Book Review: The Witch's Grave

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Witch's Grave     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Phillip DePoy
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Fever Devilin
St. Martin’s, Feb 2004, $23.95, 372 pp.

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

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner