What do you think?
Rate this book
Fever Devilin #5
The Drifter's Wheel
"DePoy, a folklorist, excels at providing local color and creating complex characters. The story unfolds slowly and lyrically, giving readers a sense of small-town Appalachian atmosphere." –Booklist on A Minister’s Ghost
"By far DePoy’s best, with top-notch plotting, full-blown characters, and a bit of Shakespeare thrown in." – Kirkus Reviews (starred) on A Minister’s Ghost
Fever Devilin, born and raised amongst the hill country folk of the Georgia Appalachians, left home a long time ago and pursued an education, then a career, in the wider outside world. A folklorist by inclination and profession, he left the strange world of academia behind to return to his family-home in the if-anything-stranger mountain town he grew up in. But oddness follows Fever wherever he goes and Blue Mountain, Georgia is no different.
When a man shows up at his house, claiming to be over a hundred years old even though he looks like he’s in his 30’s, Fever is pretty sure his guest is not right. When the man starts to wave a gun around, then falls suddenly asleep immediately afterward, Fever thinks he’s both "not right" and "dangerous" and slips out to call the sheriff. The sheriff, Fever’s childhood friend, has been hearing reports of this particular vagrant all day but before he can get out there, the man disappears.
In the early morning, the body of man that fits the description of the mysterious vagrant is found by the side of the road, shot to death. But, although the body is wearing the same clothes that the vagrant was, it isn’t the same person.
"By far DePoy’s best, with top-notch plotting, full-blown characters, and a bit of Shakespeare thrown in." – Kirkus Reviews (starred) on A Minister’s Ghost
Fever Devilin, born and raised amongst the hill country folk of the Georgia Appalachians, left home a long time ago and pursued an education, then a career, in the wider outside world. A folklorist by inclination and profession, he left the strange world of academia behind to return to his family-home in the if-anything-stranger mountain town he grew up in. But oddness follows Fever wherever he goes and Blue Mountain, Georgia is no different.
When a man shows up at his house, claiming to be over a hundred years old even though he looks like he’s in his 30’s, Fever is pretty sure his guest is not right. When the man starts to wave a gun around, then falls suddenly asleep immediately afterward, Fever thinks he’s both "not right" and "dangerous" and slips out to call the sheriff. The sheriff, Fever’s childhood friend, has been hearing reports of this particular vagrant all day but before he can get out there, the man disappears.
In the early morning, the body of man that fits the description of the mysterious vagrant is found by the side of the road, shot to death. But, although the body is wearing the same clothes that the vagrant was, it isn’t the same person.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2008
6 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Phillip DePoy
36 books84 followersPhillip DePoy has published short fiction, poetry, and criticism in Story, The Southern Poetry Review, Xanadu, Yankee, and other magazines. He is currently the creative director of the Maurice Townsend Center for the Performing Arts at the State University of West Georgia, and has had many productions of his plays at regional theaters throughout the south. He is the recipient of numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the state of Georgia, the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Arts Festival of Atlanta, the South Carolina Council for the Arts, etc. He composed the scores for the regional Angels in America and other productions and has played in a numerous jazz and folk bands. In his work as a folklorist he has collected songs and stories throughout Georgia and has worked with John Burrison, the foremost folklorist in the south and with Joseph Cambell.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 11, 2022
Weird & confusing. All these pairs of brothers from different times in history, and discussion of nonlinear time & time travelers & what-all. Not my favorite of his. There MIGHT have been a mistake in someone’s telling of the tale of Brother 1 going to Chicago to kill Brother 2; the story-teller says he’s Brother 1, & he killed his brother, but then at the end of the story, it says Brother ONE is lying dead on the floor. The characters never mention it, suggesting it’s a mistake. But then again, the story-teller was mentally unstable & kept changing who he claimed to be & telling different stories, so maybe this inconsistency was just part of his character? Who knows. There was one nice description of Autumn that I liked tho:
Good description of autumn. “The illusion of warmth is Autumn’s seduction“.
Good description of autumn. “The illusion of warmth is Autumn’s seduction“.
March 15, 2022
Another north Georgia brother vs brother murder story, but with a couple of academics as sleuths and plenty of ghosts. I did like the characters, particularly the mother and daughter Jacksons with the "exceedingly breakable" teacups.
October 20, 2017
I am really enjoying how his protagonist Fever Devilin's character is evolving. This is a good series.
October 23, 2024
Easy and fun read and definitely kept me thinking until the end! Had no idea this was part of a series, so it can also be read as a stand alone book! (:
March 3, 2017
I really really enjoyed this! I'm a person that's into folklore kinds of things anyway, so the fact that this story revolved around someone that studies that for a living was really fun for me.
This story had easy flow, good usage of the red herring technique, and has the reader trying to guess what the heck is going on throughout the whole book. It's not really a "whodunnit" story; it's closer to a "'who'-that's-done-it" (?) story and trying to figure him out. It also leaves you with an interesting little philosophical thought to ponder as you close the book.
*Next part is a kind of spoiler in a way*
I hope this doesn't downplay the book in anyone's eyes because I mean this seriously and in the best way possible. It makes me think of Scooby-Doo. The monster seems real, but you try to get a realistic grip on the situation to find out what's truly going on like the Mystery Gang does. It is still more complex than just leaving behind a trail of clues, though, and it doesn't even give you quite a clear-cut answer with which to tie up the story.
I'm not much of a series reader most of the time, but DePoy has me hooked. I want to keep reading about Fever Devilin, so I gotta track down the rest of the books now.
This story had easy flow, good usage of the red herring technique, and has the reader trying to guess what the heck is going on throughout the whole book. It's not really a "whodunnit" story; it's closer to a "'who'-that's-done-it" (?) story and trying to figure him out. It also leaves you with an interesting little philosophical thought to ponder as you close the book.
*Next part is a kind of spoiler in a way*
I hope this doesn't downplay the book in anyone's eyes because I mean this seriously and in the best way possible. It makes me think of Scooby-Doo. The monster seems real, but you try to get a realistic grip on the situation to find out what's truly going on like the Mystery Gang does. It is still more complex than just leaving behind a trail of clues, though, and it doesn't even give you quite a clear-cut answer with which to tie up the story.
I'm not much of a series reader most of the time, but DePoy has me hooked. I want to keep reading about Fever Devilin, so I gotta track down the rest of the books now.
August 6, 2008
THE DRIFTER’S WHEEL (Trad. Mys-Fever Devlin-Georgia-Cont) – Ex
DePoy, Phillip – 5th in series
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780312362034
First Sentence: “The gun exploded, blood erupted, and Jabod lay dying on the brothel floor.”
Folklorist Fever Devlin receives a visit from a man who is young in appearance but claims he is over 100 years old, and a veteran of the Civil War, whose uniform he is wearing and with a gun from the same period. He tells Fever a story about traveling on the stream of time and of brother killing brother, then falls asleep sitting in the chair. Devlin calls his friend, Sherrif Skidmore, turns back and the man has vanished.
In the morning, he is called to identify a body found on the Jackson property. The body is wearing the right clothes, looks very similar to the missing man, but isn’t the same one. The coroner wants to declare it a suicide but Devlin and Skidmore know it was murder. Deviln, with the help of his English friend, Professor Dr. Winton Andrews, has 48 hours to find the killer.
DePoy has a wonderful, lyrical, evocative, haunting style. The story captured me from the first sentence. He has a way of describing the ordinary in a way that is extraordinary. His observations are both humorous and profound.
The sense of place is so strong; you are there with the characters. The characters are so well developed, you can see and hear them. The dialogue has a wonderful flow and banter, particularly between the two friends, Fever and Andrews, about whom you also learn more of their history.
One thing I so enjoy about DePoy’s writing is that it reads on several levels while being filled with thoughtfulness and humor. There is the mystery of the murder; the relationships of the characters; and the thoughts of “time travel,” memories and what holds us to life. All these elements combine to make an excellent story and one that made me think.
DePoy, Phillip – 5th in series
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780312362034
First Sentence: “The gun exploded, blood erupted, and Jabod lay dying on the brothel floor.”
Folklorist Fever Devlin receives a visit from a man who is young in appearance but claims he is over 100 years old, and a veteran of the Civil War, whose uniform he is wearing and with a gun from the same period. He tells Fever a story about traveling on the stream of time and of brother killing brother, then falls asleep sitting in the chair. Devlin calls his friend, Sherrif Skidmore, turns back and the man has vanished.
In the morning, he is called to identify a body found on the Jackson property. The body is wearing the right clothes, looks very similar to the missing man, but isn’t the same one. The coroner wants to declare it a suicide but Devlin and Skidmore know it was murder. Deviln, with the help of his English friend, Professor Dr. Winton Andrews, has 48 hours to find the killer.
DePoy has a wonderful, lyrical, evocative, haunting style. The story captured me from the first sentence. He has a way of describing the ordinary in a way that is extraordinary. His observations are both humorous and profound.
The sense of place is so strong; you are there with the characters. The characters are so well developed, you can see and hear them. The dialogue has a wonderful flow and banter, particularly between the two friends, Fever and Andrews, about whom you also learn more of their history.
One thing I so enjoy about DePoy’s writing is that it reads on several levels while being filled with thoughtfulness and humor. There is the mystery of the murder; the relationships of the characters; and the thoughts of “time travel,” memories and what holds us to life. All these elements combine to make an excellent story and one that made me think.
March 18, 2009
I like this series. /He weaves old Appalachian stories with the current life circumstances and old songs, etc. I enjoy the ongoing friendship between Fever, Andrews (his friend from his former university job) and Skid the local sheriff and childhood friend. It has been quite some time since I read the first books and they could be worth a visit again.
Fever Devilin, born and raised amongst the hill country folk of the Georgia Appalachians, left home a long time ago and pursued an education, then a career, in the wider outside world. A folklorist by inclination and profession, he left the strange world of academia behind to return to his family-home in the if-anything-stranger mountain town he grew up in. But oddness follows Fever wherever he goes and Blue Mountain, Georgia is no different.
When a man shows up at his house, claiming to be over a hundred years old even though he looks like he’s in his 30’s, Fever is pretty sure his guest is not right. When the man starts to wave a gun around, then falls suddenly asleep immediately afterward, Fever thinks he’s both "not right" and "dangerous" and slips out to call the sheriff. The sheriff, Fever’s childhood friend, has been hearing reports of this particular vagrant all day but before he can get out there, the man disappears.
In the early morning, the body of man that fits the description of the mysterious vagrant is found by the side of the road, shot to death. But, although the body is wearing the same clothes that the vagrant was, it isn’t the same person.
Fever Devilin, born and raised amongst the hill country folk of the Georgia Appalachians, left home a long time ago and pursued an education, then a career, in the wider outside world. A folklorist by inclination and profession, he left the strange world of academia behind to return to his family-home in the if-anything-stranger mountain town he grew up in. But oddness follows Fever wherever he goes and Blue Mountain, Georgia is no different.
When a man shows up at his house, claiming to be over a hundred years old even though he looks like he’s in his 30’s, Fever is pretty sure his guest is not right. When the man starts to wave a gun around, then falls suddenly asleep immediately afterward, Fever thinks he’s both "not right" and "dangerous" and slips out to call the sheriff. The sheriff, Fever’s childhood friend, has been hearing reports of this particular vagrant all day but before he can get out there, the man disappears.
In the early morning, the body of man that fits the description of the mysterious vagrant is found by the side of the road, shot to death. But, although the body is wearing the same clothes that the vagrant was, it isn’t the same person.
October 19, 2013
I still love Phillip Depoy's Fever Devlin series. I have now completed the entire series and awaiting the next one :)
Fever is a retired University Professor (early retirement) who is a a bit obsessed with folk tales and songs, so bits and pieces of them tend to be insinuated into every investigation. He has an encyclopedic knowledge, and what he doesn't know, good friend Shakespearean professor Winton Andrews does. The two of them become involved in solving crimes.
In this novel, an unusual stranger turns up on Fever's doorstep ( a normal everyday occurrence for Fever)... the stranger weaves a tale of living in the circle of time - having lived through many lifetimes - in which he kills his brother in each lifetime. The stranger falls asleep and Fever phones his childhood friend, Skidmore Needle, the Sheriff - to come to his home and get the stranger. While Fever is making the call the stranger disappears
Then a body is found - it looks like the stranger, but is it? You will have to read the novel to find out the answer :)
Fever is a retired University Professor (early retirement) who is a a bit obsessed with folk tales and songs, so bits and pieces of them tend to be insinuated into every investigation. He has an encyclopedic knowledge, and what he doesn't know, good friend Shakespearean professor Winton Andrews does. The two of them become involved in solving crimes.
In this novel, an unusual stranger turns up on Fever's doorstep ( a normal everyday occurrence for Fever)... the stranger weaves a tale of living in the circle of time - having lived through many lifetimes - in which he kills his brother in each lifetime. The stranger falls asleep and Fever phones his childhood friend, Skidmore Needle, the Sheriff - to come to his home and get the stranger. While Fever is making the call the stranger disappears
Then a body is found - it looks like the stranger, but is it? You will have to read the novel to find out the answer :)
November 17, 2008
This is, I think, the fifth Fever Devilin mystery I've read. Fever is a folklorist who lives in North Georgia, having "retired" early from academia. Blue Mountain, his hometown, and the surrounding area seem to have more than their share of somewhat supernatural occurrences mixed with real-life murders. In The Drifter's Wheel, a mysterious visitor tells Fever, his fiancee Lucinda, and an elderly man three different stories with a common thread - a war veteran who kills his own brother. The next morning, a man wearing the same clothes is found dead nearby -- but Fever is certain it isn't the same man. He will eventually learn the all-too-real reason for the murder, but there is still a suggestion that there might also be something otherworldly going on. History, folklore, and local color are prominent in this series, and if you like those things along with your mystery, you'll probably enjoy these books.
April 29, 2012
This was a different, quirky, wacky mystery, with a sharp take on a particular region, with an idiosyncratic, amateur sleuth. So different from most of the boring mysteries.
Utterly non-realistic, but a fun read anyway. You're either going to like this a lot, or hate it. If you're tired of the grim, bleak, dark mysteries (Scandanavian, anyone?), give this a try for a change of pace.
Time travel? Well, kinda. Body switching? Absolutely. Literate, passage-quoting, smart-alecks? Lots.
I'm only knocking it down a star because I hate when story law-enforcement pros act like newbie idiots around folks wielding guns. Nope, sorry. Don't make it dumb when the rest is so smart.
Utterly non-realistic, but a fun read anyway. You're either going to like this a lot, or hate it. If you're tired of the grim, bleak, dark mysteries (Scandanavian, anyone?), give this a try for a change of pace.
Time travel? Well, kinda. Body switching? Absolutely. Literate, passage-quoting, smart-alecks? Lots.
I'm only knocking it down a star because I hate when story law-enforcement pros act like newbie idiots around folks wielding guns. Nope, sorry. Don't make it dumb when the rest is so smart.
June 30, 2013
I love the setting of this series and how we get to enjoy the natural beauty and nature in Blue Mountain GA as we follow Fever Devilin on another adventure with his best friend, Doctor Winton Andrews. More about the friendship is revealed, and we contemplate the meaning of time in new and old ways that resonate after finishing the book.
As an afterthought, Andrews feels more like Fever's best friend than Skidmore does now, and that is a bit sad; and yet in a way reflecting that our best friends of our youth may not always be the same sort of friend as an adult or in different circumstances.
As an afterthought, Andrews feels more like Fever's best friend than Skidmore does now, and that is a bit sad; and yet in a way reflecting that our best friends of our youth may not always be the same sort of friend as an adult or in different circumstances.
January 30, 2015
Another fine book in the Fever Devilin series by Phillip DePoy. I find these books particularly enjoyable not only for the clever plotting of the mysteries that Fever finds himself solving and the interesting and well-rounded characters but also for the sheer beauty of much of Mr. DePoy's writing. He has a lyrical style with description and internal character monologue. The same trait shows up in his scripts for the theatre, making him a successful playwright as well as novelist.
I also enjoy Fever's theo/philosophical musings, which in this case tend toward the Buddhist understandings of rebirth, karma, and freedom. In case you couldn't tell from the title...
I also enjoy Fever's theo/philosophical musings, which in this case tend toward the Buddhist understandings of rebirth, karma, and freedom. In case you couldn't tell from the title...
September 24, 2008
The Fever Devilin books are interesting because the protagonist is a folklorist, and somehow the author always manages to insert folklore as an integral part of the story which aids Fever in solving the mystery at hand. In this one, Fever is visited by a stranger claiming to have fought in the Civil War who then disappears and another man is found dead in the stranger's clothes. Has the stranger found the secret to time travel, or is there a more earthly explanation to the strange occurrences? This one keeps you guessing to the end.
May 22, 2012
A good story even if the writing isn't top notch. Over use of descriptive terms (count the number of times something is "rust-colored" or "blood-red") is balanced out by a good, solid mystery. The author clearly loves the landscape and ties it very well to the history of the people living there. The philosophical points of the story feel rushed and under-developed, and the dialogue is not brilliant--it feels obvious and clumsy. But the interior thought and observations of the narrator produce some gems. Overall, a good story in need of a better editor.
November 18, 2013
I enjoyed this book despite some faults. The characters are fun and well-developed and the plot was interesting with some unexpected twists. My favorite scene involved the minor characters that were making apple brandy. The plot did have some clunky places and I didn't feel that the book was well-edited. Some favorite words tended to be overused and there were some unnecessary digressions. Still a fun read set in the mountains, which is nearly always appealing.
August 15, 2009
A jewel of a book I picked up because I liked the cover and the name was unusual. Surprised to find not only a good yarn with a hint of the supernatural almost good enough to believe but also an author with a touch of real beauty in his lyric. There were lines I read over and over just to take them in and digest them. I will be reading more of Mr. DePoy.
February 11, 2010
As always, a thoroughly enjoyable trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains with Fever Devilin. The "Drifter's Wheel" begins with a strange young man that leads Fever on a circuitous path through time - or our collective ideas of time. Where the truth lies is hidden beautifully behind tales of the tango, Paris, the first World War and fratricide.
July 29, 2011
I liked this less than the Fever Develin books that I have read before--which is I believe only two--so we don't go way back, but the general theme is one that I do not find all that compelling. I would agree that it is well written, and the details of Southern life and Georgia are very good, and there are not alot of mysteries that take this in, so good in that respect.
January 25, 2016
Fever, a folklorist by inclination and profession has left academia and returned to
Blue Mountain, Georgia, his Appalachian boyhood home.
Mystery unfolds as a vagrant, claiming to be 100 years old, visits Devlin with tales of WW I.
A murder follows.
We explore the circle of life and death and the wheel of time, with its joys and repercussions.
Blue Mountain, Georgia, his Appalachian boyhood home.
Mystery unfolds as a vagrant, claiming to be 100 years old, visits Devlin with tales of WW I.
A murder follows.
We explore the circle of life and death and the wheel of time, with its joys and repercussions.
June 3, 2009
I love this whole series of Fever Devlin books - folklorist living in the old mountains of home, quirky, strange mysteries always seem to sprout up around him and need solving. I would read anything that he has written.
July 21, 2009
Phillip DePoy's "Fever Devilin" series are like nothing I have ever read. With quirky characters from Appalachia, lots of folklore, and a touch of supernatural, you can never predict how the story is going to end. I love it! And the combination makes for a very interesting read.
August 30, 2010
I like a nice bit of mountain mysticism and this one featuring a Georgia folklorist is well-written and interesting, with a bit of supernatural thrown in for spice. I'll definitely look out for the other ones in the series.
March 4, 2011
I appreciated the depth of setting detail - enough so I felt I was on Blue Mountain. And the plot was complex - the overlay of past and present drew me in. I wanted, though, to feel a little more chemistry between Fever and Lucinda.
July 23, 2016
It was a little hard following some of the story since this was the first book in the series I read. I'd like to read the first book to get see more about the main characters. It was interesting how American history played a part in the crime as well as solving the crime.
October 21, 2014
This book was very disappointing. It is about a man who murdered his brother and claimed to be a time traveler. For about the last 75 pages I didn't care much about who did what, and I just plodded through it. "Storytelling at its best," it says on the cover, but I didn't find it so.
July 12, 2008
Interesting entry in the Fever Devilin series. Likable characters, but the author's style is a bit overwrought.
April 3, 2020
Time traveler who visits Fever Develin claims to have fought in the Civil War, WWII, etc., and always comes back to kill his brother.
January 14, 2011
I enjoy the main character a lot and have read a couple of others in this series. I enjoyed this one.
Read
August 11, 2011Depoy's books are always full of interesting and colorful characters and plots that keep you guessing--this novel is no exception! He has a true gift for storytelling.
January 29, 2012
I just can't get enough of Phillip DePoy's Fever Devilin series and this one didn't disappoint. The writing really is absolutely beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews