DePoy, Phillip - THE DEVIL'S HEARTH

[LJ Roberts]

THE DEVIL'S HEARTH (Amateur Sleuth-Georgia-Cont) – G+ DePoy, Phillip – 1st in series
St. Martin's Press, 2002 – Hardcover

Folklorist Fever Devlin has left academia and is moving back to his family home in the Blue Mountains of Georgia. However, he doesn't expect his reception to be a dead body on his front steps and bullets headed his direction. When he learns with body is that of a half-brother, about whom he never knew, Fever decides he'd better learn more about his past.

With a mix of music, craftsmanship, food and moonshine, we are given a wonderful sense of life in Fever's Appalachia. But DePoy also includes the dark side of folklore and secrets. Fever is an intriguing protagonist supported by interesting secondary characters and a few stereotypes to lighten the mood. Since I've already ordered the next in the series, I'd say that's a definite recommend.