Death of a Damn Yankee: A Laura Fleming Mystery

Laura Fleming and her husband Richard are visited by the manager of the sock mill in Laura's home town. Strange things are happening at the mill and Burt's father is looking to sell the place. Since alot of Laura's relatives work there, she agrees to investigate. Sure enough, the town and the Burdettes are split about the sale. To top it off, there is a firebug in town, and one of the prospective buyers is killed in a fire. Laura suspects one of her cousins of the fire, but doesn't believe he'd commit murder.This is an entertaining mystery. Laura's relatives are really funny and plentiful. The mystery is good also. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

I live in the area where the ficitonal town of Byerly is located. Trust me. It can get a little strange sometimes reading the Laura Flemings books and see a mention of a location familar to you in a work of fiction. It's almost like you're in Wonderland where everything is familar but yet different in some way. I'll admit that it has been fun trying to figure out where Byerly is located. Can't wait until the next book.

Richard Fleming is a professor who enjoys quoting Shakespeare in his everyday conversations. His wife Laurie is a computer programmer from Byerly, North Carolina, a place where her family still mostly resides. Laurie is renowned as an individual who solves homicide cases. Still, both are shocked when the son of her hometown mill owner Burt Waller appears at their Back Bay apartment. Burt's father wants to sell the mill to Yankees, but he opposes the deal. He needs the Flemings to return to Byerly to dig up some dirt on the perspective buyers so his father will not sell. Since many of Laurie's relatives work at the mill, the couple agrees to investigate. Upon arrival, the Flemings realize they seek dirt on a seemingly nice man. They additionally become involved in several arson and one murder investigation. Toni L. P. Kelnor writes some of the most quaint and likable amateur detective novels on the market today. DEATH OF A DAMN YANKEE is one of the better mysteries in a well-written series. The complex story line is multi-faceted and captures the essence of a small Southern town, while seeming to test sub-genre boundaries. The lead protagonists are a charming duo that contributes to the enjoyment of the novels. These entertaining Fleming tales are fun to read.Harriet Klausner