Deborah Knott is the Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron

Bootlegger’s Daughter

By Margaret Maron

                A cold case has haunted the tobacco country of Colleton County, North Carolina in this novel about the Bootlegger’s Daughter that is the first in the Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. Eighteen years ago a mother and baby daughter disappeared. Found three days later, the baby survived but her mother was already dead. This unsolved murder became a local legend that haunted residents, including baby Gayle as she grew up. Now an adult, Gayle has hired attorney Deborah Knott to investigate so her mother can finally rest in peace with her killer finally caught, and Gayle hopes she can find some kind of peace in that closure as well.

                In the midst of all her work, Deborah presses for her passion for fair court sentencing that represents her commitment, that “punishment is supposed to deter a person from doing it again, not crush his spirit.” A particularly ruthless decree in a court case that Deborah watched while she waited for her client’s case to start next, that was the spark that began the fire of her own campaign for District Judge. The excitement of the primaries and then the election pulses through the pages. Campaigning with her family’s long history is sometimes an asset, and sometimes a liability. She is, after all, the strong-willed daughter of Kezzie Knott – notorious bootlegger, ex-con, and political string-puller. As this investigation continues, and as the campaign trail heats up, Deborah finds herself fully immersed in intrigue, debate, and the dangers of posing a threat to a murderer.

                Margaret Maron writes with an insider’s knowledge, in her Deborah Knott series, of the legacy of Southern culture – the land, the history, the issues of race, family secrets and often-troubled inheritance. The characters she creates are touching and compelling. Amidst some thoughtful, dire, and action packed issues handled in her books, there’s also some playfulness and even wistfulness in some of the characters.

                Born and raised in North Carolina, author Margaret Maron is a highly-regarded and awarded mystery writer.  She’s won the Agatha Award for her urban New York series featuring police detective Sigrid Harald, and the Edgar Award for Best Novel for Bootlegger’s Daughter. She’s also won the renowned Anthony and also the Macavity Awards.  Enjoy her 34 novels and two collections of short stories. A long-standing member of the Mystery Writers of America, she’s also held office as President of the Sisters in Crime organization. Her book, Bootlegger’s Daughter, was chosen as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Margaret Maron