What do you think?
Rate this book
Fever Devilin #3
A Minister's Ghost
Fever Devilin is a folklorist who fled the fevered halls of academia to return home to the Blue Mountain region of the Georgia Appalachians and a hopefully quiet life. While on a trip collecting folklore, Fever spots an apparition at a railroad crossing. Such apparitions are traditionally omens of evil, and when he returns home he finds his suspicions are his friend Lucinda's two nieces have been killed in a suspicious accident. As he consoles Lucinda, Fever promises to investigate the girls' deaths. His promise leads him through a maze of train-hopping drifters, old ghost stories, and the wild ravings of an itinerant preacher - as he attempts to uncover the truth behind the tales that are told and the visions that are seen.
455 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2005
7 people are currently reading
219 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 36 reviews
September 25, 2017
Phillip DePoy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
August 19, 2007
A MINISTER’S GHOST (Amateur Sleuth/Folklorist-Georgia-Cont) – G+
DePoy, Phillip – 3rd in series
St. Martin’s Press, 2006 – Hardcover
Fever Devilin is the son of carnival owners, an ex-professor and folklorist who has returned to his hometown. He learns from his girlfriend, Lucinda, that her two nieces have been killed; they were in their car, sitting on the railroad tracks when it was hit by a train. But Lucinda is certain there is something suspicious about their death and asks Fever to investigate.
*** This book is not for everyone. As a reader, one must open oneself to the local culture, atmosphere and old beliefs of hill people where there is a different definition of reality. The characters include little people, a ghost, a snake-handling preacher, hobos, a junk-yard dealer with a unique musical instrument and Fever’s best friend, the sheriff who is not acting like himself. The mystery is not the strength of the story. The strength is the unusual, intriguing characters and atmospheric, lyrical writing. Personally, I very much enjoyed this book and this series and want to find out more about these fascinating people.
DePoy, Phillip – 3rd in series
St. Martin’s Press, 2006 – Hardcover
Fever Devilin is the son of carnival owners, an ex-professor and folklorist who has returned to his hometown. He learns from his girlfriend, Lucinda, that her two nieces have been killed; they were in their car, sitting on the railroad tracks when it was hit by a train. But Lucinda is certain there is something suspicious about their death and asks Fever to investigate.
*** This book is not for everyone. As a reader, one must open oneself to the local culture, atmosphere and old beliefs of hill people where there is a different definition of reality. The characters include little people, a ghost, a snake-handling preacher, hobos, a junk-yard dealer with a unique musical instrument and Fever’s best friend, the sheriff who is not acting like himself. The mystery is not the strength of the story. The strength is the unusual, intriguing characters and atmospheric, lyrical writing. Personally, I very much enjoyed this book and this series and want to find out more about these fascinating people.
November 16, 2022
I’ve only read 3 of this series, but I find them fascinating. The mix of crime-solving, local folklore & folkways, the viewing & discussion of those tales & ways from an academic/psychological standpoint, a little mysticism around the people (incl. Fever Devilin) who are a little weird, the poetical descriptions, throwing in info about other cultures’ folklore. Having just read about the author, it seems like Fever is kind of based on him. The writing keeps me captivated, keeps me reading, & manages to surprise me, keep me unsure of what’s really going on. I like the concept of 2 kinds of ghosts: a spirit without a body, & a body without a spirit. I also like how Fever’s collecting of the stories & music on tape has helped him understand the people better, helped him learn how to interact with them better, & the fact that some who were recorded are no longer alive makes me think of the Library of Congress collecting similar recordings (for real).
September 1, 2017
Fever Devilin is a college professor and collector of tales. Folklore, religious stories, you name it. When he sees an old man at a railroad crossing it heralds the arrival of horrific news; his friend and romantic interest, Lucinda, has just received word her two nieces were killed by a train. As a favor to Lucinda Fever agrees to look into the girls' deaths, even though he believes it to be an accident. But the more he investigates the more he realizes something evil has come to Blue Mountain. And it's not done killing just yet.
DePoy has a beautiful writing style, very evocative. I'm an autumn junkie, so his descriptions of fall in the mountains was incredible.
I rated it a little lower because the plot jumped a decent bit and some of the characters seemed inconsistent in their personality. But I would still give this author and the series another chance.
DePoy has a beautiful writing style, very evocative. I'm an autumn junkie, so his descriptions of fall in the mountains was incredible.
I rated it a little lower because the plot jumped a decent bit and some of the characters seemed inconsistent in their personality. But I would still give this author and the series another chance.
April 24, 2024
There were times that I didn't know if I actually liked the book, but other times where I did. It was kind of slow, and a little overly-dramatic in places, I felt. Overall though, a good read. I didn't realize that it was part of a series, so am wondering if I would have connected with the character more if I had read the previous ones. They were not necessary in order to understand this story though.
August 22, 2020
Great series
The Fever Devlin series by Phillip Depoy is one of my favorites. Very atmospheric and well plotted. Fever Devlin is a retired college professor of folklore. He goes back to his hometown in the rural mountains of Georgia and gets caught up in solving mysteries with a number of great characters that inhabit the environs.
Highly recommended.
The Fever Devlin series by Phillip Depoy is one of my favorites. Very atmospheric and well plotted. Fever Devlin is a retired college professor of folklore. He goes back to his hometown in the rural mountains of Georgia and gets caught up in solving mysteries with a number of great characters that inhabit the environs.
Highly recommended.
December 21, 2017
I enjoyed the setting and characters, but I found it difficult to feel close to Fever emotionally - could be he's just not my type - or I'm not his.
January 14, 2023
Good plot twists. Took me a bit to read but glad I did.
March 24, 2023
This is the first book, I read by this author. What's a great mystery thriller, loved all the characters pulling the story together.
September 17, 2023
Started out slow, got interesting, ended weird. You definitely need to be a patient reader with this book. there is a lot of introspection and remembering things from the past.
February 12, 2011
I am of two minds about this novel. Some aspects were wonderful; others sucked.
What I liked was the setting in Georgia's Appalachia: the odd names, the snake-handlers, the inbred community, the atmospheric weather, the spooky woods. I liked the idea of a folklorist-protagonist. The main character, an academic named Fever (where do they come up with these monikers?) who has eschewed his professorship and gone back to his late parents' cabin in the pines. The locals call him "Doctor." He goes around giving mini-lectures. While these might be interesting, this is a clunky way to introduce folklore into a novel (cf. the novels of Zora Neale Hurston).
What I really didn't like about this book, however, were the aspects that severely strained credulity. For example, two kids carve a pumpkin that is an identifiable, life-life likeness of a person. Right.
In addition, the weather changed very often. One page it would be pouring down rain; on the next the moon would be breaking through the clouds. The weather was remarkably changeable, based on the need for a certain kind of mood in the scene. (It apparently rains a lot in this part of Georgia, even though in the year this book was published, the state was going through a Biblical-scale drought.)
But what really got me was (I am not making this up) the albino midget hit man. Come on. The might be acceptable in a postmodernist comedy, but not in this conventional mystery. This character is laughable, unintentionally so.
However, I must confess that the biggest disappointment is that there are no ghosts in this story, minister's or otherwise.
What I liked was the setting in Georgia's Appalachia: the odd names, the snake-handlers, the inbred community, the atmospheric weather, the spooky woods. I liked the idea of a folklorist-protagonist. The main character, an academic named Fever (where do they come up with these monikers?) who has eschewed his professorship and gone back to his late parents' cabin in the pines. The locals call him "Doctor." He goes around giving mini-lectures. While these might be interesting, this is a clunky way to introduce folklore into a novel (cf. the novels of Zora Neale Hurston).
What I really didn't like about this book, however, were the aspects that severely strained credulity. For example, two kids carve a pumpkin that is an identifiable, life-life likeness of a person. Right.
In addition, the weather changed very often. One page it would be pouring down rain; on the next the moon would be breaking through the clouds. The weather was remarkably changeable, based on the need for a certain kind of mood in the scene. (It apparently rains a lot in this part of Georgia, even though in the year this book was published, the state was going through a Biblical-scale drought.)
But what really got me was (I am not making this up) the albino midget hit man. Come on. The might be acceptable in a postmodernist comedy, but not in this conventional mystery. This character is laughable, unintentionally so.
However, I must confess that the biggest disappointment is that there are no ghosts in this story, minister's or otherwise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2011
As I get back into reading fiction -- mysteries in particular -- I am reminded of one of the most important ingredients in a successful book: a likeable lead character. That is a home run here with Fever Devilin, a folklorist who recently returned to his hometown of Blue Mountain in the Georgia Appalachians. The more I read, the more I realized that I really liked Fever. Like Philip Dryden in Jim Kelly's The Water Clock, Fever is not the fearless, barrel-chested hero who rips open his shirt to reveal that stylized 'S' and saves the day. He's a regular guy, who knows fear and makes mistakes. Fever departs from Philip Dryden in that his moral sense is much stronger. He's sensitive without being wimpy, brave without being arrogant.
The story itself is fairly simple: nieces of Fever's erstwhile love interest are killed when a train hits the car they are driving, and the deaths are whispered to be suspicious. Fever agrees to investigate, and finds more than he bargained for. Phillip DePoy was a pleasant find for me. His writing is so evocative that Appalachia comes alive. I can still picture in my mind's eye Fever's house and the homes of other characters, as well as the train tracks, clearings and roadways that play key roles in the story. In addition to Fever, the rest of the characters are deep, surprising and draw the reader in. DePoy succeeds in creating the sense of a distinct rural community with Blue Mountain, and I can't wait to pick up the next book (or perhaps one of the earlier; I don't feel I missed anything by starting mid-series).
Highly Recommended!
The story itself is fairly simple: nieces of Fever's erstwhile love interest are killed when a train hits the car they are driving, and the deaths are whispered to be suspicious. Fever agrees to investigate, and finds more than he bargained for. Phillip DePoy was a pleasant find for me. His writing is so evocative that Appalachia comes alive. I can still picture in my mind's eye Fever's house and the homes of other characters, as well as the train tracks, clearings and roadways that play key roles in the story. In addition to Fever, the rest of the characters are deep, surprising and draw the reader in. DePoy succeeds in creating the sense of a distinct rural community with Blue Mountain, and I can't wait to pick up the next book (or perhaps one of the earlier; I don't feel I missed anything by starting mid-series).
Highly Recommended!
October 9, 2009
Meh, it was a fast read but there was very little character development. Why would I even care about the main character? All I know about him is that he is scared of dogs, used to be a professor, his parents are dead and he moved back to their house, he's into folklore, wears black and likes to eat. Other than his being scared, we don't find out any of his feelings about anything. I was interested in the mystery at first, though I found the little midget dude to be the most interesting person in the book. This is the third book with this main character, maybe the first two tell more about him and would have resolved some of my questions. As it was, I don't care about him enough to find and read the other two books.
April 3, 2012
Fever Devilin is a folklorist who fled the fevered halls of academia to return home to the Blue Mountain region of the Georgia Appalachians and a hopefully quiet life. While on a trip collecting folklore, Fever spots an apparition at a railroad crossing. Such apparitions are traditionally omens of evil, and when he returns home he finds his suspicions are accurate: his friend Lucinda's two nieces have been killed in a suspicious accident. As he consoles Lucinda, Fever promises to investigate the girls' deaths. His promise leads him through a maze of train-hopping drifters, old ghost stories, and the wild ravings of an itinerant preacher - as he attempts to uncover the truth behind the tales that are told and the visions that are seen.
I loved this book. Rate it VG+
I loved this book. Rate it VG+
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this hard-to-put-down mystery, and I'm glad to have found this new-to-me, relatively unknown author. The cast of characters is filled with fascinating, eccentric people, especially the narrator and protagonist, Fever Devilin, a professor and folklorist who has returned to his hometown in the Appalachians.
In this story, he is investigating a suspicious accident at a railroad crossing in which two teenage sisters have been killed. The vivid Southern small-town setting, excellent dialogue, fine writing, eerie supernatural elements, and fascinating regional folklore all make for a riveting page-turner of a mystery. I'm definitely going to seek out more books in this series.
In this story, he is investigating a suspicious accident at a railroad crossing in which two teenage sisters have been killed. The vivid Southern small-town setting, excellent dialogue, fine writing, eerie supernatural elements, and fascinating regional folklore all make for a riveting page-turner of a mystery. I'm definitely going to seek out more books in this series.
October 18, 2013
I really enjoy Fever Devilin novels - although I admit they are not for everyone. There are detail people and there are possibilities people. Fever Devilin is for possibilities people :)
The characters are amazing, the stories are filled with possibilities and unique interpretations.
As one person said "The characters include little people, a ghost, a snake-handling preacher, hobos, a junk-yard dealer with a unique musical instrument and Fever's best friend, the sheriff who is not acting like himself. The mystery is not the strength of the story. The strength is the unusual, intriguing characters and atmospheric, lyrical writing."
The characters are amazing, the stories are filled with possibilities and unique interpretations.
As one person said "The characters include little people, a ghost, a snake-handling preacher, hobos, a junk-yard dealer with a unique musical instrument and Fever's best friend, the sheriff who is not acting like himself. The mystery is not the strength of the story. The strength is the unusual, intriguing characters and atmospheric, lyrical writing."
June 28, 2010
#3 in the Fever Devilin mystery series set in rural northern Georgia. University professor in folklore, Devilin has returned to his very rural mountain Georgia home where he finds that he is good at solving mysteries. He becomes involved in finding out why two teenage sisters died in a railroad crossing train accident. He soon finds there is more of a dark side to his area than he had realized as he works his way finding out what happened at the crossing. Several encounters with a wandering sinister almost supernatural man add to the mystery and sinister qualities.
July 29, 2011
There are so many different parts of the South, it becomes difficult to create a true picture of the region, but Phillip DePoy's A MINISTER'S GHOST is both accurate and electric as he weaves a twisted tale of suspense.
Fever Delvin is a collector of the tales of his home area in the GA mountains. The death of two young women on a railroad crossing leads Fever on a twisted path to discover the truth before someone else falls victim to a crafty killer. He meets unexpected resistance from his old friend Sheriff Skidmore Needle.
Fever Delvin is a collector of the tales of his home area in the GA mountains. The death of two young women on a railroad crossing leads Fever on a twisted path to discover the truth before someone else falls victim to a crafty killer. He meets unexpected resistance from his old friend Sheriff Skidmore Needle.
May 12, 2009
The Fever Devilin Mystery series has really become a dark horse favorite for me; I love the way that the Georgia Appalachians became not just the setting, but a silent character in these books. Our protagonist Fever is fully formed: you get a real sense of him, and through him, for the characters who surround him.
This third book in the series pulls some of the peripheral characters a bit closer to center stage, and has both a tragic vibe, and an eerie one.
This third book in the series pulls some of the peripheral characters a bit closer to center stage, and has both a tragic vibe, and an eerie one.
August 19, 2009
When two girls are killed by a train, the protagonist Fever Devilin tries to find out what really happened. Why would they just park their car on a train track and be crushed?
What he finds is a series of bizarre characters and a very twisty plot.
While this book had great potential, it got weighed down by all the literary allusions and the attempt to add a supernatural element to the story. Still, it kept my interest because few of the people are what they seem to be.
What he finds is a series of bizarre characters and a very twisty plot.
While this book had great potential, it got weighed down by all the literary allusions and the attempt to add a supernatural element to the story. Still, it kept my interest because few of the people are what they seem to be.
August 2, 2011
I'd like to give this book 4 1/2 stars. It's an excellent little mystery, a well-rounded story with my favorite elements: a good story, unexpected events, and clean... no gore, sex or graphic violence. I appreciate an author who can spin a modern mystery with flair, unique characters I care about and keep it PG. It was refreshing to read, as well as being very good. I can't wait to look for other Fever Devilin mysteries!!
April 28, 2012
Third in this series and for me, might be the best so far. A more defined and developed mystery along with the paranormal issues and more character development with the main characters.
This is a very off-beat series and I find them very addictive. The characters are unique and well developed, the writing is often lyrical and the plot lines intricate. Don't know if I will end up re-reading the series often, but I cannot resist ordering the next and I can't put them down when I'm reading.
This is a very off-beat series and I find them very addictive. The characters are unique and well developed, the writing is often lyrical and the plot lines intricate. Don't know if I will end up re-reading the series often, but I cannot resist ordering the next and I can't put them down when I'm reading.
March 21, 2013
3rd in Fever Devilin Series. Focus is on finding out who is responsible for the deaths of Lucinda's nieces. Initially it appears a tragic accident … their VW hit by train, but all isn't as it appears. Andrew is in Atlanta and then London. Sheriff Skid is investigation the drug problem in town with help of Melissa who is rumored to be his mistress. Fever gets assistance from an albino dwarf hit man. Oh, and the Deveroe brothers are in charge of the local funeral home.
July 12, 2014
This was unpredictable and well-written. I plan to make it available to my 11th grade students as it is a great vocabulary builder! The author chooses sophisticated words that can easily be defined in context. The two major characters around which the plot builds (deceased sisters) are made remarkably poignant even though we only read about them through the memories of the active(living) characters. It is worth reading!
March 10, 2008
DePoy writes two series of mysteries, one worth reading (the Fever Devlin series) and one that's above-average, but mostly throwaway (the Easy series). Tragically, here he tries to combine the two, grafting on a plot and characters that would be right at home in the Easy series onto the far more subtle and complex Fever Devlin series. The result makes me cry.
August 23, 2008
I randomly grabbed this off the library shelf and found I enjoyed it. All at the same time its sad, funny, romantic and touching. plus there are some tantalizing food references.. I'll definitely try and read another one of his books.
October 11, 2012
I enjoy this series, the setting is a treasure trove of colorful characters and raw nature, a place where when it gets dark at night, it is really dark, and where folklore and superstition are just beneath the surface.
April 3, 2017
Started reading his Flap Tucker series, Easy, Too Easy, the books were great, however I've had a hard time finding them in stores I did find some of his fever Devilin Mysteries and have found Phillip is a great writer. His books are worth a read.
May 11, 2010
Good read. Emphasis on mythology and psychology. Devilin is a folklorist from the hill-country of the Appalachians.
September 8, 2010
This book was good but not great. I would read another book by this author if I came across one but will not actively seek one out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews