" This novel won so many awards (Edgar, Agatha, Macavity, Anothy) that I was expecting something really blow you away fantastic, and it wasn't that. Maron's writing is good bordering on great, but other then in a few key spots it isn't any more then you would expect from a modern pulp detective novelist. I was truly disappointed with the plot. The book was too short, there were really no major suspects other then the one who turns out to have done it, very unsuprising ending. I liked that she wrote a woman detective who skirted the line (no pun intended) between bitchy/hardboiled/ Clintonesq and femminine. I also liked the setting, rural North Carolina, a place Maron seems to have a feel for although she occasionally writes stereotypes instead of interesting characters. I would have liked more mystery and less setting/background, but seeing as this is the first book in a series I'll forgive it. That being said, I wouldn't go out of my way to find the sequals, either. A solid B mystery "
— Becca, 1/31/2014