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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Long Upon The Land



Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of Long Upon The Land by Margaret Maron.  This is the 20th book in this author's Judge Deborah Knott mystery series.  It is a great favorite of mine, and I am very much looking forward to catching up with Deborah, her husband Dwight, and the extended Knott family.  See what you think:



1943
     She first notices him because he always sits at a table off to the side of the USO club and he usually sits alone.  For some reason, he reminds her of her father, the only person in Dobbs that she misses.  Not her mother, not the friends she had gone to school with, and certainly not the boys who joined up as soon as they turned eighteen and who think she is counting the days till they return.
     KEEP UP THEIR MORALE! the posters urge; and to do her part, she writes weekly letters that give them news from home yet promise nothing, no matter what they might think.  If they survive the war--and one has already died in the Battle of Corregidor--they will come back and become doctors, lawyers, or bankers like their fathers before them.  They will be good men, pillars of the community, and they will live in big houses and buy their wives fur coats or take them to Europe every three or four years once things settle down over there, but she never plans to become one of those wives herself.  Turn into her mother?  Devote her life to maintaining a perfect home, to keeping up appearances?
     No--NO--NO!  She drops out of Saint Mary's after one semester.  "It's a debutante school!"
     "So?" says her mother.  Ever since Sue and Zell were toddlers, Mrs. Stephenson has dreamed of seeing her daughters make their debut together and she will never forgive the Germans for a war that has cancelled all debutante balls for the duration.
     "You keep saying what you don't want," her bewildered father says.  "What is it you do want, honey?"
     "I don't know," Sue cries.  "I don't know!  I just want to live a real life," which is the closest she can come to articulating this nameless yearning to be needed, to make a difference.


Blurb:

On a quiet August morning, Judge Deborah Knott's father Kezzie makes a shocking discovery on a remote corner of his farm: the body of a man bludgeoned to death. Investigating this crime, Deborah's husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, soon uncovers a long-simmering hostility between Kezzie and the slain man over a land dispute. The local newspaper implies that Deborah's family may have had something to do with the murder-and that Dwight is dragging his feet on the case.

Meanwhile, Deborah is given a cigarette lighter that once belonged to her mother. The cryptic inscription inside rekindles Deborah's curiosity about her parents' past, and how they met. For years she has wondered how the daughter of a wealthy attorney could have married a widowed, semi-illiterate bootlegger, and this time she's determined to find the answer.

But why are Deborah's brothers so reluctant to talk about the dead man? Is the murder linked to Kezzie's illegal whiskey business? And could his courtship of Deborah's mother have something to do with the bad blood between the two families? Despite Deborah's promise not to interfere in Dwight's work, she cannot stop herself from doing everything she can to help clear her brothers and her father from suspicion . . .

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Have you read any of the books in this series?  I've been reading it for over 20 years.  And loving it.  The first book is The Bootlegger's Daughter.

37 comments:

  1. I love this period of history and I've not heard of this author before - sounds like one I need to investigate! Here is my Tuesday post https://cleopatralovesbooks.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/first-chapter-first-paragraph-august-25/

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    1. All these books are set in North Carolina. The protagonist is a judge and she has 12 brothers - no sisters. Lots of characters and Southern charm.

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  2. I've heard quite a bit about this author, but I'll never catch up with 20 books in the series. It does sound great though.

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    1. I know what you mean. I feel the same way about several other series. Sigh.

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  3. This looks really good. I'm not familiar with author or the series, but I'd keep reading!

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    1. Believe me, I will. I've invested lots of time in these characters. LOL

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  4. Oh wow, 20th book in a series? And here I am struggling to write posts sometimes! I do really like the sound of the beginning though, although I hadn't heard of the series yet! Women who stand up for themselves are always great heroines, so I'd keep reading as well! Thanks for sharing :) I hope you have a great week!
    My Tuesday post
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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    1. This author has been writing for a long, long time. I'm always afraid that each book will be the last.

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  5. This sounds like an amazing series. I'm adding it to my list.

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    1. It's a good one, Catherine. One where you get to know the characters and continue reading just to see what's going to happen next to them. LOL

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  6. It's a tough situation. Not knowing.....(:

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  7. Twenty books in a series!! That's quite the commitment (for both her and her readers). Glad you're enjoying it! I'm really terrible at reading series books (can't really pinpoint why).

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    1. I know that series books aren't for everyone. I just love watching the characters grow and change, just like a real family. I've been afraid for a while that Margaret Maron will announce the end of the series. LOL

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  8. I'd keep reading...I like the military town aspect of this! But, yikes to a 20 book series! Way too much for me!

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    1. Yes, it's a long-running series. Would be hard to start it and read all of them.

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  9. I love a series that hooks me and makes me feel as though I know the characters personally. This one sounds like that kind of series. Thanks for sharing...and enjoy.

    Here's mine: “ONE MOMENT, ONE MORNING”


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    1. And that describes my feelings for these characters exactly. I love catching up with them in each book. Like a family reunion.

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  10. Long ago I was very interested in trying this series, and yet somewhere along the line, I lost interest and ended up giving away my unread books. I may have to give her a try yet! I like the intro you shared.

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    1. Well, you can't read them all. I've done exactly what you described with several series. I suspect I will never get back to them. Too. Many. Series. LOL

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  11. This author and series are new to me, but they sound like the kind of stories I enjoy. I like the way the author introduced Sue in the opening. She sounds like a determined young woman.
    My Tuesday post features SAMUEL & SOPHIA.

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    1. Sue or Susan goes on to become Deborah Knott's mother. We've known who she was for years, but she had already passed away when the series began. I'll be happy to know more about her younger years.

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  12. This sounds like a story I'd love. Its shouting Family Drama but not in a melodramatic way. It seems well thought out. I'm not familiar with the series, so I may have some great reading ahead. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I love this mystery series, Margot. Set in North Carolina with a judge for a protagonist. Deborah Knott has 12 brothers and a father who was a bootlegger. It's a special favorite of mine.

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  13. This is a new author to me too - but it does sound as though I'd like her books. I shan't attempt to read them in order though.

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    1. Why Margaret? Are you serious? Totally understand not wanting to start a 20-book series. You might try the first one if you could find it.

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  14. I think the last book in the series was the one where Deborah and Dwight got married or maybe they were just about to? If I remember correctly it all kind of went down fairly quickly. This definitely sounds interesting and I love books that dig around in old secrets!

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    1. Yes, the Sue mentioned here is Deborah's mother and I'm happy to get to know more about her past life and how she met Kezzie.

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  15. Sounds like a good series but I've vowed not to start any mid-series reads.

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    1. I understand. 20 books would be a big, big commitment. LOL

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  16. I totally understand, Vicki. I feel the same way about other series.

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  17. WOW! So cool that you've been with this series for so long, Kay; that is awesome! I love the sound of this one, especially the time frame.

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    1. Yes, I've been reading it for such a long time that I can't stop now. LOL

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  18. I like the writing in that opening. Hope it lives up to the beginning. Here's Mine

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    1. We shall see. I haven't absolutely loved every single book in this series, but I do love visiting the characters and that keeps me going. Several have been outstanding though.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!