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Deborah Knott Mysteries #17
Three-Day Town
Three-Day Town is the winner of the Agatha award for best novel.
After a year of marriage, Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant are off to New York City for a long-delayed honeymoon. January might not be the perfect time to take a bite of the Big Apple, but Dwight's sister-in-law has arranged for them to stay in her Upper West Side apartment for a week.
Deborah had been asked to deliver a package to Lieutenant Sigrid Harald of the NYPD from Sigrid's Colleton County grandmother. But when the homicide detective comes to pick it up, the package is missing and the building's super is found murdered. Now despite their desire to enjoy a blissful winter getaway, Deborah and Dwight must team up with Lt. Harald to catch the killer before he strikes again.
After a year of marriage, Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant are off to New York City for a long-delayed honeymoon. January might not be the perfect time to take a bite of the Big Apple, but Dwight's sister-in-law has arranged for them to stay in her Upper West Side apartment for a week.
Deborah had been asked to deliver a package to Lieutenant Sigrid Harald of the NYPD from Sigrid's Colleton County grandmother. But when the homicide detective comes to pick it up, the package is missing and the building's super is found murdered. Now despite their desire to enjoy a blissful winter getaway, Deborah and Dwight must team up with Lt. Harald to catch the killer before he strikes again.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 21, 2011
112 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Maron
115 books758 followersBorn and raised in central North Carolina, Margaret Maron lived in Italy before returning to the USA. In addition to a collection of short stories she also authored numerous mystery novels.
Her works have been translated into seven languages her Bootlegger's Daughter, a Washington Post Bestseller won Edgar Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity awards.
She was a past president of Sisters in Crime and of the American Crime writers' league, and a director on the national board for Mystery Writers of America.
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Her works have been translated into seven languages her Bootlegger's Daughter, a Washington Post Bestseller won Edgar Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity awards.
She was a past president of Sisters in Crime and of the American Crime writers' league, and a director on the national board for Mystery Writers of America.
Like Margaret Maron on Facebook
Follow Margaret Maron on Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
January 23, 2013
After falling in love with Margaret Maron in 1993 and devouring every book in this series, I was disappointed with Three-Day Town. Feels like Maron is trying to resurrect her Sigrid Harald character from another series through Deborah Knott. Adding the zero-personality Sigrid Harald character to the more dynamic Judge Deborah Knott is not helping either. Maron really put Judge Knott on the back burner for this one and it's supposed to be ABOUT Deborah Knott...
I'm not really looking forward to reading #18. I'm sad because I've always looked forward to them. Maybe #19 will be back to the old Judge Knott and Major Bryant.
I'm not really looking forward to reading #18. I'm sad because I've always looked forward to them. Maybe #19 will be back to the old Judge Knott and Major Bryant.
January 11, 2021
From the beginning crime scenes, I found myself yelling at the characters, “Why are you touching everything? You’re going to contaminate the evidence!” Even Deborah seemed to have lost her good sense throughout the book. Also, the last paragraph in the book turned my stomach inside out, and I do NOT believe a woman could have written those lines. No way. They must have been added by a male editor.
February 20, 2015
I've read some Margaret Maron, and collected several in preparation for the inevitable binge. I've only read a couple of the Sigrid Haralds, though, and so was pleased that Three-Day Town (which I received from Netgalley, thank you) was part of the Deborah Knott series; these books have been on my radar for a while but somehow never actually wound up in my hands, so I looked forward to meeting Judge Knott. I don't really like starting in the middle of a series (instant spoilers for every book before it), but I have to say, I found this a great place to break in. And then, to my surprise (not having read the synopsis), who should enter the picture but Sigrid Harald.
I do feel obliged to remark that the book shares one of what I feel are the besetting sins of "cozy" mysteries - to wit, the fact that death follows the featured character(s) around like a stray puppy. It's inevitable, I know, but stretches my suspension of disbelief more than most fantasies. In these series, Sigrid Harald is a homicide cop, and so has every reason to keep encountering death; Deborah Knott is a judge married to a cop, and is therefore in a situation where she might do so also. However, this book sends her and her husband on vacation - a week in New York, their long-delayed honeymoon. And within forty-eight hours someone is dead in their borrowed apartment.
That out of the way (and, really, who cares?), it's a great story. The writing is so fluid and full of character I can't imagine why I haven't read more Margaret Maron. Coming off a recent stretch of Carol O'Connell's Mallory novels, read far more recently than the Sigrid books, I'm seeing a resemblance between those two main characters; Sigrid isn't a psychopath, but she is a social misfit in some of the same ways. This could be one reason I haven't read more Maron, if my ambivalence toward Sigrid here is evidence. I was a little sorry every time the narrative switched over from the first-person intimate of Deborah Knott to the third-person chilly of Sigrid Harald.
*That* being said, the sure-handed telling of the story is a sight to see. Neither main character has all the facts, and their relationship (all but nil, and not likely to grow warmer) does not see them swapping confidences. In the meantime, other secondary characters go about with bits of information, leaving the reader to wait until either Deborah or Sigrid makes the necessary connection and resulting discovery. There is one aspect of the story (where the obscene statue came from), revealed to the reader in a flash-back prologue, which is never revealed to the main characters. This book is obviously the product of a seasoned writer. I can't say I adore Deborah, and I can't even say I much like Sigrid (though I'm intrigued by her); I found the evolution of the murder mystery a little far-fetched; even so, all in all, it was a good read.
I do feel obliged to remark that the book shares one of what I feel are the besetting sins of "cozy" mysteries - to wit, the fact that death follows the featured character(s) around like a stray puppy. It's inevitable, I know, but stretches my suspension of disbelief more than most fantasies. In these series, Sigrid Harald is a homicide cop, and so has every reason to keep encountering death; Deborah Knott is a judge married to a cop, and is therefore in a situation where she might do so also. However, this book sends her and her husband on vacation - a week in New York, their long-delayed honeymoon. And within forty-eight hours someone is dead in their borrowed apartment.
That out of the way (and, really, who cares?), it's a great story. The writing is so fluid and full of character I can't imagine why I haven't read more Margaret Maron. Coming off a recent stretch of Carol O'Connell's Mallory novels, read far more recently than the Sigrid books, I'm seeing a resemblance between those two main characters; Sigrid isn't a psychopath, but she is a social misfit in some of the same ways. This could be one reason I haven't read more Maron, if my ambivalence toward Sigrid here is evidence. I was a little sorry every time the narrative switched over from the first-person intimate of Deborah Knott to the third-person chilly of Sigrid Harald.
*That* being said, the sure-handed telling of the story is a sight to see. Neither main character has all the facts, and their relationship (all but nil, and not likely to grow warmer) does not see them swapping confidences. In the meantime, other secondary characters go about with bits of information, leaving the reader to wait until either Deborah or Sigrid makes the necessary connection and resulting discovery. There is one aspect of the story (where the obscene statue came from), revealed to the reader in a flash-back prologue, which is never revealed to the main characters. This book is obviously the product of a seasoned writer. I can't say I adore Deborah, and I can't even say I much like Sigrid (though I'm intrigued by her); I found the evolution of the murder mystery a little far-fetched; even so, all in all, it was a good read.
January 2, 2012
I wanted to like this better than I did. I'm tired of the "aw shucks, we're from the south in the big city" style of setting up a story. There had to be a better way for the characters to be all together. And I'm struggling with the portrait of Deborah at this point in the series. Anyone who can stay in an apartment where someone was murdered probably has it together enough to notice if a door is shut and to carry a working cell phone. I thought the whodunnit was in the style of Agatha Christie, so the pieces of the story technically worked, but I wanted something more to make it more believable.
And I have to say that I found the last two pages to be cringe-inducing, schlocky, and I can assume meant as foreshadowing for the next book.
And I have to say that I found the last two pages to be cringe-inducing, schlocky, and I can assume meant as foreshadowing for the next book.
January 15, 2024
See, the thing With long-runners is that I tend to really invest in the lives of the characters. This is why authors who use an installment of a beloved long-runner to launch another, often less compelling series really pisses me off as a reader.
This new protagonist dominated the *Deborah Knott* mystery, effectively relegating the actual protagonists of the series to secondary character statis.
Now, I didn't mind it when, in previous installments, the author began jumping from character to character; this plot structure, when executed properly, adds complexity, texture and tension to a mystery.
However, book 17 is what happens when it is not, in fact, executed properly, even if the device makes logical sense.
Of course, Deborah and Dwight couldn't have been directly involved in the investigation. Still, if Deborah can conduct an unauthorized investegation at home, why couldn't she have done so in New York? She didn't always have Dwight to work with, and an an award-winning author as experienced as this one could and should have figured out how to make this happen.
When it comes down to it, I expected much better than I got.
The highjacking of the current series by the sister series was done rather poorly, and the sister series doesn't look like it will be much fun, given what I've seen so far.
Also, book 18 appears to be more of the same , so I'm hoping that the actual protagonists of the series are given center stage.
This one, though, did not work for me. Three stars.
This new protagonist dominated the *Deborah Knott* mystery, effectively relegating the actual protagonists of the series to secondary character statis.
Now, I didn't mind it when, in previous installments, the author began jumping from character to character; this plot structure, when executed properly, adds complexity, texture and tension to a mystery.
However, book 17 is what happens when it is not, in fact, executed properly, even if the device makes logical sense.
Of course, Deborah and Dwight couldn't have been directly involved in the investigation. Still, if Deborah can conduct an unauthorized investegation at home, why couldn't she have done so in New York? She didn't always have Dwight to work with, and an an award-winning author as experienced as this one could and should have figured out how to make this happen.
When it comes down to it, I expected much better than I got.
The highjacking of the current series by the sister series was done rather poorly, and the sister series doesn't look like it will be much fun, given what I've seen so far.
Also, book 18 appears to be more of the same , so I'm hoping that the actual protagonists of the series are given center stage.
This one, though, did not work for me. Three stars.
June 12, 2025
I'm late to the Margaret Maron party. This is my first read of any of her books and I enjoyed it. I found her characters interesting, if a bit dated at this point. Thought the story moved along well and appreciated seeing NYC through a different pair of eyes.
March 19, 2025
End of the series. I’ve finished two series. It’s bittersweet. But a good story and a nice end to the series.
November 22, 2011
I have randomly read a few titles in Margaret Maron's seventeen strong Deborah Knott Mysteries series but it has been a while. Three-Day Town was actually a great title to pick up because Deborah and Dwight are in New York on a belated honeymoon so the complex relationships in North Carolina are less crucial to the storyline, not that they don't manage to find kin in the Big Apple. During their stay Deborah has been asked to deliver a package to a distant relative but before she is able to, the statue inside is stolen and a man murdered in their borrowed apartment. Ironically the package was intended for the mother of NYPD Lt Sigrid Harald who takes the lead on the homicide investigation. Readers familiar with Margaret Maron will recognise Sigrid who featured in her own series, the last of which was published in 1995.
The victim of murder is the popular super widely considered an honest guy but the Upper West Side apartment building is seething with secrets and someone didn't want theirs revealed. Maron has created some very interesting characters including a kleptomaniac cleaner with social anxiety disorder, who really add interest to the story. In fact I'm impressed with Maron's ability to create well developed personas for even the minor characters that appear.
Deborah and Sigrid are also an interesting juxtaposition in both personality and investigative style. Deborah is a southern charmer, warm and friendly who can not help but nose around the investigation while Sigrid is reserved and coolly analytical of the evidence.
It's a complex but neat, well paced plot with a plethora of suspects and a variety of possible scenario's to consider. There are plenty of twists and I admit to being unsure who was responsible until just before the culprit was revealed. There are also two minor subplots, one involving the provenance of the missing murder weapon and one involving Deborah's nephews and nieces back home, to add depth the murder mystery.
Three-Day Town is an entertaining cozy mystery that works well as a stand alone and may pique your interest in the series if it's unfamiliar to you. For fans this installment is something a little different, letting Deborah and Dwight spend some time much deserved time together away from Colleton County.
The victim of murder is the popular super widely considered an honest guy but the Upper West Side apartment building is seething with secrets and someone didn't want theirs revealed. Maron has created some very interesting characters including a kleptomaniac cleaner with social anxiety disorder, who really add interest to the story. In fact I'm impressed with Maron's ability to create well developed personas for even the minor characters that appear.
Deborah and Sigrid are also an interesting juxtaposition in both personality and investigative style. Deborah is a southern charmer, warm and friendly who can not help but nose around the investigation while Sigrid is reserved and coolly analytical of the evidence.
It's a complex but neat, well paced plot with a plethora of suspects and a variety of possible scenario's to consider. There are plenty of twists and I admit to being unsure who was responsible until just before the culprit was revealed. There are also two minor subplots, one involving the provenance of the missing murder weapon and one involving Deborah's nephews and nieces back home, to add depth the murder mystery.
Three-Day Town is an entertaining cozy mystery that works well as a stand alone and may pique your interest in the series if it's unfamiliar to you. For fans this installment is something a little different, letting Deborah and Dwight spend some time much deserved time together away from Colleton County.
September 19, 2017
I've been excited to get to this book since I found out that it is a crossover between Margaret Maron's two series. Deborah Knott and her husband go to New York and get wrapped up in a homicide investigation with Sigrid Herald. Like fan fiction, except actually written by the author! And it did not disappoint.
August 27, 2012
Rating 3.5
Let me first say, I was hooked on Margaret Maron after reading "A Bootlegger's Daughter" which swept all the mystery awards back in 1993. I've enjoyed every Knott story Ms. Maron has written. On one hand, I was looking forward to reading this tale because this would be the first time that Ms. Maron has written Deborah and Sigrid in the same story. On the other hand, I began reading this story with sadness because I learned that this would be the last story with Deborah Knott. I hope this isn't true, especially after reading this book. I was expecting a lot in this story about Deborah and Dwight, but this tale is more about Sigrid and the mystery itself. I really wanted to love this book but there were two problems. The first is this book just seems to plod along. There are points of excitement when I thought the book would really take off, but it didn't. Also, at times I found the `view hopping' -the shift from Sigrid to Deborah's perspective - tiresome, especially when it didn't seem to move the story along. The best thing about this tale was the realistic love and affection between Deborah and Dwight. They're a perfect fit and their chemistry always draws me in. There just wasn't enough of that for me. Overall, I hope this isn't the last we see of Deborah because I want to remember her in her southern world with her entire clan around her. Please Ms. Maron, give us one more story with Deborah. How about this... Deborah is pregnant and an old enemy of hers (or Dwight's) is out for revenge. This would rally the entire Knott clan around our couple. There's a lot of possibility here Ms. `M'. Well... a book lover can dream, can't she?
Let me first say, I was hooked on Margaret Maron after reading "A Bootlegger's Daughter" which swept all the mystery awards back in 1993. I've enjoyed every Knott story Ms. Maron has written. On one hand, I was looking forward to reading this tale because this would be the first time that Ms. Maron has written Deborah and Sigrid in the same story. On the other hand, I began reading this story with sadness because I learned that this would be the last story with Deborah Knott. I hope this isn't true, especially after reading this book. I was expecting a lot in this story about Deborah and Dwight, but this tale is more about Sigrid and the mystery itself. I really wanted to love this book but there were two problems. The first is this book just seems to plod along. There are points of excitement when I thought the book would really take off, but it didn't. Also, at times I found the `view hopping' -the shift from Sigrid to Deborah's perspective - tiresome, especially when it didn't seem to move the story along. The best thing about this tale was the realistic love and affection between Deborah and Dwight. They're a perfect fit and their chemistry always draws me in. There just wasn't enough of that for me. Overall, I hope this isn't the last we see of Deborah because I want to remember her in her southern world with her entire clan around her. Please Ms. Maron, give us one more story with Deborah. How about this... Deborah is pregnant and an old enemy of hers (or Dwight's) is out for revenge. This would rally the entire Knott clan around our couple. There's a lot of possibility here Ms. `M'. Well... a book lover can dream, can't she?
March 6, 2021
BOTTOM LINE: Nice blend of the two series (Lt. Sigrid Harald, Judge Deborah Knott), while also being a beautiful homage to classic mystery styles and sensibilities: a beautiful heroine and hero, an intelligent police Lieutenant and friends, murder in a closed setting (apartment building in a snowstorm) and a plethora of possible suspects carefully delineated and presented for our perusal.
The setting of THREE-DAY TOWN is classic Mr. & Mrs. North style, and starts out quite similarly to that first Lockridges' novel: during a wild party at their apartment house, a nice couple quite literally fall over a dead body, meet up with a kindly police Lieutenant, explore the mostly-chic environs of NYC during difficult weather (for the Norths it was a heat wave, Knott is in NYC during a big snowstorm), and meet several odd - but interesting - New Yorkers. Readers get to follow the police as they attempt to solve the crime. For, despite the reputation the Mr. & Mrs. North series has gotten over the years (probably due to the TV show), the main crime solver in that series was Lt. Weigand of the NYC police, and most of the first (and many of the subsequent) novels mainly follow him and his squad as they work out the details of the crimes.
And the pattern holds in this novel as well, to my delight - Lt. Sigrid Harald is center-stage about half the time, as the viewpoint shifts back and forth between Deborah and Sigrid, allowing us to see the crime and the solution from several points of view. It's nicely, and smoothly done, but...
[full review at ReviewingtheEvidence]
The setting of THREE-DAY TOWN is classic Mr. & Mrs. North style, and starts out quite similarly to that first Lockridges' novel: during a wild party at their apartment house, a nice couple quite literally fall over a dead body, meet up with a kindly police Lieutenant, explore the mostly-chic environs of NYC during difficult weather (for the Norths it was a heat wave, Knott is in NYC during a big snowstorm), and meet several odd - but interesting - New Yorkers. Readers get to follow the police as they attempt to solve the crime. For, despite the reputation the Mr. & Mrs. North series has gotten over the years (probably due to the TV show), the main crime solver in that series was Lt. Weigand of the NYC police, and most of the first (and many of the subsequent) novels mainly follow him and his squad as they work out the details of the crimes.
And the pattern holds in this novel as well, to my delight - Lt. Sigrid Harald is center-stage about half the time, as the viewpoint shifts back and forth between Deborah and Sigrid, allowing us to see the crime and the solution from several points of view. It's nicely, and smoothly done, but...
[full review at ReviewingtheEvidence]
December 2, 2012
I love Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series, so I'm sad to say I found this one a little disappointing. In this cross-series books, Deborah Knott and her husband Dwight Bryant finally get to take a honeymoon, and they travel to New York City. They're having a wonderful time staying in a friend's apartment until the superintendent turns up dead on the balcony. In comes Sigrid Harald, the detective who stars in another of Maron's mystery series, to figure out whodunnit.
Deborah doesn't necessarily star in this book, and I missed that. Deborah's open, friendly, Southern personality and Sigrid's coolness and her tendency to shy away from overt emotions does make for an interesting juxtaposition. There were a few side stories such as the superintendent's secret, and the little mystery involving Deborah's nephew, that seemed unnecessary and distracting. Also, Deborah and Dwight's conversation at the very end of the book bothered me. I undersand it was supposed to be meaningful, a new level in their relationship, but...ick.
Deborah doesn't necessarily star in this book, and I missed that. Deborah's open, friendly, Southern personality and Sigrid's coolness and her tendency to shy away from overt emotions does make for an interesting juxtaposition. There were a few side stories such as the superintendent's secret, and the little mystery involving Deborah's nephew, that seemed unnecessary and distracting. Also, Deborah and Dwight's conversation at the very end of the book bothered me. I undersand it was supposed to be meaningful, a new level in their relationship, but...ick.
June 30, 2011
I am the fortunate recipient of an ARC of Margaret Maron's next book in her Deborah Knott series. It won't be officially published until November! Three-Day Town is a book Maron's fans have long been waiting for--Deborah meets Sigrid Harald, star of Maron's first series, in New York City while on her honeymoon with Dwight. The two women are distantly related, and Deborah ferries an item from Sigrid's grandmother to her mother. The item is stolen, a man dies in the condo lent to Deborah and Dwight, and Sigrid is the homicide detective assigned to the case. The POVs of both women are expertly done. We see each from the perspective of the other. Wonderful writing, as always! Vivid setting during a snowstorm in New York City. Don't miss this one.
November 1, 2023
Switching narrative perspectives is not something I particularly like, but this was still an enjoyable read, and in terms of reasons for the killings, seemed pretty realistic to me: the killings were not ingeniously planned events for obscure motives. I've never read any of the Sigrid Harald books, so she's a new character to me. She was an interesting addition, and gave a new viewpoint on Deborah Knott, though I didn't feel like she got a lot of development. That may not have been necessary for someone who has read her books, but for me it was noticeable. All in all, though, it was satisfying.
March 29, 2016
This book takes Deborah and her husband to NYC for their honeymoon. I liked hearing about NY and their activities there, but the 'mystery' aspect kind of sucked. Half of the book was told from Sigrid's perspective, a cop in NYC. This left me wondering why. Is she going to be a character in another book? Sometimes Maron annoys me with her perspective changes. I mean, I just got used to her having Dwight narrate in most books, and now this?
June 12, 2018
I didn't know Maron had another series, so I was baffled at the crossover. Baffled and not that excited by the Sigrid Harald character. The mystery felt a bit limp as well, though there were some good aspects. Too many characters. I lost track of who was who.
Also, the final little conversation between Deborah and Dwight was just ooky.
Also, the final little conversation between Deborah and Dwight was just ooky.
May 29, 2013
I always enjoy this series. I would have given it a higher rating but it wasn't quite as good as others. I didn't mind the change of locale, but could have lived without the red herring family interruptions in an unnecessary sub-plot and the odd last page confessional.
March 26, 2012
Interesting mixture of voices and POV. Maron brings her two series--Sigrid Harald and Deborah Knott--together seamlessly. I have some quibbles with the ending, but overall a good addition to both series.
February 4, 2013
A seamless combination of two solid series: Sigrid Harald and Deborah Knott, the Carolina's meet NYC. I'll continue wishing for more Sigrid Harald novels, but this was filled in the emptiness a bit.
July 28, 2023
A 3. Barely.
Seeing that this is 17/20 in the series and I don't have many more books to enjoy Judge Deborah Knott, I was a little disappointed to find this was more of a Sigrid Harald mystery (no matter that it says "A Deborah Knott" mystery on the cover). If you are a fan of the Sigrid Harald books, "Three-Day Town" might rate higher. But I've not read the series and didn't plan to, although this book might have changed my mind (the cynic in me will say I guess the author's intentions worked out). Deborah and Dwight definitely take a backseat to Sigrid and her detectives and are secondary characters. Not only that, but Deborah comes off as a ditzy country bumpkin. What happened to the intelligent woman we've seen in the previous sixteen books? (Here's one example: I'm with Deborah about turning off her phone and not being available 24/7. However, if I were in an unfamiliar city and heading out in the early hours when no one is around to check for a body in a garbage bag, I'd hope I'd be smart enough to realize this is one time I should take my phone and have it turned on.)
Even though I might give the Sigrid Harald books a shot, I doubt I'll enjoy the series as much as the Deborah Knott books. The dialogue and narrative thoughts and actions of the characters from the Sigrid Harald series seem a lot more stilted than anything I've run across in the Deborah Knott series. Also, Sigrid seems like one of those characters who is never happy. Which can be a downer.
The whole scenario with Deborah and the killer toward the end did not jibe, either. Why did he just whack her on the head once, knock her out and wrap her up in duct tape? Another good whack or two while she's prone on the ground would have finished her off. Since he'd already killed three people, I can't believe he'd suddenly become squeamish or developed a few scruples. Weird, contrived and, frankly, unbelievable.
The ending only added to my dissatisfaction regarding Deborah and Dwight's part in this book. I found it off-putting how they callously dismiss Jonna's part in Cal's life. Whether Dwight loved Jonna or not, she was Cal's mother (no matter who he was thinking of while having sex). Jonna loved Cal just as much. And I gagged when seeing Deborah feels flattered by Dwight's declaration. Personally, I thought the revelation was callous and creepy.
Gee, I think this book is lucky to get as many as three stars. I guess I'm feeling generous. I hope the next one is better.
Seeing that this is 17/20 in the series and I don't have many more books to enjoy Judge Deborah Knott, I was a little disappointed to find this was more of a Sigrid Harald mystery (no matter that it says "A Deborah Knott" mystery on the cover). If you are a fan of the Sigrid Harald books, "Three-Day Town" might rate higher. But I've not read the series and didn't plan to, although this book might have changed my mind (the cynic in me will say I guess the author's intentions worked out). Deborah and Dwight definitely take a backseat to Sigrid and her detectives and are secondary characters. Not only that, but Deborah comes off as a ditzy country bumpkin. What happened to the intelligent woman we've seen in the previous sixteen books? (Here's one example: I'm with Deborah about turning off her phone and not being available 24/7. However, if I were in an unfamiliar city and heading out in the early hours when no one is around to check for a body in a garbage bag, I'd hope I'd be smart enough to realize this is one time I should take my phone and have it turned on.)
Even though I might give the Sigrid Harald books a shot, I doubt I'll enjoy the series as much as the Deborah Knott books. The dialogue and narrative thoughts and actions of the characters from the Sigrid Harald series seem a lot more stilted than anything I've run across in the Deborah Knott series. Also, Sigrid seems like one of those characters who is never happy. Which can be a downer.
The whole scenario with Deborah and the killer toward the end did not jibe, either. Why did he just whack her on the head once, knock her out and wrap her up in duct tape? Another good whack or two while she's prone on the ground would have finished her off. Since he'd already killed three people, I can't believe he'd suddenly become squeamish or developed a few scruples. Weird, contrived and, frankly, unbelievable.
The ending only added to my dissatisfaction regarding Deborah and Dwight's part in this book. I found it off-putting how they callously dismiss Jonna's part in Cal's life. Whether Dwight loved Jonna or not, she was Cal's mother (no matter who he was thinking of while having sex). Jonna loved Cal just as much. And I gagged when seeing Deborah feels flattered by Dwight's declaration. Personally, I thought the revelation was callous and creepy.
Gee, I think this book is lucky to get as many as three stars. I guess I'm feeling generous. I hope the next one is better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2017
"Three-Day Town" is a very lightweight murder mystery (think Agatha Christie), with some interesting characters and lots of red herrings tossed here & there. Some of those red herrings seemed gratuitous, especially concerning Phil, the building super. The story begins with Judge Deborah Knott and Deputy Sheriff Dwight Bryant taking a belated honeymoon in New York City in January. Of course there's a blizzard. And of course they find a dead body in the apartment where they're staying. And of course they become involved in solving the mystery, even though neither has jurisdiction. And some of the southern witticisms were a bit over the top. The plot is pretty predictable - certainly not a nail biter. But it can be a welcome change after reading more heavy duty and/or gory thrillers. Margaret Maron is a fine writer, though "Three-Day Town" is not her best work.
December 6, 2022
Deborah Knott is a quirky North Carolina judge and I loved seeing her in a new snowy setting. This is book 17 in the 20-book series, and on Deborah's belated honeymoon in New York in full winter she faces three murders, including a young boy, in the apartment where she and Dwight are staying.
The mystery was complex and full of surprises, and I was drawn in by the twists and turns. Fresh, original phrases and surprise revelations--one of the he's a she!--added to the page turning.
Some of the details are a bit over the top--"While Dwight brushed and flossed," --and the pace ebbs and rises a bit slowly, but it's a good evening's read.
The convoluted solution involves a local detective, Sigrid Harald, and their work together is fun to watch.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Deborah Knott and mystery lovers alike.
The mystery was complex and full of surprises, and I was drawn in by the twists and turns. Fresh, original phrases and surprise revelations--one of the he's a she!--added to the page turning.
Some of the details are a bit over the top--"While Dwight brushed and flossed," --and the pace ebbs and rises a bit slowly, but it's a good evening's read.
The convoluted solution involves a local detective, Sigrid Harald, and their work together is fun to watch.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Deborah Knott and mystery lovers alike.
January 4, 2020
This was the end of my re-reading binge; I didn't love this story, in part because I didn't think the attempt to connect the characters from the author's two series was successful. It made me remember that as the series goes on, the stories get darker, and I decided not to continue re-reading them after this one, but I do recommend that your read them all.
http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNext_P...
Bootlegger's Daughter is the first book in the series.
http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNext_P...
Bootlegger's Daughter is the first book in the series.
May 30, 2017
Deborah and her husband Dwight finally get to have a honeymoon after a year of marriage. They were gifted an apartment in NY City to stay in for a week. One draw back is it's January and January in NY City is cold!! Deborah is asked to delivery a package from to Lt. Sigrid Harald from her grandmother. No problem or a big problem. Deborah and Dwight are hardly off the train when mayhem and deaths start happening right in their apartment and things get even worse when a large snowfall hits the city too.
November 27, 2021
Three-Day Town is a continuation of Christmas Morning
Judge Deborah Knox and her husband Sheriff 's Deputy Dwight Bryant, never having taken a honeymoon, has now found the time to take one. The couple travel by train to New York to stay in a relative’s condo and plan to honeymoon. Of course, murder follows them. There are a lot of twists and turns and smoke and mirrors that kept me guessing.
Three-Day Town is full of intrigue, mystery and fun. C.J. Critt did an excellent telling the story.
Judge Deborah Knox and her husband Sheriff 's Deputy Dwight Bryant, never having taken a honeymoon, has now found the time to take one. The couple travel by train to New York to stay in a relative’s condo and plan to honeymoon. Of course, murder follows them. There are a lot of twists and turns and smoke and mirrors that kept me guessing.
Three-Day Town is full of intrigue, mystery and fun. C.J. Critt did an excellent telling the story.
June 28, 2020
The Deborah Knott mysteries are my go-to cozy mysteries. As I'm cognizant that I'm nearing the end of the series, I was a bit disappointed that Deborah shared the spotlight in this book with another Margaret Maron character. Still, it's always lovely to spend a few hours with Deborah and Dwight with C J Critt as the reader. I also look forward to returning to Deborah's hometown for the last few books.
October 24, 2021
Another great mystery in a series I love. Will miss it when I finish the series. I like reading series in the order they were written, but have skipped around a few times in this series (like reading a Christmas setting one out of order because of the "season"). But this book did introduce the lead in her other series, so I got a preview and believe I will enjoy it also.
Again, I did not have the culprit pegged! Read and enjoy!
Again, I did not have the culprit pegged! Read and enjoy!
June 4, 2023
I was ready for Judge Knott to be in a new setting without her fun family and neighbors but then this book seemed more about Detective Harald than Knott and there seemed to be a lot of backstory missing. Then Goodreads helped me realize that Harald is the protagonist for Maron's other series so now I feel compelled to read the Sigrid Harald books before moving on. I'm fond of the North Carolina settings and have little interest in cities, so this book wasn't my favorite.
May 30, 2025
Definitely not the best of this series. Deborah is in NYC, staying at an apartment in a co-op. As a NYC resident, I was disappointed at the lack of accuracy. If Margaret Maron doesn't know the details of a co-op building, you would think an editor would check it out and make the corrections. Aside from that, the final scene between Deborah and Dwight was absolute CRINGE. I have read all the books in this series, and that horrible scene alone makes me not want to finish the series.
July 6, 2019
New York, New York
What could be better than a week in a New York apartment to celebrate their delayed honeymoon? Before you know it though they’re tripping over dead bodies and getting to know the NY Police department way better than ever planned. Sometimes it’s the person you least suspect that’s guilty.
What could be better than a week in a New York apartment to celebrate their delayed honeymoon? Before you know it though they’re tripping over dead bodies and getting to know the NY Police department way better than ever planned. Sometimes it’s the person you least suspect that’s guilty.
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