The Buzzard Table

Deborah Knott Mysteries #18

by Margaret Maron

New York Times bestselling author Margaret Maron returns with a thrilling new Deborah Knott mystery . . . THE BUZZARD TABLEJudge Deborah Knott and her husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, are back home in Colleton County amid family and old friends. But the winter winds have blown in several new faces as well. Lt. Sigrid Harald and her mother, Anne, a well-known photographer, are down from New York to visit Mrs. Lattimore, Anne's dying mother. When the group gathers for dinner at Mrs. Lattimore's Victorian home, they meet the enigmatic Martin Crawford, an ornithologist researching a book on Southern vultures. He's also Mrs. Lattimore's long-lost nephew. With her health in decline, Mrs. Lattimore wants to make amends with her family-a desire Deborah can understand, as she, too, works to strengthen her relationship with her young stepson, Cal.Anne is charmed by her mysterious cousin, but she cannot shake the feeling that there is something familiar about Martin . . . something he doesn't want her or anyone else to discover. When a string of suspicious murders sets Colleton County on edge, Deborah, Dwight, and Sigrid once again work together to catch a killer, uncovering long-buried family secrets along the way.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Southern, Cozy Mystery

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2012

About the author

Born 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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Reviews

[Paula Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved Margaret Maron's books since I first discovered her. (I'm apparently one of the few who prefers her Sigrid Harald series to the Deborah Knott series, but I've enjoyed both.) However, the declining quality of this series is a disappointment. Since "Rituals of the Season", the books have felt rushed, tossed together to meet an annual deadline, and pivoted on a "serious current issue", with Deborah and her family and friends almost an afterthought.

The Deborah Knott of the first books was feisty, independent, bucking convention, defying Daddy and big brothers, and out investigating crimes and getting in all sorts of dangerous situations. Since she became engaged to, and later married, Dwight, she has taken on a more domesticated, boring role. Pages and pages of this book are devoted to child care arrangements and play dates, which of her nieces is the prettiest, how many rows of peas to plant, ad nauseum. I presume within the next few books, DK will be pregnant.

I do love Maron's Current Event du Jour, and "The Buzzard Table" is engaging in that respect. I even enjoyed learning all about buzzards. MUCH more interesting than the subplot about stepson Cal. Also loved Sigrid's presence. I hope we'll see more of her (note to Ms. Maron--PLEASE write another Sigrid book!!!)

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maron's two series' collide again just like they did in Three-Day Town, the last book in this series. This time New York police detective Sigrid Harald travels to Cotton Grove with her award-winning photographer mother, Anne Lattimore Harald, to visit Sigrid’s ailing grandmother. They get together with Judge Deborah Knot and her husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant for dinner at Mrs. Lattimore's Victorian home. This is where they meet Mrs. Lattimore's long lost nephew, Martin Crawford, an ornithologist researching a book on Southern vultures. Anne is charmed by her newly found cousin but something makes her believe they have met before.

When a string of suspicious murders hit the county Deborah, Dwight, and Sigrid once again work together to catch a killer, uncovering long-buried family secrets along the way.

Dollycas's Thoughts

I am a long time fan of Margaret Maron. She plots a mystery masterfully. She keeps the reader engaged from the first word until the last. I love the way she has blended both of her protagonists in these last two stories.

These characters are still fresh and evolving even as we finish this 18th book. Dwight has some things in his past that he has not shared with Deborah that will see the light of day in future editions and in this story had him facing some tough decisions. Deborah's relationship with Cal took a turn that made this reader actually shed a tear. Sigrid's connection to Colleton County gives her reason to visit and help Dwight and Deborah in the future now that her series has ended. Cameo or surprised appearances are always nice.

The buzzard theme was a little strange at first and I probably learned much more about turkey vultures than I ever wanted to, but true to Maron's style she brings it all together in a way her readers will love.

This book could be read as a stand alone but this series is best when you start at the beginning. Deborah has a huge family and without the background from previous novels it can be hard to keep them all straight. You will also see the way family is really the tie that binds all of these wonderful books together.

[Suzyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so want to declare one of my favorite mystery writers "back," but she's just not quite there yet. This is her best effort in years, though, since "Winter's Child" at least. While it is inevitable that the main character of a long series gets a little dull, it has been painful to watch Deborah get less interested in solving mysteries and more so in raising her stepson and what she's making for dinner. In this book the decline continues. To my thinking, here she only shines in the scenes that are in her courtroom. Taking her place as the main detectives in this book are Sigrid Harald* from Maron's other series and Deborah's husband Dwight.

Deborah's decline as a main character sucks, but this book is at least partially redeemed in my eyes by the mystery which is, thank goodness, well-written and fair play. This is Maron's first book in years that felt like it was written by an Agatha winner and is a huge climb in storytelling from the nadir that was "Sand Sharks." It's not the most difficult mystery Maron has ever written, but it is hard enough to be fun without the solution at all feeling out of the blue.

"The Buzzard Table" is a long way from Maron's best work, but it is enough to keep a diehard fan reading.

Oh, almost forgot. Got this one on audio. The lady reading it, C.J. Critt, seriously needs to dial the theatrics down a bit.


*For Sigrid Harald fans from back in the day, getting Grandmother Lattimore's perspective on Sigrid and to some degree getting her side of the story is awesome, no lie. It took literally 30 years for the Lattimore side of the family to get character development, but it happened. If Grandmother Lattimore gets her own book, I will read it.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this series might be getting a little old. This book was okay, but not impressive.

[MostlyDelores · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little too crowded at the beginning, with all the information dumping and introducing people we know already. There are over a dozen books in this series, and characters from another series have joined in here, so you don't want this to be the first Maron you ever read. You don't have to go back to the first book or anything (although, hey, great book), but from Slow Dollar on, there is some continuity to keep track of.

Also: I was distracted more than once by the way Deborah's POV is first person and all other POVs are third person. This isn't new, but I have some GR friends who are picky about POV and I was more conscious of it because of that.

However, this was a pleasant reunion with familiar characters, comfortable and well-executed.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Margaret Maron until I read Three Day Town. I've read all her Deborah Knott books, but I was not familiar with her Sigrid Harald series. I found myself quite lost in Three Day Town. She has redeemed herself with The Buzzard Table. Sigrid is there, but the book is not all about her. It also hints at a storyline to come involving Deborah's husband Dwight Bryant. I also learned things I didn't know about buzzards. They may not be my favorite birds, but it was interesting to learn more about them. Maybe when I have more time, I'll go back and read the Sigrid Harald books. The Buzzard Table was a quick, pleasant read. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I love this series, I have found the last few books to be a bit trying. Probably a factor of the small town setting - really how many murders could this town have, at this point, they'd be down to six people left! Anyway I could not have cared less about buzzards or the history of buzzards or what not and I feel like the foreshadowing at the beginning didn't really lead to the crime or the end of the story. I'll keep listening (I listened to this via Audible) but am hoping she gets back to the old spark that made me care about these characters in the first place.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Deborah Knott installments! The buzzard/turkey vulture theme running throughout was surprisingly interesting, but not overbearing, and added a quirkiness the plot. I enjoyed learning a little more of Deborah's family's history , and the addition of Sigrid Harald, visiting North Carolina this time, added intrigue; although Sigrid didn't say much vocally, her presence did.

I'm ready for the next Deborah Knott book!

[Catherine Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The political commentary is finally too tiresome for me to continue. Never mind that the main character has had a role so minor in the last couple of books, and especially this book, she’s forgettable. Deborah who? Oh, yeah, the “main character” who doesn’t actually do anything anymore. That’s right.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love CJ Critt's narration and have enjoyed Deborah Knott and her family. I'm sad that the series ends at # 20 and will slowly work my way to the end. I decided to listen to the book this week after learning of Margaret Maron's death earlier this year.

The book itself is fine, but most Deborah seems to be in the background a bit more than I like.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

A visit with Judge Deborah Knott is my Thanksgiving treat every year, although usually not with buzzards looking over my shoulder. Or over Deborah's shoulder. Last year we were in New York for Three-Day Town and it was fabulous, this year Deborah is back home in North Carolina.

Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series is an excellent mystery series, usually set in Colleton County North Carolina, involving the crime-solving skills of Ms. Knott, who now sits on the county bench as a judge. In her first outing, Bootlegger's Daughter, Deborah was just a lawyer, and she was, and is, that bootlegger's daughter. One of her fears is that someday her daddy will appear before her in court, but it's not likely. Her daddy is in his 80's, and doesn't seem to be operating a still any longer.

But everyone knows that he used to. Everyone knows everyone's business in rural North Carolina. Deborah knows everyone's business, too. If they don't appear in her courtroom, her husband is second-in-command in the county sheriff's department. She hears about most crimes, sooner or later.

The events in The Buzzard Table strike much closer to home for Deborah. Her cousin, Lt. Sigrid Harald, is down from New York, along with Sigrid's mother Anne Harald, because Anne's mother is one of the grand old ladies of Colleton County, and she is dying of cancer.

Another family member is visiting, a long-lost cousin. Martin Crawford is staying on the estate, studying Southern vultures. In other words, Martin is an ornithologist who studies buzzards. He's also a photojournalist.

So is Anne Harald. Anne is an award-winning photojournalist, and there is something about Martin Crawford that seems familiar...she just can't place where she's met him before in a life that has been full of travel, chance-met people and exotic places.

But Sigrid Harald, skeptical New York cop that she is, is suspicious. She knows that Martin Crawford is lying about something.

Then people start dying, and Martin's excuses and alibis seem just a shade too contrived. Especially when the buzzards give him away.

Escape Rating B+: The reasons behind the murders turned out to be chilling, but I don't want to give the game away.

The build-up to finding out what was going on was a bit slower than is usual for this series. I think that may be because neither Deborah nor Sigrid was in actual danger this time. While that's more realistic, it does drop the suspense factor down just a bit.

I definitely enjoyed seeing the development of Deborah's relationship with her stepson Cal. That ended the story on a high note.

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Margaret Maron
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4

Review:

"The Buzzard Table" by Margaret Maron was another good mystery series that is is well known for giving to her readers. I believe this is her #18th series. I found "The Buzzard Table" very intriguing and with a unique cast of characters from Colleton County, North Carolina. We find Judge Knott, her family and friends living in the rural South. In this mystery its will have old military secrets, which will bring on hard choices for Deputy Dwight Bryant...then the weird murder and mayhem brought on by greed, lust and revenge and with Deborah goes into new levels with a relationship with her stepson Cal. There are a string of suspicious murders has set everyone on edge. Sigrid Harald and her mother Anne are in town from New York, visiting Anne's mother, Mrs Lattimore is is quite ill dying of cancer. Martin Crawford who is Ann's cousin is also in town researching vultures when they meet, only she feels like she already has run across him at some time, but she can't seem to remember.With all that is going on we now have Deborah, Dwight and Sigrid working together to solve these murders and also uncovering family secrets that have been long buried. This is the time that I say you must pick up "The Buzzard Table" to see how Ms. Maron will take us to the end in this series. So, again you will get plenty of 'family interaction while they solve crimes and live normal lives in small town of Colleton County, North Carolina.'


If you are interested in a good mystery, you have come to the right place for "The Buzzard Table" is what I would recommend you as a good read. It may help you somewhat if you have been keeping up with the series.

[Larraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

always look forward to the newest Judge Deborah Knott novel by Margaret Maron. They combine an interesting story with a touch of romance and insight into southern culture that we generally don't see portrayed in the media. This book deals with a local murder as well a local airstrip that is being used for refueling by CIA planes taking prisoners to foreign countries for "questioning" - knowing that they will be beaten and tortured until they confess. Buzzards set the theme for the book - birds that eat fresh kill. Mrs. Lattimore, one of the last of the grand dames, is dying. Her days are numbered so her daughter, Anne, a now retired well known photo journalist, and granddaughter, Sigrid Haralson, an NYPD police detective (and Maron's first character before she switched to Judge Deborah Knott) come to visit with her for a while. A surprise guest is Martin Crawford, an ornithologist who is staying at an old farmhouse studying buzzards. He is also a nephew of Mrs. Lattimore and, of course, Anne's cousin although she has never met him before. He DOES look familiar though! His mother was Mrs. Lattimore's sister who married a British citizen and moved to England. She estranged herself from her family after her first fiance dumped her for her sister, now Mrs. Lattimore. She died when Martin was young, and he was raised by his stepmother who was from Pakistan. So he learned Pashtun and Arabic and a number of other languages besides. The story had a lot of twists and turns, with a second murder and the near death of a teenage boy. It's a quick read and very entertaining.

[Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

At six chapters in, I had to ask whether this series is running out of gas. I hope not. I’ve enjoyed it so much, and I have lots of books in the series I’ve not yet read.

Sadly, it appears to be a rather loosely plotted book wherein Deborah Knott-Bryant has little to do but fret about when and how to adopt her stepson and cook spinach lasagna. Ok, I’ve over simplified that a bit, but not by much.

It seems a female real estate agent with a dying marriage got in the unfortunate habit of showing more than houses. They found her murdered in a secluded place.

There’s a Brit who claims to be an ornithologist studying the habits of buzzards or turkey vultures. He is also a photographer, and a super-distant relative of Deborah Knott’s. He didn’t kill little Miss I’ll-Show-You-the-House-and-So-Much-More, but he’s clearly up to some bad stuff, as a friend of the Bryant family, Sigrid Harald, who stars in her own Margaret Maron series apparently, determines.

I’ll go back and fill in other books in the series I’ve missed, but not for a while, and perhaps with a bit less enthusiasm than I’ve approached this series in the past.

[Jeanne Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the novels in Margaret Maron’s Judge Deborah Knott series, The Buzzard Table delights readers with its mixture of down-home philosophy, wit, engaging characters, a riveting mystery, and a promise of future adventures for Deborah, Dwight, and all the folks in Colleton County, NC. In this novel, the mystery involves old military secrets, some of which remain unrevealed until future novels in the series, and some difficult choices for Deputy Dwight Bryant, as well as the usual murder and mayhem motivated by lust, greed, and revenge. As in the previous novels, family life takes center stage almost as often as the mystery, and Deborah moves to new levels in her relationship with her stepson Cal. If you haven’t read any of the Deborah Knott mysteries, I’d recommend that you start with the first, Bootlegger’s Daughter, and build to the rest; you won’t be disappointed.

[PopcornReads - MkNoah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big Margaret Maron fan from way back. When I saw The Buzzard Table, I was shocked to realize that I hadn’t read any of her novels in several years. I really do need to clone myself just so I can keep up with all of my favorite authors’ books! Somehow reviewing a novel titled The Buzzard Table during Thanksgiving week appealed to my weird sense of humor. After all, we used to call buzzards turkey buzzards when I was growing up in North Carolina. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4971.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, quite enjoyed updating myself on this family of many brothers. Also i this one there is a reappearance of a character that I enjoyed from a previous novel. This is one series that I find has stayed fairly solid, good story lines and many likable characters. The surprise in this one is that the reader get's to learn many facts on buzzards and vultures, which play a rather prominent part in this story. Never knew I would find this so very interesting. ARC from publisher.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who exactly was Martina Crawford who claimed to be a distant cousin of Ann Lattimore? And who murdered realtor Rebecca Jawett? So many questions but Judge Deborah Knott finds away to answer them all thereby solving the crimes.

[Lynn Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not crazy about the protagonist and her rambling family, but I like the Haralds, mother and daughter, so will probably read more.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Sigrid Harald has joined forces with Deborah and Dwight. The setting is rich, the epigraphs are perfect.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bringing two of my favorite characters together: Sigrid Harald and Deborah Knott. This time in Deborah's North Carolina backyard.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while.... catching up with old series.... so glad I use Goodreads -- keeps track of my authors. Good plot, good guys win

Judge Deborah Knott and her husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, are back home in Colleton County amid family and old friends. But the winter winds have blown in several new faces as well. Lt. Sigrid Harald and her mother, Anne, a well-known photographer, are down from New York to visit Mrs. Lattimore, Anne's dying mother. When the group gathers for dinner at Mrs. Lattimore's Victorian home, they meet the enigmatic Martin Crawford, an ornithologist researching a book on Southern vultures. He's also Mrs. Lattimore's long-lost nephew. With her health in decline, Mrs. Lattimore wants to make amends with her family-a desire Deborah can understand, as she, too, works to strengthen her relationship with her young stepson, Cal.

Anne is charmed by her mysterious cousin, but she cannot shake the feeling that there is something familiar about Martin . . . something he doesn't want her or anyone else to discover. When a string of suspicious murders sets Colleton County on edge, Deborah, Dwight, and Sigrid once again work together to catch a killer, uncovering long-buried family secrets along the way.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOLIER ALERT

Vultures are the focus of this installment of the Judge Deborah Knott series, and I know a lot more about the birds at the end of the story. A visitor to Colleton County is supposedly studying the birds. He is, however, attaching cameras to the birds and taming them at the "Buzzard's Table", a concrete slab, with food, to fly certain patterns. He is there to find a man who betrayed a friend and killed the murderer, and films that local airport looking for him.

Martin Crawford is found to a be a MI5 operative, and he will return to the UK without repercussions.

But the personal lives of the characters are at the forefront of the story as well. Cal will tell his friends that he wishes Deborah would adopt him like Mary Pat and Jake have been. When Deborah finds out, she will ask Cal if he wishes she would become his "Mom", and the adoption is arranged. Lt Sigrid Harald, NYC homicide cop, from the previous installment, will visit her mother in Cotton Grove. This brings her mother's experience in Somalia on a UN Peace Keeping mission, when she had been captured by the enemy and rescued by unknown men, to light. Martin Crawford was one of those men, and Anne recognizes him though is unsure under what circumstances in the beginning.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook). I love the Judge Deborah Knott series, and I usually read the books, but I tried the audiobook this time. It was just fine, but I do think I prefer to read this series. This one picks up right after the trip to NYC where Deb and Dwight intersect with one of Maron's other series' characters, Sigrid Harald. In this story, Sigrid visits them in NC. Good story, as usual. Good enough mystery. I mainly keep coming back because of the characters and setting. At book #18, they're like family, now. As with most of the books in this series, I learned some new things about subjects I'd previously had no knowledge of, like buzzards and CIA covert rendition flights of terrorist suspects. It's one of my favorite things about her books. That, and the Southern-ness of course. :-)

[William Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Deborah Knott and her husband Dwight Bryant are caught in a
puzzle involving a youth Judge Knott sentences to a community service
project for protesting CIA use of “Colleton International Airport; the murder
of a promiscuous real estate agent (female); and an international ornithologist whose study of turkey vultures may not be what it seems.
And in the midst of that, Cal (Dwight’s son) lets it be known that he wants
Deborah to adopt him. Margaret Maron is a good storyteller, and this tale
is a fitting addition to her body of work.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book with Sigrid Harald. Ugh. At least she was less involved than last time out. Still too little of Deborah though. And I learned more than I ever wanted to about vultures. Also, I highly doubt a 9-year-old who recently lost his mother (only a few months have passed) would be eager to call another woman "Mom". Jonna never abused Cal. In fact, she seemed like a loving mother to her son, even if she wasn't the greatest wife when married to Dwight. I'm disgusted by the way Ms. Maron is so eager to wipe Jonna out of Cal's life. She must not have known anyone who lost a parent when they were young. This was definitely not a favorite and dragged on and on.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil is in the Details

The big ball is in Major Dwight Bryant's court and the coordinated no drama Sheriff's Department. Visiting Detective Sigrid Harald, from NYC finest just finds herself hanging around observing. We have vultures (more info than you ever wanted to know), a Brit with a past, a murdered real estate broker, a mischevious, nosey, enterprising teenager, Judge Knott displaying sensitivity and sanity. Stir the pot on this road kill stew and it is 300 pages of satisfaction. These characters will be missed. Call you are turning out just fine!

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Deborah Knott part of a large family in the small VA County of Colleton where she and her Sheriff's Deputy are faced with the disappearance of a local realtor. It took me awhile to get the characters sorted out because of the number of interrelated family members involved. Murders, a local airport used as away point in CIA transport of terrorists being sent out of the country for interrogation and mysterious English relative who is visiting the area and doing research on Buzzards for a book he is writing keep the story involved and moving along.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read one of the Deborah Knott mysteries, I think it is the best one written, and I have the same thought about this one. The plot has lots of twists and turns before the reader finally learns who is responsible for the murders Dwight is trying to solve and who the newcomer is and what he is doing. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on in Colleton County. I like Deborah and her relationship with Dwight and her family. This series of books has entertained me and given me many hours of escape.

[RavenT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had a deeper theme of secrets revealed, and the question of how much truth one owes a loved one. There were three murders to solve in this book, and I found the twists of the plot interesting throughout. (I also watched some buzzard videos.) Sigrid Harald and her mother Anne appear in this mystery. It's interesting to see Sigrid in the South - she really is a bird of another color. I believe Deborah is a better explained character, is easier to understand for the average read, and has a deeper backstory, but personally I find Sigrid more appealing.