The Witch's Grave

by Phillip DePoy

Book Overview

Fever Devilin was raised amongst the hill-country people of the deep Georgia Appalachians and their seemingly simple folk ways are in his blood and his soul. His own family, however, was another... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373265255
• ISBN13: 9780373265251
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Worldwide Library
• Length: 301 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Story

This was by far one of the most enjoyable and entertaining stories I have read in a very long time. Good plot, good characters, a simpler time and place. The author has great potential as a story teller and I for one and looking forward to reading all of his other installments in this series. If you want a good book sans techno babble and mechanical violence, this is the one to curl up with.

Welcome to Fever's world.

Fever Devilin, a folklorist, has returned to his home deep in Appalachia Georgia. Truevine Deveroe, a local girl considered to be a witch, goes missing; the mortician Harding Pinhurst, one of Fever's least favorite people, turns up murdered and Truvine's fiancé, Able Carter, is the suspect. Fever, his friend, houseguest and Shakespeare scholar, Dr. Winton Andrews, and childhood friend Deputy Sheriff Skidmore Needle, need to find Truevine and Able, and Harding' killer. It's hard to resist a protagonist who is in his 30's, is almost 7 feet tall, has snow-white hair and sees ghosts. Or a story that's filled with music, folklore, literary quotes, southern food, humor, unique characters, an excellent sense of place, suspense and twists along the way. My recommendation is, don't try. Sit back and enjoy the world of Fever Devlin. I certainly did.

Folklore and Murder in the Georgia Appalachians

Fever Devilin is a professor of folklore and he has come home to Blue Mountain in the Georgia Appalachians. His friend Dr. Andrews is vacationing with him. Blue Mountian?s mortician is murdered. Devilin?s friend, Deputy Sheriff Skidmore Needle enlists both Devilin and Andrews to help. The primary suspects are the Sheriff?s brother-in-law, Able Carter and Carter?s fianc?e and local witch, Truevine Deveroe. There is another problem -- Truevine might be dead.This is a wonderful complex mystery, which is intertwined with the folklore of the region and Devilin?s personal history. There is a lot of very beautiful imagery with regard to the land. The folk stories woven into the mystery are first rate. The dialogue evokes the region of the South. There are ghosts and spells and all sorts of spine-tingling action, but as it is mystery so everything has a nice, safe rational explanation. Well, almost everything. THE WITCH'S GRAVE is pure fun!

A great read! Complete with action and downhome cooking

Phillip Depoy hits the bullseye again with his protagonist, Folklorist Dr. Fever Devilin. Fast-paced action with lots of cultural anecdotes to keep the reader entertained and engaged. In this novel, we learn more about Fever and his intuitive approach to crime solving, while getting to know his buddy, Dr. Andrews, a British colleague. Andrews provides constant entertainment as he discovers new things about life in North Georgia including nonspoken interpersonal communication and homemade apple brandy. The novel has a well-crafted plot with complex, intriguing characters. While I didn't want to put it down once I got into it, I didn't want it to end, either. An excellent mystery novel from one of our best. Thank you, Mr. Depoy!

interesting regional mystery

Born and raised in the Hill Country of Georgia, Fever Devlin grew up observing his parents wretched marriage and wanted no part of the institution. He attended college, traveled all over Europe, and finally came back to the United States to become a folklore professor at a notable university. When the department, of which he was the chairperson, broke up, he came to his home in Blue Mountain, recording the lore that residents have passed through the generations.At the local church, Dev hears an argument between the witch woman Truevine Deveroe and her boyfriend Able. Hours later Dev discovers the body of the murdered mortician Harding Pinehurst. At times, Dev and the local deputy think that either Able or Truevine murdered the man. They make a grisly find in the winds where over three hundred bodies that were supposed to be buried are found barely covered. Everyone wants answers to who the killer is and why the bodies were never given a proper burial. The answers will astound readers as much as they stun Dev.Phillip Depoy captures the ambience of life in a small isolated mountain hamlet where generations of families have lived and contributed to the culture of the area. Dev is an educated, polished man who accepts his neighbors on their own terms and never condescends to them. When it comes to regional writers, Mr. DePoy is one of the best.Harriet Klausner