The first Deborah Knott mystery,
Bootlegger's Daughter
, swept the top mystery awards in 1993 with a down-home judge dedicated to justice, driven by private demons, and prone to decide with her heart. From the first though, the books have given us an insider's look at North Carolina--from its western mountains to its Crystal Coast. Now in the series' fifth book, Judge Deborah investigate the interior geography of human folly in an exquisite plot created with polish and élan...
Sent to High Point, North Carolina, to substitute for a vacationing colleague, Deborah finds there is no room at the inn. Or anywhere else for that matter. The International Home Furnishings Market has taken over the town and all the hotels. All Deborah wants is a bed for the night, not thousands of living room suites and dining room ensembles. And the last thing she needs is murder.
A chilling misadventure begins when she is befriended by Mrs. Jernigan, an eccentric older woman who promises to find her a place to stay. Deborah follows the chiffon-clad Good Samaritan through showrooms of French provincial and high-tech modern until the woman suddenly vanishes, leaving a sexy hunk of manhood dead and motionless on a pricey piece of "motion" furniture.
Who is the mysterious Mrs. Jernigan and why is Deborah herself suspected of killing a furniture executive who specialized in making after-hours bedroom arrangements and cutthroat deals? To clear her name, Deborah has to table all other plans and investigate. But the knotty heart of this case are secrets hidden behind walls of silence. It will take all Deborah's courtroom experience and intuitive skills to strip through layers of deception to solve a whodunit that is strictly top-shelf.