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Designated Daughters Audiobook
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Publisher Description
When Judge Deborah Knott is summoned to her ailing Aunt Rachel's bedside, she assumes the worst. Thankfully when she arrives at the hospice center she learns that Rachel hasn't passed; in fact, the dying woman is awake. Surrounded by her children, her extended family, and what seems like half of Colleton County, a semi-conscious Rachel breaks weeks of pained silence with snippets of stories as randomly pieced together as a well-worn patchwork quilt. But the Knott family's joy quickly gives way to shock: less than an hour later, Aunt Rachel is found dead in her bed, smothered with a pillow. Who would kill a woman on her deathbed? Was it an act of mercy, or murder? As Deborah and her husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, investigate they cross paths with an unlikely set of suspects: Rachel's longtime minister; her neighbor, the respected local doctor; the friendly single father who often sought her advice; and perhaps the most puzzling party of all, the Designated Daughters, a support group for caregivers that Rachel's own daughter belongs to. Soon Deborah and Dwight realize that the key to solving this case is hidden in Rachel's mysterious final words. Her mixed-up memories harbored a dark secret-a secret that someone close to them is determined to bury forever.
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"In MWA Grand Master Maron's outstanding 19th mystery featuring judge Deborah Knott of North Carolina's Colleton County (after 2012's The Buzzard Table), Deborah's elderly aunt, Rachel Morton, lies near death in a hospice. Rachel attracts a crowd of friends and relatives as she talks of "babies, fires, and unpaid debts, of someone who beat his wife and of cowbirds and vegetables and broken jars." A distraction allows a killer enough time to slip into Rachel's room and smother her with a pillow, thus ending her ramblings, which apparently concealed deadly secrets. Unraveling those secrets-some 60 years old-is a slow, difficult process with lots of suspects among friends and family. Maron achieves a delicate balance as she explores differences between mistakes, sins, and crimes, and shows that justice is not always arrived at by conventional means. Humor (e.g., Deborah outfoxes an unscrupulous auctioneer) and social issues (e.g., the difficult role of caregivers to the elderly) add to the warmth of a large family with all its foibles, squabbles, and quirks.—Publishers Weekly"
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“Maron knows how to adorn a solid murder mystery with plenty of ancillary entertainments. But her broader theme involves the way families flourish when they work together for the common good. While there are charming scenes of group projects like building a pond shed and assembling a bluegrass band, the clan members Maron really cherishes are those who devote themselves to caring for the elders of the family. Living saints they are, every last one of them.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Maron is still going strong with the nineteenth installment in her Deborah Knott series. Designated Daughters is a solid mystery where Southern charm meets murder. Maron delves into some social issues of today, and readers can expect a small-town family atmosphere with a lot of heart.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars) -
“Maron achieves a delicate balance as she explores differences between mistakes, sins, and crimes, and shows that justice is not always arrived at by conventional means. Humor (e.g., Deborah outfoxes an unscrupulous auctioneer) and social issues (e.g., the difficult role of caregivers to the elderly) add to the warmth of a large family with all its foibles, squabbles, and quirks.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Alternating viewpoints between Deborah and Dwight, Maron weaves family threads together with current events that leave the reader wanting to know more about the Knott family tree. The author’s nineteenth series outing offers loyal fans a fresh look at her expansive family and community. Readers will savor the slow-paced Southern culture and layered story.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Maron is not only an excellent mystery writer but also an excellent narrator. Her slight Southern drawl perfectly presents the list of suspects in this mystery…Maron’s folksy narration adds atmosphere and warmth to this carefully plotted mystery. Intriguing characters and thought-provoking scenarios result in an outstanding production. Maron’s narrating voice shines as brightly as her literary one. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Maron unearths more of Deborah’s family history for long-term fans.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
Smartly written
— The New York Times on The Buzzard Table -
As always, Maron skillfully layers an absorbing plot with the doings of Deborah's large extended family and the domestic details of their semirural lifestyle. In addition, the contrast between Deborah, who is warm and caring, and Sigrid, who is reserved and cerebral, gives Maron's tale added depth.
— Booklist on The Buzzard Table -
Maron...adroitly melds ugly American (open) government secrets with classic whodunit intrigue and stirs the pot by itemizing domestic travails that will touch readers' hearts.
— Kirkus Reviews on The Buzzard Table -
There's nobody better.
— Chicago Tribune -
Every Margaret Maron is a celebration of something remarkable.
— New York Times Book Review
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
Designated Daughters Listener Reviews
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pamelao, 5/14/2022
About Margaret Maron
Margaret Maron is the author of more than twenty-five novels and two collections of short stories. Winner of several major American awards for mysteries, including the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity, her works are on the reading lists of various courses in contemporary Southern literature. A native Tar Heel, she still lives on her family’s country farm a few miles from Raleigh.