"Excellent regional mystery"
Gainesboro, North Carolina is a small Appalachian Mountain
town and home to Barry Clayton for much of his life. He
escaped briefly to become a police officer in Charlotte
while taking college courses in criminal justice so he
could get a job in the FBI. Unfortunately, Barry couldn't
see his dreams come to fruition because he returned home to
take over the family funeral home. His father couldn't run
it anymore because the Alzheimer's had progressed too far. At the Martha Willard funeral only two grandchildren Norma
Jean and Lee attend the church service. Her other
grandchild Dallas fails to arrive. At the graveside,
Dallas kills Lee and Norma Jean and wounds Barry before he
disappears. The sheriff figures that Dallas killed his
siblings because they were going to sell the land that was
promised to him. When another person, who wanted to talk
to Barry, is murdered using Dallas's gun, the funeral
director joins forces with the sheriff to find what is
going on in the once quiet town. Mark de Castrique's debut novel is an excellent regional
mystery. The tale is filled with local color, numerous
villains with different agendas and a hero that is a
genuinely sharp person who plays an integral role in
solving the murders and other assorted crimes. The
protagonist also comes to understand as "Buryin Barry" he
plays a vital role in the small rural mountain town and
makes peace with his lost dreams. DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING is
a must read for those fans who want to learn about a
mountain culture inside a strong mystery. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 10, 2003
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Barry Clayton has a job he doesn't want. When his father is
stricken with Alzheimer's, Barry leaves the Charlotte
police force for the small mountain community of
Gainesboro, North Carolina, where his family runs the local
funeral home. "Buryin' Barry" reluctantly assumes the
mantle of town undertaker, trying to fit his life into this
somber profession.
Almost at once it turns deadly. At the graveside service
for an elderly woman, a grieving grandson strides in like
Clint Eastwood in a duster, rips out a shotgun, and murders
his family. Then the shooter turns the weapon on
Barry. "Take a message to my grandmother," Dallas Willard
shouts. "Tell her they tried to take the land. Tell her I
love her." The blast hits Barry in the shoulder. Barry is not cut from the same black cloth as his father,
and his irreverent wit and independence have already won
him the friendship of the county sheriff, Vietnam War hero
Tommy Lee Wadkins. Besides, Barry's a police pro. Though
his wounds are in the hands of local surgeon Susan Miller,
Barry begins search for both the killer and the reason for
his crime. It isn't long before a second shooting occurs—
but Dallas Willard's body is then discovered at the bottom
of a quarry pond, indisputable evidence that someone else
committed the second crime, someone who now has his sights
set on Barry....
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