Dangerous Undertaking (A Poisoned Pen Press Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Am i missing something?
Review: I read this book because I live in charlotte and like reading books which take place in NC with familiar streets, subjects etc. This book, however, was a disappointment. I'm glad I borrowed this one from the library instead of purchasing it.

Rating:
Summary: Great debut novel
Review: I was hesitant to try this book, because so often books set in the southern states turn the characters in caricatures and stereotypes. This is certainly not the case in Dangerous Undertaking. All the characters are fully-dimensional, with actions that ring true. Barry, the main character, has left Charlotte to return home to the North Carolina hills to help his family. He gets involved - personally! - in several murders and must solve them to keep himself and others safe. The friendship between him and the sheriff, Tommy Lee, is well-drawn, and Barry's love interest is likable and very much her own woman. This is one of the best books I've read this year, and I certainly hope the author plans to write more in this series.

Rating:
Summary: Am i missing something?
Review: Mark de Castrique has created a nifty read here and has placed it in a setting with which he obviously has great familiarity. It has just the right combination of tension, wit and thought-provoking commentary about families, religion and what really counts in life and living. Terrific!

Rating:
Summary: Great Mystery, Well Executed
Review: Mark de Castrique has created a nifty read here and has placed it in a setting with which he obviously has great familiarity. It has just the right combination of tension, wit and thought-provoking commentary about families, religion and what really counts in life and living. Terrific!

Rating:
Summary: A routine and pedestrian debut
Review: Sometimes the greatest challenge a mystery author faces is to justify why an amateur detective will feel the need to investigate a crime that is better left in the hands of the professionals. Mark de Castrique cleverly tackles this issue by having his main protagonist, Barry Clayton, an undertaker, being shot while presiding over a funeral. The killer, Dallas Willard, who was attending his grandmother's funeral appeared to go crazy killing his brother and sister just before attempting to kill Barry. The problem is that Dallas is still on the loose and Barry fears for his life. Working with his friend, Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins, Barry must investigate the deep dark secrets of this family to discover what exactly set Dallas off on the murderous rampage.
I place a premium on originality. Sometimes novels can be so different that they are unforgettable. Unfortunately, DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING is routine and quite pedestrian. It is skillfully written and conveys a great sense of locale. However, characters, though realistic enough, are quite forgettable as is the plot. While reading this book I could never shrug off the feeling that I read this before.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this book down
Review: This is a fabulous book for mystery lovers and southern fiction readers alike. The intrigue of the "whodunit" storyline keeps the pages moving quickly, but there is substance behind the intricate plot. The mystery of why people keep dying in the small mountain town of Gainsboro, NC had me hooked immediately, especially when the detective is a cop turned undertaker. Yet some of the best moments in this book have little to do with the mystery itself...such as de Castrique's sensitive portrait of a family dealing with Alzheimer's. I hope de Castrique will return to these likeable characters and the perfectly captured mountain setting in a sequel!