Shooting at Loons

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Summary: North Carolina resident enjoys Maron's books
Review: As a somewhat recent resident of Raleigh (4 1/2 years, though that almost makes me a native), and lifelong mystery lover, I truly enjoy reading Maron's books set throughout North Carolina. I stumbled upon her Deborah Knott series at the library and have devoured the entire series in less than a year. (I rarely dedicate myself to one author or one series.)

But to correct Jerry Bull, this book is set on North Carolina's Crystal Coast, not the Outer Banks. It just so happens that I spent the weekend at the Crystal Coast while reading "Loons" and have spent some time at the Outer Banks -- they are two different areas of the coast.

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Summary: Southern style
Review: I love all this author's books and her writing style!

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Summary: This was my first Deborah, but not my last
Review: I love to read books that have locations of which I am familar. That is how I came to pick up this read. I am not sorry that I did so. Ms Maron developes her characters so well that the reader cares what happens to them. Granted, her writing is light and easy to finish, however sometimes this escape is what is needed. After reading "Loons", I went on to other books in this series. I have yet to be disappointed in the author's writing.

Rating:
Summary: This was my first Deborah, but not my last
Review: I love to read books that have locations of which I am familar. That is how I came to pick up this read. I am not sorry that I did so. Ms Maron developes her characters so well that the reader cares what happens to them. Granted, her writing is light and easy to finish, however sometimes this escape is what is needed. After reading "Loons", I went on to other books in this series. I have yet to be disappointed in the author's writing.

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Summary: Enjoyable, easy to read who-done-it with likable characters.
Review: I really enjoyed finding this author and this book in particular. It was set in an interesting, an unusual setting (at least for us Californians)and was full of general information that displayed an understanding of the subject. The characters were agreeable and disagreeable as appropriate to the plot. The plot itself could have been a bit more well drawn, but overall this was a fun, easy to read diversion. I would recommend it to anyone who is not interested in having nightmares, but is interested in a mystery to solve.

Rating:
Summary: Author writing in wrong genre.
Review: If you are reading this book for the mystery, Shooting At Loons starts out a little slow and I probably would have returned it to the libary unfinished if Margaret Maron's wonderful characters and descriptions hadn't kept me from putting it aside. She draws great visuals of people, personalities, and places. I never really got into the mystery, but I loved her character relationships. Every character in this book struggled with something that was important to them. If I was reviewing this book as a mainstream instead of a mystery, it would have been at least 4 stars and probably 5.

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Summary: Fun reading
Review: This was a good book, fun to read. If you like Judge Deborah Knott, you will enjoy reading about her further adventures. The characters are interesting. The plot kept me guessing. I would recommend it.

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Summary: very light mystery, mostly Outer Banks NC chit chat
Review: We've noted before, both for this Judge Deborah Knott series (Loons = #3 of 8) and the earlier 8-book Sigrid Harald series, that Maron is a fine writer that can do wonders with anything to which she sets her mind and pen. We would probably rate this and the rest of the set higher were it not billed as a mystery. A murder or two occurs, but it seems nobody is chasing clues or suspecting anybody except in the few moments of idle thought Deborah turns to the subject. Then, all of a sudden, the murderer is revealed all too conveniently at the end of the book.

What we really have with this series is human drama, mostly about the rural life and lifestyles of the wonderful characters Maron gives us from all over North Carolina, this one set on the lovely, albeit anachronistic, Outer Banks. Her dialogue and imagery are quite enjoyable, and she does well in describing the societal conflicts between the old and the young. But it might be better to just take out the mystery rather than do it such poor justice (so to speak). Those used to the Harald series will be particularly upset, for in that set the crime and the procedural detection of the culprit were everything. In fact, we find it hard to believe Maron is winning mystery awards (per se) for the Knott stories. Even the courtroom scenes where we get to watch Knott judge mostly menial cases are pretty dry going. Frankly, Knott could be holding down almost any profession and these stories would still work.

These books will probably satisfy those not wanting or looking for much of a crime and solution motif; but those that are looking for plot complexity will be quite disappointed. We will probably forego the rest of the set as just a little too bland, even though the nice easy reading style will please many who don't care about intrigue, suspense, or procedure in their crime stories. Just be aware...

Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read
Review: While not as strong as other installments in this series, this is yet another enjoyable book from this wonderful author. The main characters are warm and likeable and the Southern settings attractive and evocative. The plot in this book takes somewhat second place to the characterisations and environment but still makes its strong point.

My recommendation is that no Judge Deborah Knott story should ever be passed over unread.

Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read
Review: While not as strong as other installments in this series, this is yet another enjoyable book from this wonderful author. The main characters are warm and likeable and the Southern settings attractive and evocative. The plot in this book takes somewhat second place to the characterisations and environment but still makes its strong point.

My recommendation is that no Judge Deborah Knott story should ever be passed over unread.