Mystery Book Review

Sand Sharks
by Margaret Maron

In the 14th title of the Judge Deborah Knott mystery series, Margaret Maron has her attending a summer conference for the North Carolina District Court Judges in Wrightsville Beach, a place not far from Wilmington. She gets more than she bargained for, however, when a fellow attendee is murdered and Deborah is the one who stumbles of the body. It is not long before another judge is run down by a car whose driver sped off after striking the judge. The suspects in the first incident are numerous, as the victim was not a man of high principles, or ethics. As Deborah was a witness, and suspicion runs high that the two attacks are connected, she becomes involved in the search for the killer.

The author prefaces each chapter with a quote from a well-known jurist of past years. These quotes help to set the tone for each chapter with a bit of history. The gorgeous descriptions of the southern landscapes only add to the enjoyment. Marital infidelity and men with wandering eyes supply a theme running through the novel. Relationships, the good, the bad, and the ugly sides are used as a counterpoint to the issues the judges face in their courtrooms.

A suprising finale and a host of new secondary characters make this title fresh for the reader of the complete series and enough background is given for someone new to Judge Knott's world. This makes a great read especially at the beach or while you are just dreaming about being on the sandy shore.