Mystery Books Store
Deep South (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
RRP: $7.99
Our Price: $7.99
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Berkley
Author: Nevada Barr
Publisher: Berkley
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $7.99
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Berkley
Author: Nevada Barr
Publisher: Berkley
Average Customer Rating:
Experimental feature: Order Deep South (An Anna Pigeon Novel) from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
Deep South (An Anna Pigeon Novel) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780425178959
ISBN: 0425178951
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2001-02-01
Publisher: Berkley
Product Release Date: 2001-02-06
Studio: Berkley
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780425178959
ISBN: 0425178951
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2001-02-01
Publisher: Berkley
Product Release Date: 2001-02-06
Studio: Berkley
Editorial Review of Deep South (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
Park Ranger Anna Pigeon stumbles upon a gruesome murder with frightening racial overtones in the latest installment of the bestselling series.
"What lifts the Anna Pigeon novels far above most of the other contemporary amateur sleuth mysteries is Barr's exquisite writing--it swoops, it soars, sails then catches you unawares beneath the heart and takes your breath away," proclaimed the Cleveland Plain Dealer of last year's Liberty Falling. In Deep South, Nevada Barr takes our breath away once again as her heroine travels cross-country to Mississippi, only to encounter terrible secrets in the heart of the south.
The handwritten sign on the tree said it all: REPENT. For Anna Pigeon, this should have been reason enough to turn back for her beloved Mesa Verde. Instead she heads for the Natchez Trace Parkway and the promotion that awaits her. Almost immediately, she finds herself in the midst of controversy: as the new district ranger, she faces resentment so extreme her ability to do her job may be compromised, and her life may very well be in danger. But all thoughts of personal safety are set aside with the discovery of a young girl's body in a country cemetery, a sheet around her head, a noose around her neck.
The kudzu is thick and green, the woods dark and full of secrets. And the ghosts of violence hover as Anna struggles for answers to questions that, perhaps, should never be asked. Deep South proves that, "like the parks and monuments she writes of, Nevada Barr should be declared a national treasure" (The Bloomsbury Review).
"What lifts the Anna Pigeon novels far above most of the other contemporary amateur sleuth mysteries is Barr's exquisite writing--it swoops, it soars, sails then catches you unawares beneath the heart and takes your breath away," proclaimed the Cleveland Plain Dealer of last year's Liberty Falling. In Deep South, Nevada Barr takes our breath away once again as her heroine travels cross-country to Mississippi, only to encounter terrible secrets in the heart of the south.
The handwritten sign on the tree said it all: REPENT. For Anna Pigeon, this should have been reason enough to turn back for her beloved Mesa Verde. Instead she heads for the Natchez Trace Parkway and the promotion that awaits her. Almost immediately, she finds herself in the midst of controversy: as the new district ranger, she faces resentment so extreme her ability to do her job may be compromised, and her life may very well be in danger. But all thoughts of personal safety are set aside with the discovery of a young girl's body in a country cemetery, a sheet around her head, a noose around her neck.
The kudzu is thick and green, the woods dark and full of secrets. And the ghosts of violence hover as Anna struggles for answers to questions that, perhaps, should never be asked. Deep South proves that, "like the parks and monuments she writes of, Nevada Barr should be declared a national treasure" (The Bloomsbury Review).
Customer Reviews of Deep South (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Southern Reflection
Review: This was an excellent book for giving the feel for the south and its unique natural environment. As usual for Barr, the blend of mystery,romance, nd community together with a special understanding of the environment made this a really fun novel to read. In addition, her understanding of the challenges of leadership makes the novel even more relevant to our times.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Death Road
Review: I have not traveled the Natchez Trace since the parkway was build, but the old road is one from which not even Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, returned. The Trace is steeped in mystery, death and kudzu, which covers everything if allowed free rein.
Anna Pigeon accepts a promotion and finds, a not unexpected wall of resentment, from male Park Service members under her supervision. What she didn't expect to find on her first watch was the murder of a popular high school coed, whose life had dredged up resentment.
DEEP SOUTH by Nevada Barr leads the reader alone with Anna to a fine conclusion. No guessing on this one, you will be surprised along with Anna when Barr tips her pen.
Nash Black, author of WRITING OF A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Took so many tries to get through!
Review: I'm a very fast reader, easily starting and finishing a book within a day or two. I bought this book, along with another Anna Pidgeon book, back in June, and have been trying since then to get any further than the third chapter in either book. I pick up the books, start them, plug through the first chapter, make myself get through the second, and by the third chapter both books are being laid back down. Over Christmas I found myself with no book to read, so out of desperate boredom, I picked up Deep South, again, and was determined to finish it.
I did finish the book, and I know I'll never read another book written by Nevada Barr. This is an author who literally writes her stories to death. Every sentence takes the long way around, and so often by the time I finished reading a paragraph I'd have to just go back and read it again, forcing myself to hold onto that long winding train of thought.
Descriptive writing is good, it's a talent, but there's a definite line at which you cross over into utter tediousness. There were also small inconsistencies, which immediately lowered my expectations of this writer, for example, when describing the hood over the body's head, Ms. Barr writes about only the nose and part of a cheek being visible. Then, a few paragraphs later she writes "...and she hoped there was a head under there!"...well, if the nose and a cheek were visible then it's obvious there WAS indeed a head under that hood! Slip ups like that, slight as they may be, cause me to lose respect for the writing.
Anyway...sometimes a sentence, or a paragraph, can be presented simply and directly and have far more effect than a sentence or paragraph that is overstocked, crammed jammed full of descriptions and qualifiers and adjectives and nouns and pronouns and verbs and adverbs and...well, you get the point.
As I said before, this author literally writes her stories to death.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Southern experience all 'round
Review: Set in Mississippi, this is a great fun book. No, it's not going to pass as high art, but it is a page turner, especially when you get about half way through.
There's a love interest also, for those into that sort of thing, and then the "who dunnit" aspect which keeps you on your seat.
I was impressed that Barr has actually worked as a park ranger and it shows in the details in this book. Her plotting is also excellent and I'll look forward to reading more of her works.
I found this book in a discount bin and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did as it turned out to be so much better than the usual stuff "they" try to sell you. While it's not perfect, it is pretty darn good.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Ending was a let down
Review: This was my second Nevada Barr book - the first I read was Hidden Truth, which I found entertaining and well written. I enjoyed this book up until the last 50 pages or so. I got the feeling that the writer was struggling with a suitable/plausible ending to an otherwise enjoyable story. It dragged on a bit and the final who-done-it & more so - why - felt weak and far fetched for such a big story.
I did enjoy the info and data on the NPS, racism and sexism in the south, and the strength of the character. But perhaps the end could have included more info about topics such as did the people behind the alligator incident ever get prosecuted?
Review Summary: Southern Reflection
Review: This was an excellent book for giving the feel for the south and its unique natural environment. As usual for Barr, the blend of mystery,romance, nd community together with a special understanding of the environment made this a really fun novel to read. In addition, her understanding of the challenges of leadership makes the novel even more relevant to our times.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Death Road
Review: I have not traveled the Natchez Trace since the parkway was build, but the old road is one from which not even Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, returned. The Trace is steeped in mystery, death and kudzu, which covers everything if allowed free rein.
Anna Pigeon accepts a promotion and finds, a not unexpected wall of resentment, from male Park Service members under her supervision. What she didn't expect to find on her first watch was the murder of a popular high school coed, whose life had dredged up resentment.
DEEP SOUTH by Nevada Barr leads the reader alone with Anna to a fine conclusion. No guessing on this one, you will be surprised along with Anna when Barr tips her pen.
Nash Black, author of WRITING OF A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Took so many tries to get through!
Review: I'm a very fast reader, easily starting and finishing a book within a day or two. I bought this book, along with another Anna Pidgeon book, back in June, and have been trying since then to get any further than the third chapter in either book. I pick up the books, start them, plug through the first chapter, make myself get through the second, and by the third chapter both books are being laid back down. Over Christmas I found myself with no book to read, so out of desperate boredom, I picked up Deep South, again, and was determined to finish it.
I did finish the book, and I know I'll never read another book written by Nevada Barr. This is an author who literally writes her stories to death. Every sentence takes the long way around, and so often by the time I finished reading a paragraph I'd have to just go back and read it again, forcing myself to hold onto that long winding train of thought.
Descriptive writing is good, it's a talent, but there's a definite line at which you cross over into utter tediousness. There were also small inconsistencies, which immediately lowered my expectations of this writer, for example, when describing the hood over the body's head, Ms. Barr writes about only the nose and part of a cheek being visible. Then, a few paragraphs later she writes "...and she hoped there was a head under there!"...well, if the nose and a cheek were visible then it's obvious there WAS indeed a head under that hood! Slip ups like that, slight as they may be, cause me to lose respect for the writing.
Anyway...sometimes a sentence, or a paragraph, can be presented simply and directly and have far more effect than a sentence or paragraph that is overstocked, crammed jammed full of descriptions and qualifiers and adjectives and nouns and pronouns and verbs and adverbs and...well, you get the point.
As I said before, this author literally writes her stories to death.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Southern experience all 'round
Review: Set in Mississippi, this is a great fun book. No, it's not going to pass as high art, but it is a page turner, especially when you get about half way through.
There's a love interest also, for those into that sort of thing, and then the "who dunnit" aspect which keeps you on your seat.
I was impressed that Barr has actually worked as a park ranger and it shows in the details in this book. Her plotting is also excellent and I'll look forward to reading more of her works.
I found this book in a discount bin and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did as it turned out to be so much better than the usual stuff "they" try to sell you. While it's not perfect, it is pretty darn good.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Ending was a let down
Review: This was my second Nevada Barr book - the first I read was Hidden Truth, which I found entertaining and well written. I enjoyed this book up until the last 50 pages or so. I got the feeling that the writer was struggling with a suitable/plausible ending to an otherwise enjoyable story. It dragged on a bit and the final who-done-it & more so - why - felt weak and far fetched for such a big story.
I did enjoy the info and data on the NPS, racism and sexism in the south, and the strength of the character. But perhaps the end could have included more info about topics such as did the people behind the alligator incident ever get prosecuted?