Killer Market (5) (Deborah Knott Mystery) - Hardcover

"North Carolina district court judge Deborah Knott unintentionally "crashes" several manufacturer's receptions at the internationally known Southeastern Furniture Market in High Point, where she becomes involved in murder. Initially befriended by a mysterious and elusive woman with bogus name tags, series protagonist Knott soon runs into an old woman friend from law school as well as a hunky ex-beau now in the furniture business. When Deborah later discovers the man dead, she and police begin investigating. Maron (Up Jumps the Devil, LJ 8/96) continues her usual warm-hearted, family-oriented approach, tempered with observant detail, infectious enthusiasm, and light humor. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal (1997) "In this fifth entry in the widely praised, increasingly popular Deborah Knott series (following Up Jumps the Devil ), the judge must travel to High Point, North Carolina, to fill in for a vacationing colleague. Unbeknownst to her, the usually sleepy, little town is playing host to the International Home Furnishings Market, attracting companies from all over the world, and Deborah is practically laughed out of every hotel in town when she shows up without reservations. After losing her purse in one of a dozen cocktail-party feeding frenzies, Deborah finally finds a place to stay with an old law-school chum. When her purse is found at the scene of a murder--cutthroat furniture-company executive Chan Nolan is found dead in a pricey wicker porch swing--Deborah is brought in for questioning. Attempting to solve the case by tracking the whereabouts of Nolan's legion of enemies (and also shop for some bedroom furniture), Deborah comes into contact with some real characters, including a onetime legendary designer who has gone off her meds; a pesky, persistent free-lance reporter; and a southern belle with a homicidal streak. All the furniture shoptalk will keep decorating aficionados happy; the rest of us will be more than willing to settle for Deborah's feisty humor and sharp deductive skills." -- Booklist

The first Deborah Knott mystery, Bootlegger's Daughter, swept the top mystery awards in 1993 with a down-home judge dedicated to justice, driven by private demons, and prone to decide with her heart. From the first though, the books have given us an insider's look at North Carolina--from its western mountains to its Crystal Coast. Now in the series' fifth book, Judge Deborah investigate the interior geography of human folly in an exquisite plot created with polish and élan...

Sent to High Point, North Carolina, to substitute for a vacationing colleague, Deborah finds there is no room at the inn. Or anywhere else for that matter. The International Home Furnishings Market has taken over the town and all the hotels. All Deborah wants is a bed for the night, not thousands of living room suites and dining room ensembles. And the last thing she needs is murder.

A chilling misadventure begins when she is befriended by Mrs. Jernigan, an eccentric older woman who promises to find her a place to stay. Deborah follows the chiffon-clad Good Samaritan through showrooms of French provincial and high-tech modern until the woman suddenly vanishes, leaving a sexy hunk of manhood dead and motionless on a pricey piece of "motion" furniture.

Who is the mysterious Mrs. Jernigan and why is Deborah herself suspected of killing a furniture executive who specialized in making after-hours bedroom arrangements and cutthroat deals? To clear her name, Deborah has to table all other plans and investigate. But the knotty heart of this case are secrets hidden behind walls of silence. It will take all Deborah's courtroom experience and intuitive skills to strip through layers of deception to solve a whodunit that is strictly top-shelf.