‘Deep South,’ Nevada Barr’s eighth book of the Anna Pigeon series, is a tale of greed, distrust, and murder. After accepting a promotion, Anna Pigeon becomes the first female district ranger of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. Anna soon faces resentment not only because she's a woman, but also because of the power that comes along with her promotion. Dealing with the good ol’ boys attitude is frustrating enough, but things become more complicated when 17-year-old Danielle Posey is found murdered in the parkway. As she works to solve the murder, Anna comes up against Civil War reenactors, possibly murderous family and friends of Danielle Posey, an attacking alligator, Mississippi mud, kudzu, the deep-seated racism that existed long before her arrival, or Danielle’s murder, and more.

…the pace of the book beyond the first three chapters. I also loved the character descriptions, and soon came to enjoy the detailed descriptions of the Trace. The suspense, the weaving of red herrings throughout the tale, and the complex characters kept me reading.

…the slow pace of the beginning of the book. It seemed to give the story an 'unequal feel' compared to the fairly swift ending.

…read another of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon tales. I was also inspired to do some writing for one of my own mystery tales.

...as though I was reading about people, places, and situations that could well happen in my own backyard as someone who lives in the Deep South.

…hooked me with this eighth installment. It was my first Nevada Barr novel, yet I was easily able to lose myself in the story without having read the seven previous books. Barr did an excellent job of capturing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beauty of not only Mississippi, but the Deep South as a whole.

…I enjoyed it, and think other fans of mystery and suspense might enjoy it also. 'Deep South' is a credit to how literate mystery tales can be by delving into the lives of the characters as much as the murder the story is centered around.

…if you prefer a mystery that begins with a bang, or if you grow impatient with detailed descriptions, then you might find yourself putting the book down by chapter three.

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Created Sep 16, 2003 at 5:52pm • Submit your own review...