MacPherson's Lament (Elizabeth MacPherson, Bk 7)

Newly minted attorney Bill MacPherson sets up shop in Southside Virginia with law partner A.P. Hill (yes, she is descended from the General). As A.P. busies herself in a murder case, Bill finds himself in hot water when some old ladies whose house he's just sold just maybe don't own the house. And just why did they want the money wired to the Cayman Islands? And where are they? It falls to sister Elizabeth to sort things out.Quick moving, an easy read. Even though as a lawyer myself (Virginia, too), stories about a lawyer's troubles are not entertainment for me, it was still an enjoyable read. ... Somewhat of an annoyance for me were a number of errors McCrumb made about Virginia law--for example, the prosecutor would be referred to as the Commonwealth's Attorney. More an annoyance than anything else but it displays a lack of research detail.Well worth reading.

This series is quite different from the Appalacian Ballard series but vive la difference. There is a lot of sly humor tucked away, especially if you have read the others (not necessarily in any particularly order). Think more of the family and friends saga of Stephanie Plum but with more literary wit and you have the gist of it. I am waiting impatiently for the next book (PMS Outlaws was the last) to see where Bill and AP are going, what cousin Jeffrey is up to and how Elizabeth will reinvent herself.

I read this book, and liked it. It really seems to grab your attention...It has everything in it... the setting of the Appalachians...a murder mystery...Sharyn McCrumb puts all of these together in one great book. I enjoyed the parts on how Sharyn described in detail the characters. She describes perfectly the "southern" style, and the "southern" talk... Read this book and you will enjoy it very much.

After a number of books, it's kind of nice to see the minor characters getting a major role. I thought the Civil War references were incredible, as a sweet and funny satire of all us Southerners still fighting the war. Anyway, I found this method of a mystery less infuriating than many writers who have their heroes act like a cross between MacGuyver and Robocop.