I was interested to read this book because it was centered around Christmas and the North Carolina native Maron based the story in her home state.
This book centers around Judge Deborah Knott and her husband Deputy Dwight Bryant. In the story a popular young girl, Mallory Johnson, is killed in a car accident. When the blood test comes back and reveals there was alcohol in her system her father is determined to find out what really happened. The author reveal some issues in the family. Mallory has a stepbrother named Charlie who feels she has been pampered her whole life. There is some suspicion Mallory's father killed Charlie's father to gain the love of their mother (however this is never proven). Mallory is also not the perfect young woman many believed. She tore apart several of her friends' relationships and gained some enemies.
In the end we find that her death was an accident. Two local troublemakers were spotlighting deer (shining light in their eyes to paralyze them so they can be shot). They turned their spotlight on Mallory's car. She was in a fight with her brother on the phone and lost control of the vehicle. Mallory's father discovered some trash left on the side of the road by the boys. He drove to their house and shot both of the boys. Deborah and Dwight work together to solve this puzzle. When authorities go to arrest Malcolm Johnson, he asks to clean up before being taken to the station. He goes into the bathroom and slits his own throat.
This book is part of a series but you don't have to read the other books to follow the story, however; there were some parts of the book I feel I would have understood more if I had read the other books. I liked the phrases incorporated into the story that represent North Carolina. The story wrapped up but there was a little twist that left the storyline open for the next book...
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