High Country Fall: A Deborah Knott Mystery

Average customer rating:

Good Read

Well done!

Gentle Suspense

Add this series to the Must-Read List if you haven't already

A Smooth Tale about Family, Love and Tribulations

High Country Fall: A Deborah Knott Mystery
Margaret Maron
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Rituals of the Season

Slow Dollar (Deborah Knott Mysteries)

Uncommon Clay

Winter's Child

Storm Track

ASIN: 0892968087

Book Description

Perennially popular Judge Deborah Knott returns in Margaret Maron's latest mystery in her award- winning series. With friends and family overreacting to her announcement that she plans to marry Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, Judge Deborah Knott gratefully seizes the opportunity to put a five-hour drive between herself and Colleton County when the Chief District Court Judge offers her a week on the bench in Cedar Gap. It is early autumn, leaves are turning, and summer residents are preparing to close up their mountain 'cabins' (palatial houses perched atop the most desirable locations) and return to their winter homes in Florida. But Deborah's peaceful break is disrupted when one Floridian is found murdered. He won't be going home, and Deborah won't be either-until she tracks down the killer.

Customer Reviews:

Good Read.......2007-01-12

A really good read. Maron's Judge Knott is always interesting and and it is like visiting with an old friend.

Well done!.......2005-04-10

Maron's first book "Booklegger's Daughter" is still a standout for me, and I'd moved away from this series. But, while lighter than I usually read, although not really a cozy, I very much enjoyed this book. The character Deborah is a wonderful blend of southern gentility, contemporary independence and backwoods strength and survival that make this book well worth reading.

Gentle Suspense.......2005-03-06

I keep going back to Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott novels because I love the gentle suspense Maron offers us in these books. This time Deborah is giving serious thought to her promise to marry Dwight Bryant and gets a bit of a breather while filling in for a high country judge. (Thus HIGH COUNTRY FALL.) A couple of prominent citizens have died under mysterious circumstances and Deborah inadvertantly puts everything back where it's supposed to go.

Another super Deborah Knott novel for Margaret Maron. Keep them coming, please!

Add this series to the Must-Read List if you haven't already.......2005-01-14

I picked up this book on a whim, based on the simple cover graphics (a sugar maple leaf in four stages of autumn color), the setting (the North Carolina mountains) and the title (I like both mountains and autumn). What a good decision! I love reading mysteries, and this one meets every criteria I can think of to make a good, entertaining, and suspenseful read. Other reviewers have spoken about the plot, so I need not address it. Suffice it to say that Judge Deborah Knott is an independent woman of a sensible age who is intrigued by crime and murder even when she's not on her home turf. All of the characters here are believable and likable -- at least, at first -- and they talk like people do in real life. Maron's descriptions paint such complete scenes that I could picture the town of Cedar Gap fully: the streets, the businesses, the big MacMansions built by the Florida seasonals. I spent such an enjoyable time in Cedar Gap that I must go back and read the other nine Deborah Knott novels, in order. Perhaps by the time I'm caught up, another one will be waiting on the shelf...

A Smooth Tale about Family, Love and Tribulations.......2004-10-28

For me, the best mysteries are those that are more like fine novels than mysteries. The mystery just adds a little spice to the novel in those cases rather than being the center point of everything. Margaret Maron has succeeded in crossing that important line into being a novelist with this book. Her lead character, Judge Deborah Knott, continues to develop and surprise . . . even herself. If you have liked any of the books in the series, you will enjoy this one.

As the book opens, Deborah has reluctantly agreed to a marriage of convenience with her childhood friend and recent lover, Dwight Bryant, whom you have met in earlier books in the series. She's got the ring, but she's not excited about the prospects. It's all so unromantic! Not knowing what to do as well-wishing friends and relatives tell her, "I told you so," Deborah decides she needs time to herself.

It just so happens that a small county in the Smokies needs a substitute judge for a week on short notice. Deborah takes the opportunity to be by herself. This places her in the middle of a tony vacation community where comparing the prices of real estate and playing music are the main occupations. Happily, her twin cousins are going to visit while she stays at their parents' condo.

But everything is just a little off. The cousins aren't where they should be when they should be. The telephone is off the hook. Deborah finds herself feeling alone and abandoned. When a chance to socialize happens, she takes a chance to make some music . . . and finds herself in the middle of a local mystery. The mystery develops from several perspectives, including those of her as a judge and as an amateur detective. You won't have any trouble solving the mystery, but you'll enjoy reading how the story develops.

The book's overall theme is that favorite question of novelists: What's life really for? We don't often take time to think about it, but the characters in the book do. I hope you will follow their lead and do the same.

The book's main weakness is that Ms. Maron provides much too much background information so you'll be able to figure out the mystery, and this makes the story both bulky and too obvious at the same time.

The book's strength is in exploring what family, love and tribulations are all about . . . and how to deal with them. If any of those themes are favorite ones of yours, you won't mind the weaknesses in the mystery writing part of the novel.

Another strength is in capturing dialogue and internal self-talk in convincing and compelling ways. Ms. Maron has a finely tuned ear for the oral and mental word. Nice!

This is a nice, heart-warming story. I wish more authors could produce novels like this one.

Customer Reviews:

The Wizard of Sunset Strip.......2001-04-20

Of all the books in the Wizard of 4th Street Series, this one hits a little closer to home due to it's content. The basic premise is the same and as usual very interesting, it keeps you going until the end. What makes this book different though is the use of places that might be a little more familiar to most everyone within the US. From the idea of a character working in the film industry, to our killer stalking the Sunset Strip to the final battle that takes place at....Of course I won't tell you, but let me just say it's the happiest place on earth. Simon Hawke has written a marvelous story to add to his marvelous series.

Average customer rating:

The Wizard of Sunset Strip

Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9994608495

Average customer rating:

The Wizard of Sunset Strip

Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HIRXFA

Book Description

Different blood types mean different body chemistry. Carry this guide with you to the grocery store, restaurants, even on vacation to avoid putting on those extra pounds, or getting sick from eating the wrong thing. You'll never have to be without Dr. D'Adamo's reassuring guidance again. Inside you will find complete listings of what's right for Type B in the following categories:

* meats, poultry, and seafood * oils and fats * dairy and eggs * nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes * breads, grains, and pastas * fruits, vegetables, and juices * spices and condiments * herbal teas and other beverages * special supplements * drug interactions * resources and support

Refer to this book while shopping, dining, or cooking-and soon, you will be on your way to developing a prescription plan that's right for your type.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Companion.......2007-09-05

If you follow the Blood Typing diet, this little pocket reference is indispensable when you go shopping or out to a restaurant. It's the 'Reader's Digest Condensed Version' of the teachings of the book series. If you can't remember whether a food is a beneficial, neutral, or avoid, you just whip out your little paperback and you're all set.

Blood Type B Food, Beverage and Supplemental Lists.......2007-05-14

The book was everything I expected. I'm very satisfied

Blood Type Diet.......2007-05-13

If you buy into the possibilities, it can be beneficial. Both my husband and I have felt better since trying to follow this. I can't say any real weight loss, but definitely feel much better!

Handy Reference for Purse.......2006-08-10

This booklet is a handy one to carry in my purse when grocery shoppiing. It provides lists of the foods I can eat which are good for my blood type.

Everything you ever wanted to know about your blood type.......2006-07-16

Not only did I learn where in world history my blood type "originated", but I also know now why a low-carb diet has been the best thing to ever happen to me. The low-carb lifestyle concentrates on eliminating certain foods from my diet, and those foods just so happen to be bad for me as a type O anyway! It's great! In the same vein, the reason low-carb did not work for my type-A husband is because the food we thought he was supposed to be eating was the same food that can be "poison" for his particular blood type. Problem solved! This book was very helpful to us both.

Amazon.com

As more and more Italian foods and wines cross the seas, you may need to know the difference between terms like "passito" and "passato." According to the Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink, the first is a type of sweet wine, the second a puréed soup or smooth tomato sauce. Within the 2300 definitions, John Mariani includes the history of many items in this comprehensive yet concise guide. He explains the origins of popular dishes and why, for example, you won't find Veal Parmigiano in Italy. Along with information that will help cooks in tracking down ingredients there are recipes for Spaghetti Carbonara, Pasta & Fagioli, Zuppa Inglese, and other classics. The entries for regional Italian foods make this book a useful companion for travelers, and it's compact enough to fit in your carry-on bag. --Dana Jacobi

Book Description

Everybody does like Italian food. But did you ever wonder what goes into an authentic rag¨ alla bolognese? What's the difference between tagliatelle and fettuccine? Why won't you find pasta primavera or veal parmesan on menus in Italy? What makes a Super Tuscan wine "super"? How did Italian dishes like spaghetti alla puttanesca (in the style of a whore), strezzopretti (a pasta shape meaning priest stranglers), and minni di Sant'Agata (breast-shaped cookies in honor of a martyred saint) get their names?

The answers to these and thousands of other questions can be found in this comprehensive, user-friendly reference book. With the most up-to-date information on Italian culinary terms, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink is the reliable resource for authentic definitions, classic recipes, correct spellings, proper pronunciations, and historical origins.

Customer Reviews:

Fun to read, but filled with errors.............2004-02-22

As a native Italian with many years of cooking experience, I am always looking for books to expand my knowledge and buy whatever reference books become available. I bought this sight unseen, and was a little upset when I reviewed terms that I am intimately familiar with, only to see them misinterpreted. I could site many examples of this, not the least of which being the definition cited for lampredotto, a unique type of tripe that any Florentine would know, (not the roll it is served on)...Mr. Mariani, you needed to do more research!

Perfect guide when dining in an Italian restaurant.......1998-10-16

This book has come to my rescue repeatedly when trying to differentiate between different kinds of pasta. For example, if you're not sure how fettuccine differs from fusilli, here you can find the answer.

I've tried several of the recipes and the one for pesto along with one for my favorite dessert, Zabaione, a warm, frothy, wine-based egg custard, will bring pleasure to anyone seeking scrumptious fare.

Amazon.com

If, upon being confronted with a menu in a foreign language, you've ever ordered yak's brains when you thought you were getting lamb chops, The Hungry Traveler series is for you. These handy, pocket-sized little culinary phrasebooks take the guesswork out of mealtimes. Italy: The Hungry Traveler does more than simply translate menu items; it also gives in-depth descriptions of local and regional specialties, suggests which beverages go best with different dishes, and provides essential information about shopping in grocery stores and markets. Best of all, if you don't already know the local name for what you're looking for, you can look it up in English.

Customer Reviews:

A little book about nothing.......2001-12-02

This book is poorly printed. It is done on the inexpensive side with very cheap paper. Thus, when you try to really open the book you break the spine.
The printing is very close together and very difficult to read.
The information is crowded together. Not a book for the Hungry Traveler.

Italian words for Italian food.......2001-02-12

Italy has a lot of variety in its regional cuisines and language dialects. And that affects the design of this guide.

There's an 85-page menu primer of food terms used in Italian restaurants, pretty much all over Italy. There's also a short section on comfort foods and another on beverages. And there's a special 96-page section of words describing regional and seasonal food specialties.

Book Description

This menu guide provides English-speaking travelers with essential information for ordering from menus in foreign languages. More than 10,000 terms in French, German, Italian, and Spanish are translated to and from English, covering dishes, methods of cooking, and specific dietary needs such as vegetarianism and food allergies. Tips for navigating foreign restaurants include explanations of cultural eating times, common menu arrangements, and restaurant rating schemes. Translations for how to reserve a table, ask for service, order, or complain make this an indispensable reference for travelers.

Average customer rating:

The way for Italian flavors
A very nice reference for terms, recipes, and Italian books.
More than a cookbook...
Poor ktichen testing but nice book
Bella!!!

Gastronomy of Italy
Anna Del Conte
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0133469174

Book Description

Pastas, pestos, risottos, sublime cheeses, scintillating seasonings, superb wines, and of course delectable desserts: no wonder the first known food writer was Italian. With fish from the port of Ostia, game from the hills near Rome, and the freshest fruits and vegetables, nature has blessed the country with delicious bounty. Prepare your own Italian feast with luscious recipes that range from antipasti, soups, and seafood to sauces, breads, and pizzas. Background information will acquaint you with the cuisine's development, and the different regional specialties (such as Emilia-Romagna's prosciutto di Parma.) Bring to your table a Frittata al Formaggio, the perfect light main course; Mozzarella in Carozza, or a fried mozzarella sandwich; Anolini alla Piacentina, small ravioli stuffed with braised beef; and Gelato di Crema, a smooth, fresh, lemony custard ice cream. With an A-Z of ingredients and, of course, a wine list from this land of vines!

Customer Reviews:

The way for Italian flavors.......2005-10-14

This book is a good start for initiating an Italian cooking affair; it gives you dictionary of ingredients, regional description, and few recipes.
The recipes represent important Italian ingredients and cooking techniques, they aren't simple (Lasagna like dish made with Polenta sheets - for example) but capture the Italian flavors and texture.
When you've got the Italian taste, you can use (return to) other books with more complete list of Italian recipes, and this book can be used as a reference book, for finding ingredients substitutes, and basic pasta handling.
In addition the book is beautiful and the recipes are very tasty.

A very nice reference for terms, recipes, and Italian books........2005-01-04

`the Gastronomy of Italy' by Anna Del Conte is a dandy little reference to regional Italian recipes, products, wines, and techniques. The list of the author's other works and the imprimatur of the Accademia Italiana Della Cucina demonstrates that this is no quickie knock-off by publisher, Barnes and Noble. An examination of the book's contents confirms this first impression with a very nice collection of information for the foodie, the scholar, and the traveler.

The first chapter on the `development of Italian Gastronomy' is too short to compete with full length books on the subject, but it does give some interesting perspective in twelve (12) pages, with the claim that Italians owned the leadership in European cuisine through the Renaissance, only to let it slip away to the French with the political disintegration of the late seventeenth century. By far the most interesting content of this chapter is the account of major culinary works by Italians from the fifteenth century to the present. It is a revelation to hear writers of 400 years ago advising their readers to concentrate on fresh, seasonal produce. So this was not an idea invented by Alice Waters!

The second chapter on the Italian food culture fills out the picture we get from watching `Molto Mario'. It gives a very nice little list of major Italian food markets, which is a useful guide for someone wishing to create a culinary tour of Italy. The only thing I missed was a description of `Enoteca', the name of an Italian wine bar. The chapter on the culinary regions of Italy gets down to serious business. This profile is a great introduction, but again, it cannot compete with complete books written on the subject such as Claudia Roden's `The Food of Italy', Erica DeMane's `The Flavors of Southern Italy', and Micol Negrin's `Rustico' or the classic `The Foods of Italy' by Waverley Root. But, if you just want a quick look around, this will do the job, as long as you realize there is much this chapter is leaving out.

The next two chapters are the heart of the book and the primary reason you will want to buy it. First, there are 130 pages of recipes organized by ingredient or course, with headnotes that often indicate the geographical source of the recipe. Surprisingly, several recipes also come from American and English sources such as Marcella Hazan and Alan Davidson. It is a pleasant surprise to find the recipes in such an omnibus volume written with a keen eye to guiding the amateur to getting things right. A lot of cautions and advice which could easily be taken for granted are carefully spelled out, as when the recipe for polenta describes the delicate task of slowly streaming the corn meal into the pot with one hand while constantly stirring the pot with the other. Well done Anna! The only oddity with this selection of recipes is in the fact that the meat chapter is larger than the vegetable section, with lots of space being given to veal and beef recipes. While not even close to being a `complete' selection, the choice of recipes is very representative of classic Italian dishes.

The next chapter is probably the basis for which most people will buy this book. It is a dictionary of Italian ingredients. The entries are much more than what you will find in a dictionary, but a bit less than you may find in the `Larousse Gastronomique' for French preparations. For basic ingredients such as vinegars, the entries describe how to identify good samples of the product plus a brief idea of how the ingredients are produced. For compound ingredients such as agrodolce (sweet and sour sauce), the entry gives an outline of how the product is made and how it is used, but no complete recipe (as you might find in Larousse, except that Larousse has no entry for agrodolce). Thus, this book is an admirable supplement, filling in for the French classic when it ignores an Italian ingredient. Like Larousse, the entries are written in such a way that it is easy to just start with the A's and read it as if you were reading a memoir or a novel. Well, maybe not a novel, but you get the idea. Some of the more interesting things you will find are the facts that Italy has a name for strudel as made in Venice and a name for the bouillabaisse ingredient, Racasse, which is used in Italian fish stews as a thickener. The separate section on descriptions of Italian food preparation techniques is equally interesting. It is well known that Italian bacon, pancetta, is generally not smoked, yet there is a variety of smoked `pancetta afumicatta'.

The next section on wines will not replace a good book on Italian wines, but it is an excellent resource for finding the terroir of specific wines. It confirmed something I had heard in passing that the first major Italian wines to make an impression on American taste (after the Tuscan cliché, Chianti) were Bardolino and Valpolicello from the lands around Venice. If nothing else, this chapter will impress upon you the great variety of Italian wines and how they are typically used.

My personal favorite section in this and most other books is the bibliography. And, this book has a great one, with lots of entries from both classic and modern Italian sources. Like Germany and France, but unlike the United States, Italian scholarship has produced encyclopedic volumes on regional gastronomy which, if you knew Italian, would make writing this kind of book for American audiences very easy. Makes me want to learn Italian.

While this book overlaps lots of other volumes, its paperback price makes it a valuable book for both reading and reference. If you want to know more about Italian cuisine, you could do a lot worse than to start here.

More than a cookbook..........2004-12-21

I haven't dug into this book fully yet, but since there wasn't an in-depth review, I'll add my quick two cents.

Areas covered include a brief history of Italian cuisine, and a region-by-region look at history and specialties. There are recipes, naturally, but the depth of the glossary sections (separate glossaries for ingredients and Italian terms/techniques) can't be overstated. The section on wine was a little too brief, but that information can absolutely be found elsewhere.

I have the paperback version of this book, which I'm guessing is the same version as this one, and feel like I got a heck of a gift from my step-sister this Xmas. While I really like the cookbooks of Lidia Bastianich (pictures are nice - this paperback has none, and the recipe variety is better), this book should be treated more as a reference than a cookbook. A solid addition to your kitchen, or even to your backpack if you're traveling Italy and want to decode the menu.

Poor ktichen testing but nice book.......2002-07-02

This is yet another Italian cookbook suffering from poor proofreading and kitchen testing (judging from the severe errors in the one recipe I've tried so far, the Polenta with meat sauce). I don't see how they could invest so much money in beautiful photography and printing and yet completely drop the ball in what matters most, making it easy and pleasant to generate the meals.

Of course, that doesn't matter most in selling the book off the shelf, so publishers are getting away with it. But I will gripe here when I have a chance and punish them for their oversight. (The thing could have been done in half the time, with a third the salt, and anyone trying it would realize this immediately once it was too late...) I also want preparation times in my recipes and make-ahead and storage/leftover notes.

Otherwise this book is beautiful and has one tempting page after another with plenty of useful Italian translations and an encyclopedia of ingredients and wine all of which sold me the book and I am generally happy enough with it. But I will defensively make the recipes from now on, now that my trust has been violated.

Bella!!!.......2001-12-30

Being a huge fan of Italian cooking (and quite a good novice in my own right) I was very eager to find a good cookbook on the subject especially after returning from a month long culinary tour of the pennisula in November. Well, I hit the jackpot when a friend presented me with a copy of Gastronomy of Italy. It is a simple, beautifully written and presented book on the foods of Italy. Anybody who is looking for a really good book on Italian cooking need look no further than this. I spent over 3 hours on the first evening just savoring the recipes and drooling over the photographs!! Bella! Enjoy. Scott

The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink

Average customer rating:

The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink
John Mariani
Manufacturer: Broadway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KAG2XO

Average customer rating:

Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink
John Mariani
Manufacturer: Broadway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NP0SJ0

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books