressful.

Into this chaos comes the murder of a ADA, Tracy Johnson, on the Interstate, and the subsequent accident, the car crashing into an abutment kills her toddler, Mei, adopted daughter. She had figured out that one of the local law enforcement was skimming drugs and drug money off the top of seized evidence. She had been having an affair with one of the officers, and he is suspected. A bulletin goes out asking people travelling the Interstate at the time to examine their cars for a bullet hole. They cannot find the slug that went through her neck. A man finally comes in with his car, after police supposedly find the slug along the highway. They blame Whitley who had been sleeping with her, but it turns out to be another, Deputy Mike Castleman.

Sad story in the middle of the joy of the wedding.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rituals of the Season by Margaret Maron is book 14 of the Deborah Knott mystery series set in contemporary North Carolina. In just a few days, Judge Deborah Knott will marry her lifelong friend Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant. Their social calendar is crammed with parties, receptions, renovating their house, and family commitments. When Deborah's colleague is murdered and Dwight becomes lead detective on the case, confidentiality is a challenge. Adding to her hectic schedule, young law students want her help with a stay of execution for a woman on death row. The story is well balanced between the personal and the professional issues. Enjoyable reading how Deborah's extended family pitches in and copes with a crisis. In a whirlwind of activity, Deborah and Dwight manage to solve their cases and finish all wedding preparations, just in time. Deborah's interactions with her warm and loving family make this series a positive, upbeat read with Southern charm.

[Pat Amsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner

I'm addicted to this series and this book doesn't disappoint. With Deborah Knots, the college's daughter, getting married to Dwight, someone she's known since childhood but who's finally managed to convince her she loves him and they belong together romance is taken care of. But when a young ADS is shot dead in the weeks before their wedding, the two both end up involved in tracking down the killer plus. It's also a balancing act as they define boundaries with her as a district court judge and Dwight the lead detective. With a blend of family and professional relationships and the knowledge that brings, loyalties are tested and lies exposed. Justice is found at the 11th hour for someone close to having the death sentence carried out, while men trusted by and working under Dwight are found dead and guilty of more than just like judgement. You'll have to find out for yourself whether they make it to the alter.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Debora Knott is busy planning for her coming Christmas wedding to Sheriff Dwight Bryant. All seemed to be going well -- until the murder of one of the district prosecutors --The prosecutor's young daughter was also killed in the car crash that followed. Shortly after learning about the murder, word was also received that one of the cases the department had worked on previously was about to be completed with the execution of the woman found guilty .... but some of the staff still thought she was innocent. The execution would happen just after the new year. Two members from a nearby college had taken on the project to stop the execution of the woman. ...Three major - different - things the Judge for the judge to work on. It was a fairly long mystery novel but I found myself having to look back to keep all the related threads straight. .... A bit too many for my liking. .

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well-known and acclaimed author, but I really didn't enjoy the book all that much. It is a crime mystery and the heroine is Judge Knott. There is nothing wrong with the plot or the characters, but I just didn't relate to them. I never felt like I wanted to get to know them better. Along with the murder that is being investigated, we find Deborah Knott busily preparing for her winter wedding. The book does have local flavor, from the mention periodically of sweet tea and the local spoken idioms. There is also a lot of extended family that is a big part of the story. The setting is North Carolina, and we do know that we are in the south. I think I need to choose another of Maron's novels to see if I missed something.

[Kathleen Buckley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why this is classified as a mystery is a mystery. It was a sappy romance novel with an incidental crime buried in all the lovey- dovey muck.

Also, way too many minor characters. They all seemed to be related and contributed nothing except to help with wedding preparations. Quite a dull bunch and that includes the main characters.


This is one book in a series. To be fair, it’s the only one I’ve read and this is going to be it. There are too many good series in the crime/mystery genre so no need to waste more time on these.

I gave it 2 stars because I finished it. I reserve 1 star for books so bad that I just can’t go on and quit mid stream.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an Assistant DA and her baby are discovered in an accident and then it is revealed that she was shot and she was pregnant, a lot of questions are asked. At the same time this is going on, Deborah and Dwight are getting ready for their wedding right before Christmas. How Dwight and Sheriff Bo Poole discover who the real killer is and the motive makes for a great story. This is another great addition to the series. Really enjoyed catching up with some characters in earlier books and the whole story of the wedding and the add-on to Deborah's house and Cal's new room was really interesting to read about. Highly recommend this book.

[Terry Polston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deborah and Dwight's wedding. They are super busy with wedding dinners and luncheons and into this mix a deputy is murdered and her infant daughter dies in the resulting crash. ( what was in that heavy Christmas pkg?)
Then Deborah is cajoled into looking into an old murder case to save a woman from the death penalty.
I did not pick either culprit. But it was a good romp. Lordy oh my, there are a lot of Knott children.
*******†***** pg 2 - not a spoiler **********
PLOT HOLE: When Tracy was shot she was in the fast lane. The bullet ended up in a car going the opposite direction hitting the left side passenger window. That much tracks, but it would mean that the gun was fired left handed because on page 2 it states that the gun came up to shoulder level traveling alongside her car. That does not track. The way it is stated "the revolver came up to shoulder level" implies to me the right arm was lifted with the revolver in hand.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another highly enjoyable book in the Judge Deborah Knott series. This is the book in which Deborah finally marries Dwight Bryant, but they have to negotiate around a couple of murders first as well as an enquiry into an old case where the person convicted is about to receive the death penalty. That in itself makes the book challenging for those who oppose capital punishment (as do I) however the arguments are interesting and very little of the story relates directly to that. Each of the deaths investigated is convoluted - accident, murder, suicide.
Really a very satisfying book.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe because of how busy I have been, I just couldn’t seem to get into this book. I had waited a long time for Deborah and Dwight to get married, but the murder in this book was not one that held my interest. After a while I was just reading to get to the wedding. I am always pleased to read about the two characters though so it kept me from giving up.also, I found the tenses hard to understand, some were told as if we were watching Dwight, and others from Deborah’s point of view, but sometimes they switched without warning. Harder to read than most.

[Emily Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Deborah Knott and deputy Dwight Bryant are getting married just before Christmas. However, crime doesn’t stop. A female assistant district attorney and her baby daughter are killed in a shooting and subsequent car crash. Questions arise about an old case in which a woman was sentenced to death. These cases keep Deborah and Dwight involved in their jobs as well as the events leading up to the wedding.