Cruel as the Grave

Deep South Mystery #1

by Dean A. James

Maggie McLendon should be at home in Houston, studying for her
Ph.D. qualifying exams, but a letter from her great aunt arrives, bearing
bad news. Maggie's grandfather, Henry McLendon, whom she has never met, is
seriously ill in Jackson, Mississippi.



Maggie's father, English professor Gerard McLendon, has been estranged from
his family since Maggie was an infant, but now there is perhaps one last
chance for the McLendons to be reunited. The family welcomes Maggie and
Gerard to Jackson, and Gerard has a chance to reconcile with his father.



But a murderer strikes, savagely, and Gerard McLendon looks like the chief
suspect. Maggie must sort out decades of family secrets, including the
puzzle of her grandmother's death twenty-five years before and its
relationship to the present crime, to arrive at the truth. But not before
the killer strikes a second time. Could Maggie or her father be next on the
list?


About The Author:
I've been a devoted mystery reader since the age of ten
and now the manager of Murder By The Book, a specialty bookstore in Houston,
I have published numerous articles, interviews, and reviews, and several
works of non-fiction on the subject of mysteries.



My first novel-length mystery fiction, Cruel As The Grave, will be published
in May 2000, by Silver Dagger Mysteries.



I grew up in Mississippi, with scads of cousins all over the place, none of
whom has ever married one another as far as I know. Sitting around on
porches on hot summer days, listening to adults telling stories, I decided I
wanted to tell stories, too.



I wrote my first novel when I was twelve, and I've been making up stories
ever since. No matter where those stories are set, something Southern creeps
in. I think that growing up Southern was like living in the middle of every
one of Shakespeare's plays all at once. Comedy, drama, tragedy,
farce--they're with you every day; all you have to do is choose.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2000

Reviews

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mississippi Cozy mystery with twists and turns enough to be dubbed a Southern Agatha Christie. Gerard and his daughter, Maggie, return to Gerard's Mississippi plantation home, where his father is dying. Other than one of her father's siblings, Maggie has never had any contact with her father's estranged family. This family is one of the most convoluted that Maggie has ever seen; and when her grandfather is murdered, the only suspects are all the family members who are residing at the plantation.

This cozy moved along at a good pace, definitely kept my interest, and provided enough suspects to keep me changing my mind as to the perpetrator. Would recommend to those who like Agatha Christie type cozies.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. I really enjoyed it and loved the characters and the mystery. The plot is very reminiscent of the English Country House type of mystery a la Agatha Christie. The characters are fully developed and engaging. I would highly recommend this to mystery fans of all types,It is not strictly for cozy fans. There is no gore or graphic violence to offend traditional cozy fans, but it would appeal to fans of other mysteries as well. Currently it is selling for only $3.99 on Amazon – Kindle edition and it is well worth it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were relatable and it reminded me of two movies I have seen recently: Murder Mystery (Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston) and Knives Out. Maggie and her father, Gerard, return to his home because a letter from his aunt says that his father is dying. Well, he's not as sick as he was made out to be, but nevertheless they reconcile and Maggie gets to meet her relatives for the first time. That same night her grandfather is murdered and her father is the prime suspect. The mystery surrounding his murder brings into question the death of his wife years earlier; she fell down the stairs when she got up while recovering from pneumonia, and was too weak to walk or stand. Well, turns out she was pushed, but they can't prove it. The main suspect is Lavinia, the sister of the dead wife. Well, she ends up dead, at the bottom of the stairs just like her sister, so now there are two immediate murders and one old murder to solve. Turns out Claudia, the daughter of the maid and the niece of the dead grandmother is not actually the daughter of the maid. No, she is the daughter of Lavinia, the sister, and the grandfather. And, she is the murderer. Jealousy is the motive. Now, she was a horrible hateful woman and just terrible, but I did not expect her to be the murderer, nor did I expect the cheating scandal or her true parentage. This book was full of surprises and I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read more!

[Sue Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I'd missed the memo that Ms. James was actually Mr. James until recently. It was fun to discover this early book by a new old favorite author. This book was a nice, old fashioned mystery where most of the action takes place in a single location where all the suspects were together. (And aparently nobody had ever encountered e-mail or cell phones, and DNA had yet to be decoded and used to solve crimes or determine paternity.) Some of the plot elements were a bit too obvious, but the overall story line flowed well.

Southern lit and mysteries are two of my favorite genres. I love it when I find a book that contains both. The only thing missing was a cat.
I have already downloaded the other two books in the series.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of James, particularly writing as Miranda James, and reading this, his first full-length novel written nearly two decades ago, I really appreciate how he has matured as a writer. I was looking for something really cheesy to read, and this filled the bill as a particularly formulaic mystery with a bit of bosom-heaving romance thrown in. The grand house that is the setting seems to be the same one the Ducote sisters occupy in "Miranda's" Southern Ladies series. And there ain't nothing wrong with that. Just don't start reading James here; you will be disappointed.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery as the light read for which I hoped! It seems this was the first novel this author published, and the writing style was (not too surprisingly) a little bit stiff. But overall, an interesting mystery with several twists and revelations that made me want to keep turning the pages.
I will definitely read more of his stories.

[Pat Beard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A change of pace in that this is a bit more gothic (just a bit though) than the cozies I've been hooked on lately. In some ways I liked it just fine. The characters were well done and the setting rings true. The only drawback for me was that I figured out whodunnit halfway through the book.

[Kenneth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fooled me

I took the bait early. Was fooled completly. You who pride yourself in solving the mystery before the big reveal will enjoy each twist in this tale. Plus a perfect conclusion.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cruel as the Grave (Deep South Mysteries #1)

3 out of 5 stars Just not for me, November 24, 2013


This review is from: Cruel as the Grave (Deep South Mysteries #1) (Kindle Edition)
This is a story about Maggie, daughter of Gerard, and their southern estranged family living in the deep south. Gerard receives word that his father, Maggie's Grand-father, is in failing health and now may be the right time for a visit.

Maggie has many unanswered questions about her father's family since she's had little if any communication with them. This trip may hold the answers she seeks.

I was unable to connect with the characters in this story as I had been able to in so many of this authors other books. The chapters seemed quite long and tedious. unfortunately, There was just nothing that kept me reading.

If you have enjoyed this authors works in so many of his lovely books please try this series. This review is only one person's opinion.

[Alannah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery complete with opulent mansion, a volatile family with skeletons in all the closest, crusty old patriarch, and a handsome butler who wears polo shirts. One of the family members is murdered at a time when the security system has been set and only a member of the household could be the killer. Lots of twists and turns, and plenty of quirky characters. This book is a great way to spend a lazy Saturday!

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

There might have been a passable 30 page short story in this but it's lost in a 200 plus page word salad. Overwritten and inert.