First published 1997
This anthology brings together fifteen accomplished crime writers who craft tales of murder and mystery throughout the southern United States. Sharyn McCrumb, Julie Smith, and Joan Hess lead a collection that spans from Louisiana's murky cypress swamps to Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Each author contributes an original story rooted in distinctly southern settings and sensibilities. The collection moves through various regional landscapes, exploring how crime unfolds against backdrops of small towns, rural communities, and iconic southern terrain. These writers, many of them award winners with established followings, deliver stories that capture both the atmosphere of their chosen locales and the universal appeal of well-crafted mystery fiction. The anthology format allows readers to sample different narrative voices and approaches to crime storytelling, all unified by their southern settings and criminal themes.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, anthology
Setting: Southern States, Louisiana, Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains
336 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley