Synopses & Reviews
The polite Piedmont town of Hillston, North Carolina, wants to go on believing it is still too temperate to require homicide experts. But when the wife of a state senator is found beaten to death, the inner circle of Hillstons ruling families arranges to have the case assigned to Detective Justin Savile, the charming black sheep of the dynasty that founded the town.
Aided by his wise-cracking, working-class partner, Cuddy Mangum, and a young woman from the Carolina mountains whose strength and love rescues him from his own destructive impulses, Savile sets out to unravel the deceit hidden in Hillstons past. His obsessive pursuit of one of his own and his determination to save a petty thief from being railroaded for murder not only lead to other deaths, but bring the detective very near to losing his own life. With striking humor and a rich range of characters, Malone creates a landscape struggling between the New Souths high-tech lifestyles and the Old Souths inherited codes.
Review
"An excellent novel...with two of the most memorable police detectives ever to appear in mystery fiction." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"A vividly drawn ambiance...a stylish gift for language...tender and believable...the characters come alive." Washington Post Book World
Review
"A wonderful story...in the tradition of great Southern
storytelling with touches of To Kill a Mockingbird
and All the King's Men." Tacoma News Tribune
Review
"Uncivil Seasons is filled with action, suspense, and a sense of humor so droll it makes you happy to know someone still thinks like that....A purely perfect book." Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Review
"A whodunit that surpasses mystery, that evolves into a landscape of love and truth and redemption...Uncivil Seasons is the To Kill a Mockinbird of its day." Richmond News Leader
About the Author
Michael Malone is a novelist, as well as the author of short stories, works of non-fiction, several plays, and daytime television drama. Michael was born in the Piedmont region of North Carolina and his distinctive Southern voice permeates his books, which he describes as "centered in the comedy of the shared communion among very diverse groups of people who are bound together by place and the past."
Michaels writing has been compared to Miguel De Cervantes, Charles Dickens, and Henry Fielding. He is the recipient of The O. Henry Award for "Fast Love," the Edgar for "Red Clay," and an Emmy as head writer of ABC-TVs One Life to Live.
Michael lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife, Maureen, whom he met while they were working toward their doctoral degrees at Harvard University.