By Marcianne Miller

Murderous mountain tales took shape on stormy nights around the hearths of isolated hill cabins in North Carolina—ancient Cherokee and British Isles stories merged into a regional storytelling tradition rich with passion, greed and revenge. In the 1990s, Weaverville’s Elizabeth Daniels Squire gave local murder a light-hearted touch with her delightful series featuring the memory-challenged amateur sleuth Peaches Dann (Who Killed What’s Her Name?). Here are five contemporary writers with Asheville connections who have murder on their minds.

Book(s):My Old True Love, historical novel. Many readers consider this stunning debut novel equal to Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. Set in Madison County, it’s a haunting tale of two men who love the same woman and the terrible toll the Civil War takes on them. Author Adams based the novel on legends from her own family, so reading it is like uncovering pages from a secret scrapbook. In a music CD, All the Other Fine Things, Adams brings the era alive with fiddle tunes and ballads featured in the novel. The Style:Wildly poetic old-timey mountain talk, hilarious one moment, heart-breaking the next. The lyrics of favorite ballads appear throughout. You'll Like Best:The extraordinary imagery of the author’s earthy language, especially her dramatization of the joys and hardships of early mountain life. Appeals To:Your inner salt-of-the-earth Appalachian mama. When She's Not Writing:A renowned mountain storyteller and banjo player, Adams is a wife and mother of three who lives in Madison County.
 
Lilian Jackson Braun
Book(s):The Cat Who… series. Includes 30 novels, starting in 1966 with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and the latest, The Cat Who Smelled Smoke, published this April. The amateur sleuths are James “Qwill” Qwilleran, a millionaire bachelor newspaper columnist, and his two extra-sensory perceptive Siamese cats. Whether caused by a gun or a bee sting, untimely deaths in the series are never gory. They’re merely plot devices to push Qwill into amusing sleuthing adventures in the mythical town of Pickax. The Style: Meandering and genteel, as suits a prolific author who is 90+ years of age. Each book is dedicated to “Earl Bettinger, the husband who…” You'll Like Best: Qwill’s fabulous residence, a converted four-story octagonal apple barn where his felines cavort on winding interior balconies. Appeals To: Your inner kitty, precious and pampered, and way too curious. When She's Not Writing: Braun lives with her husband in Tryon in Polk County, amidst photos of the beloved cats who inspired her fictional felines.

Maggie Bishop
Book(s):Three novels in the “Appalachian Adventure” series. As a romance novelist, Maggie Bishop creates heroines who bust criminals and flirt with Mr. Right at the same time. Murder at Blue Falls: The Horse Found the Body features Jemma Chase, a horsewoman with a past. Set on a dude ranch near Boone in Watauga County, there’s gorgeous, rugged scenery and lanky, craggy men. Here’s an amusing twist—each of the different heroes in Bishop’s novels are cousins from the Tucker clan.  The Style: Simple and accessible. Photos of real nearby ranches and riding trails contribute to the book’s “here and now” feel. You'll Like Best: The sparks that fly between the feisty heroines and the broad-shouldered, square-jawed alpha males. Appeals To: Your secret outdoor adventurer who’s ready to challenge a high mountain top—and a tall mountain man. When She's Not Writing: Bishop lives, hikes and skis in the Boone area and teaches writing.

Sallie Bissell
Book(s): Four novels in the “Appalachian Mysteries” thriller series. Half-Cherokee Atlanta prosecuting attorney Mary Crow, who grew up in Western North Carolina, is one of the most compelling heroines in contemporary fiction. Though citified as an adult, Mary can never forget the lure of the mountains or the tragedies that marked her childhood. With feet planted firmly in two worlds, she’s always walking a precariously balanced line, where she’s just as often the prey as the hunter. The Style: Gritty and violent, with can’t-tear-yourself-away plots, really nasty villains and fascinating characters. Not for the faint of heart.  You'll Like Best: Mary Crow’s complex psyche, especially the part that clings to her Cherokee roots. Appeals To: Your take-no-prisoners revenge fantasies. When She's Not Writing: A Nashville native and mother of three, Bissell also has a place in Asheville, where she can often be found playing tennis with her friends.

Vicki Lane
Book(s): Four novels in the “Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian mysteries” series. Vicki Lane’s amateur sleuth, Elizabeth Goodweather, owns an herb and flower farm—similar to the one Lane and her husband have operated for 20+ years outside Asheville. Lane gave Elizabeth an FBI agent as a suitor, turned her sons into her heroine’s two daughters and kept her beloved dogs and chickens. Finding her crime both in the country and the city, Elizabeth has collected a string of fascinating villains. The Style: An intricately woven tapestry of country charm, ancient secrets, modern crime and middle-aged romance. You'll Like Best: The natural beauty of Elizabeth Goodweather’s hillside farm and her marvelous rural neighbors. Appeals To: Your dream to have a place in the country—one that’s just a short drive away from an exciting downtown. When She's Not Writing: Lane indulges in her first passion—quilts—and has taken up painting. Still living on her mountain farm, she’s an enthusiastic blogger and writing teacher.