Sweet and Deadly

Catherine Linton drives out to shoot at tin cans one hot summer day. The peace and quiet is shattered by Catherine's discovery of a body, hideously fly coated. When Catherine reports her discovery to the sheriff she is offended that he suspects her because the woman was the late Dr. Linton's (Catherine's father's) nurse. This novel establishes a strong sense of place, a small southern town slowly experiencing transition after the Civil Rights movement. Each character, even minor ones, is briefly sketched but realistically developed: the town's first black librarian, the sheriff whose son is dealing pot, the black deputy, her employer's matchmaking mother etc. This is a gem of a mysery novel- one feels the heat, the beauty of the south, and the rising sense of danger that builds to one of the most suspenseful and exciting climaxes I have ever read. Sweet and deadly is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read. What I find a mystery is why it was never made into a film and why such a superb novel is out of print!