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Last Lessons of Summer Audiobook
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(3.03) - 550 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Margaret Maron is The New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed Deborah Knott series of southern mysteries, including the novels Uncommon Clay and Slow Dollar. She has won the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and American Mystery Awards. In a rare departure from the Knott series, Maron ratchets up the suspense in the dark and captivating stand-alone mystery, Last Lessons of Summer. Amy Stedman is the young heiress of a prosperous children's book publishing company. She arrives in North Carolina from New York City to clear the family house of her grandmother's belongings and hopefully find clues to her murder-which remains unsolved. While cleaning and rummaging through the woman's dusty possessions, Amy reflects on her own unfulfilling life. Married to a vain man who doesn't love her so much as value her family's lucrative legacy, Amy realizes that their relationship strangely echoes her parents' unfortunate marriage. Soon after giving birth to her, Amy's mother Maxine committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. Amy's father, a brash businessman and unapologetic opportunist, fostered deceit and deeply seated feelings of doubt in the family. Within the walls of this old house, dark recollections of unnatural death are beginning to permeate the air-adding a premonition of menace to Amy's increasingly troubled thoughts. Was Maxine's death really a suicide? And if it wasn't, what terrible secrets may be lying in wait for Amy?
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"In a slight departure from her Judge Deborah Knott mysteries, we read the story of Amy Steadman, artist for the family children's book business. After Amy's grandmother is murdered, she travels to North Carolina to clean out her house, and hopefully find answers to why her mother committed suicide when she was three years old. Local law enforcement includes Dwight Bryant, Judge Deborah Knott's husband."
— Debra (4 out of 5 stars)
Last Lessons of Summer Listener Reviews
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" As she packs up her grandmother's house, Amy explores the mysteries of her mother's suicide and her grandmother's murder and makes some startling discoveries. Set in North Carolina near Raleigh, this is an enjoyable suspense story which reminds me of Barbara Michaels "
— Susan, 2/15/2014 -
" good, fast read. not quiet as good as the Deborah Knot series by Margaret Maron, but actually had some crossover characters from that series. "
— Holly, 2/12/2014 -
" I liked this mystery, but not as much as I like her Deborah Knott series. I listened to it (as I have all her books). "
— Deb, 2/8/2014 -
" Really enjoy Margaret Maron books for a quick, easy read. Good character development and storyline. "
— Missy, 2/4/2014 -
" A fun whodunit on several loevels. There is a current case and an old case to solve. "
— Lori, 2/3/2014 -
" A soothing sort of mystery for a Southerner. And a heaping helping of a delicious home filled with Craftsman furniture. With thanks to the beloved MIL who loaned it to me. "
— Kaethe, 1/28/2014 -
" "What to do, Blue?" and "What do you think, Pink?" are lines repeated several times during this typical murder/mystery novel written by Edgar winner Margaret Maron. A quick read with an unexpected ending, this book would be rated PG if it were a movie based strictly on a few references to affairs and one brief kiss. Good book and definitely recommended. "
— Polly, 1/17/2014 -
" not a bad summer mystery - fun fast read "
— Katy, 1/15/2014 -
" I nice little mystery. Entertaining without leaving you in cold sweats of suspense or terror, but caring for the characters. Believable. "
— John, 1/13/2014 -
" Enjoyed all the twists and turns. "
— Alice, 1/4/2014 -
" An interesting book of a family's secret. "
— Ashley, 12/19/2013 -
" I just wasn't interested in finishing it, so I didn't. This one just didn't grab me...it could be that I just wasn't in the mood for it though. "
— Lisa, 12/16/2013 -
" Simply an awesomely written book. Started a little bit slowly, but then picked up steam and did not let go. "
— Vickie, 12/6/2013 -
" Did this book seem a lot like Phyllis Whitney's Ebony Swan? "
— Mel, 7/21/2013 -
" Good light summer reading. "
— Karen, 4/6/2013 -
" I like any book that has a family tree in the front. "
— Natalie, 12/28/2012 -
" picked it up at the library today on audiobook! "
— Jamilah, 7/17/2012 -
" Decent lightweight read. I like to read local authors, so I picked this up. I liked it enough to get 2 more titles from this author from the library. "
— Laura, 5/28/2012 -
" For a southern gothic this is a surprisingly gntle book. Ms. Maron uses the life of a orb spider to parallel the action of the book. I thought I had figured out whodunit, but not quite! Descriptions (furniture, art, spiders) very visual and clear. "
— Shirley, 5/3/2012 -
" very enjoyable, even tho it wasn't Deborah knott "
— Jan, 4/19/2012 -
" I like her series books better, but this was a fun, quick read if you like mysteries. "
— Debbie, 1/31/2012 -
" A standalone that does have some characters from the Deborah Knott series. Very very good. "
— Kelly, 1/29/2012 -
" We read this book for July bookclub. Margaret Maron called in to discuss. "
— Amber, 10/13/2011 -
" This is, I think, my favorite of the Margaret Maron mysteries. I like the voice, and it brings in some of her other characters without seeming contrived. "
— Sara, 6/26/2011 -
" Nothing special, but a really quick read and a decent mystery book. "
— Tara, 5/30/2011 -
" Very good, enjoy reading books set in North Carolina. Suspenseful , good characters "
— Sharon, 5/25/2011 -
" I like her series books better, but this was a fun, quick read if you like mysteries. "
— Debbie, 4/26/2011 -
" Not really read. <br/> <br/>I thought this was one of her Judge Knox books. It isn't. It's a stand-alone. And I will leave it standing alone. <br/> <br/>Just not what I was looking for. "
— Jan, 9/29/2010 -
" I just wasn't interested in finishing it, so I didn't. This one just didn't grab me...it could be that I just wasn't in the mood for it though. "
— Lisa, 8/21/2010 -
" Quick read, and some good twists, but I did not feel very drawn in and I was constantly confusing the large number of characters. "
— Greg, 11/9/2009 -
" A soothing sort of mystery for a Southerner. And a heaping helping of a delicious home filled with Craftsman furniture. With thanks to the beloved MIL who loaned it to me. "
— Kaethe, 9/16/2009 -
" good, fast read. not quiet as good as the Deborah Knot series by Margaret Maron, but actually had some crossover characters from that series. "
— Holly, 7/6/2009 -
" We read this book for July bookclub. Margaret Maron called in to discuss. "
— Amber, 6/24/2009 -
" For a southern gothic this is a surprisingly gntle book. Ms. Maron uses the life of a orb spider to parallel the action of the book. I thought I had figured out whodunit, but not quite! Descriptions (furniture, art, spiders) very visual and clear. "
— Shirley, 12/10/2008
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.
About Kate Forbes
Kate Forbes, winner of four Earphones Awards for audiobook narrating, is a professionally trained actress who has appeared on Broadway, in regional theaters, and with a renowned touring company. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, where she was active in theater, she completed an MFA at New York University School of the Arts. With this training, she launched into a successful acting career.