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Mary Crow #7
A Judgment of Whispers: A Mary Crow Novel by Sallie Bissell
Whispers abound at the ancient Spanish Oak. To those who know how to listen, it tells secrets of vanquished conquistadors, Cherokee witches, and the long-unsolved murder of Teresa Ewing. Whispers also thrive in the town of Hartsville—rumors that Teresa's killer still walks free.While running for District Attorney, Mary Crow finds the whispers starting to swirl around her. Did one of her friends cover up that twenty-year-old murder? Does her campaign have blood on its hands? As new evidence is discovered, Mary realizes that the only way to save her reputation is to find the true killer and silence the vicious gossip that has trapped so many people in a web of rumors and lies.
- GenresMystery
Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 10, 2015
3.5 The Mary Crow series is another one I have followed from the beginning though it has been a few years since her last installment. Mary Crow is a Cherokee lawyer whose own mother was killed many years ago, leading her to her vocation. She is staunch defender of the innocent and a ferocious prosecutor of the guilty. In this novel she is running for District Attorney, when she becomes involved in the twenty year unsolved case of a murdered girl.
A good look at how being a suspect, even if not officially, haunt the lives of the four young boys involved. How involved they were is the question, especially since one of the boys, Zach was a bit older and autistic. Also shows how the media convicts even without evidence just supposition and people's expressed opinions and how small minded some people are towards those who are different. When new evidence surfaces things in town will ratchet up again, causing some to once again strike out at Zack, now a grown man physically if not mentally, and his mother Grace.
Good solid storyline, well rounded characters, and an interesting case.
ARC from NetGalley.
A good look at how being a suspect, even if not officially, haunt the lives of the four young boys involved. How involved they were is the question, especially since one of the boys, Zach was a bit older and autistic. Also shows how the media convicts even without evidence just supposition and people's expressed opinions and how small minded some people are towards those who are different. When new evidence surfaces things in town will ratchet up again, causing some to once again strike out at Zack, now a grown man physically if not mentally, and his mother Grace.
Good solid storyline, well rounded characters, and an interesting case.
ARC from NetGalley.
May 19, 2015
Watch for my review of A Judgment of Whispers by Sallie Bissell in Suspense Magazine and coming to Goodreads soon!
June 5, 2025
A compelling read with local (western North Carolina and Cherokee) color from Sallie Bissell. I liked A Judgment of Whispers so much I went to the library and grabbed two more of the books in the series before I finished reading this.
Attorney Mary Crow is running for district attorney in Pisgah County, N.C. when new evidence is found decades after a 10-year-old girl was murdered. The original suspects in the case are under a cloud again. One in particular, Zack Collier -- already demonized for his autism -- is targeted by police and community vigilantes in the case. The police, especially retired detective Jack Wilkins, are haunted by the unsolved case, too.
Artist Grace Collier hires Mary Crow to represent Zack's interests in the reopened investigation, which pulls the Colliers, Crow, active members of the sheriff's staff and Wilkins into its gravitational field. The case also riles the community, which takes sides and makes it a dynamic in friendships, work, even the election.
Bissell's story powers along like a rock slide. There are generous helpings of the local landscape and indigenous Cherokee culture that give the story depth and relevance. The characters are interesting (likable and worthy of loathing, both). A few red herrings help maintain the suspense in the book.
One thing missing, however, is a larger sense of resolution. I'd like to have seen a wrap-up that took the fates of a few more characters into account.
I think this author was recommended by someone in the library's Grounds for Murder book group.
Attorney Mary Crow is running for district attorney in Pisgah County, N.C. when new evidence is found decades after a 10-year-old girl was murdered. The original suspects in the case are under a cloud again. One in particular, Zack Collier -- already demonized for his autism -- is targeted by police and community vigilantes in the case. The police, especially retired detective Jack Wilkins, are haunted by the unsolved case, too.
Artist Grace Collier hires Mary Crow to represent Zack's interests in the reopened investigation, which pulls the Colliers, Crow, active members of the sheriff's staff and Wilkins into its gravitational field. The case also riles the community, which takes sides and makes it a dynamic in friendships, work, even the election.
Bissell's story powers along like a rock slide. There are generous helpings of the local landscape and indigenous Cherokee culture that give the story depth and relevance. The characters are interesting (likable and worthy of loathing, both). A few red herrings help maintain the suspense in the book.
One thing missing, however, is a larger sense of resolution. I'd like to have seen a wrap-up that took the fates of a few more characters into account.
I think this author was recommended by someone in the library's Grounds for Murder book group.
April 6, 2019
A Five Star Rating
I have read all of the Mary Crow books & this one was yet another great one! If you like mysteries, this one was a good one based on a 20 year old murder involving 4 boys who are now men. One of them is an autistic man, whose mind is still a child in most ways, so most people think it is him. Mary Crow is friends with his mother & helps to find the true killer! I enjoyed this book very much & hope there will be more!! It's been a long time & many many books since I read the others so I want to go back & re-read the 1st 7 books in the series of again!!
I have read all of the Mary Crow books & this one was yet another great one! If you like mysteries, this one was a good one based on a 20 year old murder involving 4 boys who are now men. One of them is an autistic man, whose mind is still a child in most ways, so most people think it is him. Mary Crow is friends with his mother & helps to find the true killer! I enjoyed this book very much & hope there will be more!! It's been a long time & many many books since I read the others so I want to go back & re-read the 1st 7 books in the series of again!!
January 6, 2020
I have read all of Sallie Bissell’s books and most are great. I love the settings and the characters. However this one was by far her weakest. The story was good but didn’t have enough depth and the ending was easy to work out near the beginning. The proof reading was not great. Looking forward to a new one soon though.
June 28, 2017
Now what!? I need Bissell to write the next book, as I need to know what happens next for Mary.
December 30, 2016
Enjoyed this one the most of the Bissel ones so far.
November 13, 2015
I have read all of Ms. Bissell's books. I enjoyed this book but didn't think it was as well put together as her previous books. I also felt that the proofreading could have been better. That said I still liked Mary Crowe in this novel. I also liked the mountains of North Carolina setting. I always feel at home in this setting. Ms. Bissell's other characters were also very entertaining. I especially liked the old retired detective although I didn't especially like the idea that, if he were old, he was on the way to being crazy. He was preoccupied with a 20+ year old case that was his only unsolved murder case, but he was not headed for the mental health institution because of it. He could have been treated with more respect.
June 26, 2016
I enjoyed the story overall. Figured out who killed Teresa eventually, before they revealed it. And it was good to see that Zack and Grace could live in the cabin in the woods, and that would give Zack the peace that he needed in his life.
I found a good deal of errors in this book. I was not impressed with the editing that went into it.
I found a good deal of errors in this book. I was not impressed with the editing that went into it.
June 9, 2015
I received a free ARC for the following honest review.
Have you ever read a book that murmurs to you long after the book has finished? A Judgment of Whispers is that kind of book! An excellent addition to the Mary Crow novels, and as always, the world building is amazing!
Have you ever read a book that murmurs to you long after the book has finished? A Judgment of Whispers is that kind of book! An excellent addition to the Mary Crow novels, and as always, the world building is amazing!
September 24, 2016
I did not realize this is a book in a series, it read well enough as a standalone book, which is great. I have started avoiding new authors, if I realize the book is one in a series, as I dislike picking one from the middle as a start....I'd give this 3.5 stars.
October 9, 2023
WOW! I wasn't sure ho it was until the end! THAT's how it's supposed to be! Looking forward to more!
November 11, 2015
This was a nice, simple mystery that takes place in a small town in the NC mountains.
December 15, 2015
I love Sallie Bissell and have read all of her Mary Crow series. This book is good, as her writing always is, but lacked the punch the others had.
January 24, 2016
Another excellent entry in the Mary Crow series.
March 4, 2016
It was interesting all the way through. Never a boring moment! Just didn't approve of the language.
April 14, 2016
It's a good book though I felt it dragging in the end.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews