Killer Market

Margaret Maron

3/1/2002

High Point, North Carolina, is a sleepy manufacturing town most of the year. But twice a year it is host to the International Home Furnishings Market. When it is Market Week, the town is transformed. Judge Deborah Knott is visiting High Point during Market Week to cover for another judge. This is a problem because every hotel for over 50 miles around is booked to capacity. This is a last minute replacement she is doing.

On her first day in town while she is hunting for some place (make that any place) to sleep, Deborah meets a rather eccentric lady who takes her into the Open Houses of the Furniture manufacturers. Deborah starts learning about the world of furniture (therefor, so does the reader). She runs into some people she knows. The woman accidently takes off with her purse. Then one of the controversial figures in the furnishings business dies from a penacillan allergy. Guess who has penicillin in her missing pocketbook? And guess where the bag is found? Near the body.

These novels in this series stay consistently well done. The study of furniture manufacturing and selling is a fascinating background to the mystery. The conclusion when the murderer is revealed is a bit weak, but otherwise this is a strong story from beginning on. Plus I have to chuckle at the police detective's handling of Deborah. He gets the lowdown on her past murder involvements from her home town. Now he knows how to best keep her out of the way. Or is that in the way?

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The Bootlegger's Daughter
Southern Discomfort
Shooting at Loons
Up Jumps the Devil
Killer Market
Home Fires
Storm Track
Uncommon Clay
Slow Dollar
High Country Fall
Rituals of the Season
Winter's Child
Hard Row
Death's Half Acre