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Mary Crow #4
Legacy of Masks
This killer is so evil, he wears the most deceptive face of all….
Legacy of Masks
Ex-prosecutor Mary Crow didn’t expect a hero’s welcome when she returned home to Pisgah County, North Carolina. But what she did expect was the job she’d been promised in the D.A.’s office. Instead she found she’d worn out her welcome before she even arrived–and that she has more than a few enemies among the supporters of the corrupt sheriff she’d caught sidelining in murder years before.
The new sheriff was one of Mary’s childhood schoolmates, timid and nerdy Jerry Cochran. Only Cochran is neither nerdy nor timid anymore. And when a young girl is found brutally murdered and everyone, including the girl’s parents and the police, is sure the killer is a young, mystical Ani Zaguhi Cherokee named Ridge Standingdeer, Mary’s first case in her own law firm slams her into the heart of a controversy. As a prosecutor, Mary was used to tenaciously tracking down the guilty. Now she finds herself on the other side of the law, defending a client she’s sure is innocent against a merciless system, a bigoted town…and an even more ruthless killer. With her old lover Jonathan Walkingstick, Mary will have to go where she’s never gone before–a place where a psychopath with the perfect mask and a shocking secret is waiting to add Mary herself to his growing collection of silent victims.
From the Hardcover edition.
Legacy of Masks
Ex-prosecutor Mary Crow didn’t expect a hero’s welcome when she returned home to Pisgah County, North Carolina. But what she did expect was the job she’d been promised in the D.A.’s office. Instead she found she’d worn out her welcome before she even arrived–and that she has more than a few enemies among the supporters of the corrupt sheriff she’d caught sidelining in murder years before.
The new sheriff was one of Mary’s childhood schoolmates, timid and nerdy Jerry Cochran. Only Cochran is neither nerdy nor timid anymore. And when a young girl is found brutally murdered and everyone, including the girl’s parents and the police, is sure the killer is a young, mystical Ani Zaguhi Cherokee named Ridge Standingdeer, Mary’s first case in her own law firm slams her into the heart of a controversy. As a prosecutor, Mary was used to tenaciously tracking down the guilty. Now she finds herself on the other side of the law, defending a client she’s sure is innocent against a merciless system, a bigoted town…and an even more ruthless killer. With her old lover Jonathan Walkingstick, Mary will have to go where she’s never gone before–a place where a psychopath with the perfect mask and a shocking secret is waiting to add Mary herself to his growing collection of silent victims.
From the Hardcover edition.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 15, 2025
Worthy writing from Sallie Bissell, about lawyer Mary Crow, who thinks she returned to her home in the North Carolina mountains to take a job as a prosecutor. Instead, necessity leads her to private legal practice and uncertain love with an old flame.
It's not long before Crow is drawn into a case involving another member of the Cherokee tribe, accused of killing his girlfriend. Little is as it seems, and it's up to Mary to turn sleuth AND defense attorney and seek out decay in the heart of the community.
Both books I've read by Bissell include young murder victims. This one crossed a line numerous times, drifting into subject matter that could be triggering for some readers. It's not handled pruriently, in the opinion of this journalist, but other readers might see it as such.
In this earlier book in the series, Bissell's writing doesn't seem as effortless as in A Judgment of Whispers . This passage made me wonder whether I wanted to stick with the series: "Once more she smiled the smile that somehow always reached down and caught his very soul." It seemed a rare swerve into icky. Not a deal breaker. Characters and writers grow into their own.
The characters, especially the younger ones, are drawn convincingly. The momentum carries the story along to a dramatic conclusion. There's a supernatural element that both surprised and delighted this reader. (The Asheville postcard I randomly used as a bookmark included a bear under the night sky.) I have another Bissell book or two on my list. I'm hoping the Grounds for Murder group gets to read something in the Mary Crow series, too.
It's not long before Crow is drawn into a case involving another member of the Cherokee tribe, accused of killing his girlfriend. Little is as it seems, and it's up to Mary to turn sleuth AND defense attorney and seek out decay in the heart of the community.
Both books I've read by Bissell include young murder victims. This one crossed a line numerous times, drifting into subject matter that could be triggering for some readers. It's not handled pruriently, in the opinion of this journalist, but other readers might see it as such.
In this earlier book in the series, Bissell's writing doesn't seem as effortless as in A Judgment of Whispers . This passage made me wonder whether I wanted to stick with the series: "Once more she smiled the smile that somehow always reached down and caught his very soul." It seemed a rare swerve into icky. Not a deal breaker. Characters and writers grow into their own.
The characters, especially the younger ones, are drawn convincingly. The momentum carries the story along to a dramatic conclusion. There's a supernatural element that both surprised and delighted this reader. (The Asheville postcard I randomly used as a bookmark included a bear under the night sky.) I have another Bissell book or two on my list. I'm hoping the Grounds for Murder group gets to read something in the Mary Crow series, too.
March 24, 2009
Sallie Bissell never disappoints. This was another good Mary Crow but with difficult subject matter.
Mary Crow returns home to Hartsville, NC where she has been promised a job in the prosecutors office. When she gets there, he has changed his mind. No one is willing to hire her so she decides to set up office doing real estate law. All that changes when a young girl is murdered in her home and a young Ani Zaghui boy is charged with the murder.
Mary Crow returns home to Hartsville, NC where she has been promised a job in the prosecutors office. When she gets there, he has changed his mind. No one is willing to hire her so she decides to set up office doing real estate law. All that changes when a young girl is murdered in her home and a young Ani Zaghui boy is charged with the murder.
December 1, 2022
Okay, this was a SUPER fast read. I liked the main character and her LI. The ending I felt was trying to throw you off with a surprise in the end, but instead I was, like, "wait, wut". Anyway...
Readers be warned, this is a book about a child predator and there is description! If you are not comfortable with reading about that, then you should skip it. Some of the scenes made me feel a bit uneasy. I don't have kids, but I'm sure someone with kids - specifically a young daughter - would find this super disturbing.
I am a slow reader, but I couldn't put it down. It took me only a few days where usually a 300+ book would take me at least 5-6. Anyway, read at your own risk!
One last note: I've never read any of the other Mary Crow books, but this did a good job tying in what happened in the first 3. I don't feel like you need to read the first 3 books to keep track of what was going on, so I really appreciated that.
Readers be warned, this is a book about a child predator and there is description! If you are not comfortable with reading about that, then you should skip it. Some of the scenes made me feel a bit uneasy. I don't have kids, but I'm sure someone with kids - specifically a young daughter - would find this super disturbing.
I am a slow reader, but I couldn't put it down. It took me only a few days where usually a 300+ book would take me at least 5-6. Anyway, read at your own risk!
One last note: I've never read any of the other Mary Crow books, but this did a good job tying in what happened in the first 3. I don't feel like you need to read the first 3 books to keep track of what was going on, so I really appreciated that.
September 12, 2020
Very good mystery....even though you feel like you knew who did it...there’s still surprise. And there are many more people involved with this mystery than others written by the author. Fun book!
July 4, 2021
The characters cross the generation gap. And, Bissell does as great a job writing characters who are young as he does the older characters.
January 27, 2014
This is the fourth book in the Mary Crow series and I think it's the best so far.
Mary Crow has decided that home is where her heart it, and it's home she's going to go. She's headed back to Pisgah County, NC, to stake a claim on Jonathan's heart once and for all. Before she lets him know, though, she wants to get a job and set up house in Irene Hannah's place. However, townsfolk have long memories and some of them miss their old sheriff, Stump Logan.
This book has been out for some time, but I'll still advise that I'm going to discuss specific plot lines, so....SPOILER ALERT!
Things I loved:
1. I love Love LOVE that Mary doesn't want to just show up on Jonathan's doorstep, move in with him and Lily, and just play house. She wanted to establish some independence first.
2. Obviously, Deke Keener's character is disgusting, but I am glad that Bissell did her research: Eighty percent of boys/men who are sexually molested will molest someone within a year. Bissell shows us what happened to Keener as a child. That doesn't excuse what he did at all - but it does humanize him a bit. And the girls were showing classic behaviors of being sexually molested: mood swings, acting out, promiscuity, substance abuse (to numb themselves.) I can't remember right this second if anyone was cutting, but that is a huge red flag as well. I thought that Bissell handled this type of crime very well.
3. Mary called the cops before she went to Keener's place once she knew he was the bad guy. VERY smart. (Kathy Reichs, are you paying attention?)
Things I didn't like:
1. Really, Sylvia killed Bethany ? For that? Ummmm, no. Not a strong enough case on that one.
2. I had hoped that by now Jonathan would have grown on me as a character, but there just isn't a connection. I don't know enough about him as a character, I don't know why Mary wants him so much (beyond him being her first love), and he seems incredibly selfish. Here again he asks Mary to be someone else, and even though he tells her at the end that he appreciated that she never asked him to be other than himself, it will come up again.
Highly recommend.
Mary Crow has decided that home is where her heart it, and it's home she's going to go. She's headed back to Pisgah County, NC, to stake a claim on Jonathan's heart once and for all. Before she lets him know, though, she wants to get a job and set up house in Irene Hannah's place. However, townsfolk have long memories and some of them miss their old sheriff, Stump Logan.
This book has been out for some time, but I'll still advise that I'm going to discuss specific plot lines, so....SPOILER ALERT!
Things I loved:
1. I love Love LOVE that Mary doesn't want to just show up on Jonathan's doorstep, move in with him and Lily, and just play house. She wanted to establish some independence first.
2. Obviously, Deke Keener's character is disgusting, but I am glad that Bissell did her research: Eighty percent of boys/men who are sexually molested will molest someone within a year. Bissell shows us what happened to Keener as a child. That doesn't excuse what he did at all - but it does humanize him a bit. And the girls were showing classic behaviors of being sexually molested: mood swings, acting out, promiscuity, substance abuse (to numb themselves.) I can't remember right this second if anyone was cutting, but that is a huge red flag as well. I thought that Bissell handled this type of crime very well.
3. Mary called the cops before she went to Keener's place once she knew he was the bad guy. VERY smart. (Kathy Reichs, are you paying attention?)
Things I didn't like:
1. Really, Sylvia killed Bethany ? For that? Ummmm, no. Not a strong enough case on that one.
2. I had hoped that by now Jonathan would have grown on me as a character, but there just isn't a connection. I don't know enough about him as a character, I don't know why Mary wants him so much (beyond him being her first love), and he seems incredibly selfish. Here again he asks Mary to be someone else, and even though he tells her at the end that he appreciated that she never asked him to be other than himself, it will come up again.
Highly recommend.
August 27, 2015
Sometimes the best way to describe or explain something is to compare it to something else. Legacy of Masks by Sallie Bissell is like a Nancy Drew novel because there are two girl detectives sleuthing around to find the bad guy. It is like Charles Frasier’s Nightwoods because it is the story of a young woman who receives a less-than-warm reception when she returns to her small home town. The similarity continues as an old high school love is rekindled. Bissell reflects a major theme of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones as she explores the devastating anguish of a family trying to come to terms with the violent death of a teen-aged daughter. Finally, John Gresham comes to mind because Legacy of Masks is a well-told lawyer story. Well-told story is perhaps the best basis for comparison. There is not much mystery because the evil character of the totally despicable, disgusting and manipulative bad guy is revealed in the first chapter. There is, however, plenty of suspense and excitement along with an interesting array of characters. Legacy of Masks is not great literature but it is a fun book to read.
November 7, 2008
This is the 4th book in the Mary Crow series. What I thought was the end of the series in Sallie's 3rd book, I was pleasantly surprised finding out she was working on a 4th. I was ready for another Mary Crow adventure, and this one is sure starting to look up and get back to the flow like her 1st book (In the Forest of Harm). This story had a bit more reality and a touch of dreamy fantasy which was a stark contrast to the 3rd book. But I thought Sallie tied the entire series into one neat tidy story...
March 21, 2014
I like the author. I like the main character, Mary Crow. I like the setting in the North Carolina mountains. Ms. Bissell's books are most enjoyable. However, it might be better if you started with her first book in the series. Of course, I read one out of line and only wanted to backtrack to find the books that came before the one I read and find out what i missed. Sallie Bissell is a good mystery writer!
April 16, 2009
Mary Crow returns to NC hometown - to no job, no water, no friends. Reunites with Jonathan Walkingstick and Lily. She investigates the death of young teenage girl whose Cherokee boyfriend is accused of the murder. The local Prince of Pisgah County is a child molester, but it's one of his victims that kills Bethany because she threatened to tell all. Good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2009
I enjoyed the fact that the lead character, Mary Crow, is a Cherokee woman - very unusual. Good descriptions, beautiful setting, and interesting relationships between characters. Although the antagonist is revealed early in the story, the suspense is in when and who would reveal the villain. Enjoyed the belief / mythological aspect of the story as well.
July 14, 2009
Wow, super wow. So well written I was so sick to my stomach I couldn't finish the book. Which is sad because I really wanted to see how the heroine busted that revolting pedophile. That was essentially the problem. The protagonist's thoughts were a place I just wasn't prepared to go. *shiver* I feel like I need to shower.
January 22, 2016
This was the last book written so far in this series. It was excellent! I really like this Mary Crow series, and this book was not a disappointment. The book moves pretty quickly and really keeps my interest. I hope Sallie Bissell writes more!
August 5, 2013
Another great book in the Mary Crow series. This one thankfully didn't have Mary under too much bodily harm, but holy cow, did it get intense toward the end!
October 9, 2014
My favorite book in this series so far!
December 13, 2015
It's so nice when the bad guy gets what he deserves!!!
January 19, 2017
Surprised Me!
When you read as many Mysteries as I do, it's hard to be surprised, but Bissell pulled it off. Solid characters, good plot.
When you read as many Mysteries as I do, it's hard to be surprised, but Bissell pulled it off. Solid characters, good plot.
April 19, 2017
Disturbing topic, but a good read. I really like this series.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews