Three-Day Town (Deborah Knott Mysteries, #17) by Margaret Maron

• Title: Three-Day Town (Deborah Knott Mysteries)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Mystery
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (November 21, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0446555789
• ISBN-13: 978-0446555784
• Author's Website: http://www.margaretmaron.com

In 1940, a small vulgar bronze sculpture was stolen by a student from a teacher at Stillwater College. Now, over 70 years later, the same sculpture of erotica is the center of a more sinister crime. This time it's not just theft that's involved, but murder.

Deborah (a judge) and her husband Dwight (a deputy sheriff) are finally taking their honeymoon in New York. As a Christmas gift, Dwight's sister-in-law offered them the use of an apartment she owns in New York for a week. When Mrs. Lattimore heard they were going to NY she asked them if they might deliver a package to her daughter, Anne Harald. As Anne was out of town, the next person in line to receive the object was Anne's daughter, Sigrid Harald (an NYPD homicide detective). Hence, two of Margaret Maron's series come together in this book. I always love it when an author does this.

I enjoyed the mystery as to who the murderer was and why the crime was committed. I thought Dwight and Deborah were cute together and they made me smile. The statuette, was a fun touch, and I could just imagine the looks on Dwight's and Deborah's faces when they opened up the package. I also liked how even though Dwight and Deborah were not within their jurisdiction, Sigrid kept them in the loop of what was being found within the investigation. The secondary mystery presented by Deborah's nephew, and the observation he made about his situation that helped in solve the NYC crime, was also a nice addition to the story.

At first, the crime appeared to be unsolvable. There were no witnesses and the crime scene had been contaminated by many of the guests attending a party in the neighboring apartment. They felt no remorse in using the bathroom of the apartment whose door had been left open. Plus, the suspects were plentiful as everyone who attended the party had the opportunity to commit the crime. Slowly, as the story progresses, a criminal is found through diligence and a touch of luck.

Why is the book called Three-Day Town? It's related to the quote by James Cameron at the beginning of the book: "I love short trips to New York; to me it is the finest three-day town on earth."

Overall, a very entertaining and enjoyable read. I gave it 3 out of 5 roses.

Order of the series: