Up Jumps the Devil

By: Margaret Maron

Narrated by: C.J. Critt

Best-selling author Margaret Maron's colorful Deborah Knott mysteries crackle with sassy Southern dialogue and rural wisdom. In Up Jumps the Devil, fast-moving progress is threatening to forever destroy the leisurely, heart-warming pace of Colleton County, North Carolina. District Court Judge Deborah Knott sees trouble brewing when plans for a new interstate highway start pushing up property values. As her own relatives battle lifelong neighbors over selling farmland or holding out, Deborah finds herself calming the combatants with down-home wit, and sometimes, judicial decisions. But when the squabbles escalate to murder, Deborah is forced to search for the killer uncomfortably close to home.

Margaret Maron skillfully draws on her North Carolina roots to pen her well-crafted, suspenseful mysteries. Her creative talents have earned her the coveted Edgar, Agatha, Macavity, and Anthony Awards. Salt-of-the-earth characters, vivid with lilting, down-home humor and unwavering opinions, step from the pages when narrator C.J. Critt breathes life into them.

Don't miss the other books in the Deborah Knott mystery series.©1996 Margaret Maron

Critic reviews

"A winning tale of closeted skeletons and family feuds." (Library Journal)

I enjoyed this story about country living.

Listening to this story brings back childhood memories for me. Running around my grand daddy's farm. I like the big family and how they help each other.

Enjoyable

The series is getting better with every book. I liked the protagonist and her circle of extended family and colleagues. A nice summer listen.

Love the series

I love the Debra Knott series... I thoroughly enjoy any book narrarated by CJ Critt.

A lovely piece of North Carolina

I particularly like this series because of the way it captures the "feel" of semi-rural North Carolina. C.J. Critt's narration adds to the slow southern feel (and the text makes it clear that a southern accent doesn't mean stupid). The mysteries are usually pretty easy to figure out, but the scenery along the way is lovely.

I loved this book.

I loved this book, I have lived in the part of the world and it reminded me of so many things. Just a fun book, lovely humor and full of interesting people. Good mystery.