A Widow's Curse

by Phillip DePoy

Book Overview

Fever Devilin, a folklorist by inclination and training, was born and raised amongst the hill-country folk of the Georgia Appalachians and it was there that he returned once he decided to leave academia.? And he's the perfect person to turn to when the owner of a mysterious medallion, one with some connection to the area, wants to uncover the provenance of the piece.? On the surface, it sounds simple enough but in Fever's life, nothing is ever simple.?...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312362021
• ISBN13: 9780312362027
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Always A Good Read

Another really wonderful installment in this series. I love the characters and finding out a little more about Fever's past and the history of the Appalachian area. Always a nice story to be told by Mr. DePoy.

excellent

i just read all the Fever Devlin novels and can't wait fir the next one.

Fifth entry in series another stellar mystery

A Widow's Curse by Phillip DePoy is the most recent title in the Fever Devilin series. Fever is a folklorist, former university professor, and resident oddball in Blue Hills Georgia. He receives a phone call from a man researching a mysterious silver coin with ties to Blue Hills, and the detective in Fever can't help but look into the coin's history. But he quickly finds that the coin's history is his own. Then he is accused of the murder of its owner and is forced to dig up, once again, the skeletons in his family's past. The character of Fever is fascinating. He constantly lectures while discussing folklore of the hills, as well as philosophy. You'll never know what subject will next be tackled from book to book or even page to page. Andrews, Fever's best friend, returns, and with each appearance becomes more integral to the series. Andrews helps balance and humanize Fever's almost otherworldy thought process. He punctures Fever's ego and regular bouts of melancholy. I love how DePoy takes common (and uncommon) folk tales and retells them as a way of interpreting society. This is a writer who truly has craftsmanship. Every description has been refined until perfect. Even the weather becomes a character through DePoy's skillful writing. This isn't your usual detective series; it's literary and compelling all at the same time.

Stories, Legends, History and Mystery

A WIDOW'S CURSE (Traditional Mystery-Fever Devilin-Georgia-Cont) - VG+ DePoy, Phillip - 4th in series St. Martin's Minotaur, 2007, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780312362027 First Sentence: What was left of the Barnsley estate rose into view at the hilltop. Folkologist Fever Devilin is contacted by someone who wants to know the provenance of an extremely old, silver Welch medallion. The man comes to stay with Fever. When the man is murdered, Fever finds himself the suspect and must dig into the secrets of his family's past; three items purchased by his great-grandfather and help reverse an old curse. I really enjoyed this, and all of DePoy's, books. It is not strictly a traditional mystery, in that the character of Fever is not a traditional protagonist. The interweaving of old stories, legends and history--in this case, the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Nation--and Fever's introspective questioning add richness to the story which is kept from becoming too heavy by the inclusion of his friend Andrews, an English professor with a love for Hawaiian shirts who, at one point, informs a stuffy lawyer that the chandelier in his office violates the "Phantom of the Opera" law. The book is filled with well-developed, fascinating characters and great dialogue. I love the strong sense of place, taking us to the Georgia Appalachians, and the bits of old religion and mysticism which are part of the story. I highly recommend this book and series but would definitely suggest starting at the beginning. The stories stay with me long after closing the cover and are among those I reread.

The Devilin folklorist mysteries are some of the best Americana regional tales on the market

Folklorist Fever Devilin loves working the Georgia Appalachians where he grew up so when stranger Carl Schultz calls to ask Fever about an odd silver medallion that his father purchased in nearby Blue Mountain twenty or so years ago, Fever invites him visit. Carl accepts the invitation wanting Fever's opinion on the odd medallion. However, the visit turns ugly when Fever finds his guest lying dead in his cabin. Having worked with the police before on investigations, Fever fears this one will hit home because worthless papers belonging to his grandfather were apparently stolen by the killer. Besides which he is the prime suspect as has a motive and the opportunity; thus he decides to go it alone inquiring about the medallion, which leads him into his roots as he uncovers family dirt that once drove away his family from these hills. The Devilin folklorist mysteries are some of the best Americana regional tales on the market today with the latest may being the greatest to date. Fever's current caper is much more personal than his previous three adventures (see THE DEVIL'S HEART, THE WITCH'S GRAVE and A MINISTER'S GHOST), but contains plenty of action, an intelligent investigation, and a wonderful protagonist struggling with what he is learning about his heritage. Phillip DePoy provides a deep self-reflective regional mystery that will leave his fans feverish for Devilin's next work. Harriet Klausner