The Rosewood Casket

It would have been almost impossible for McCrumb to top her last book, She Walks These Hills, one of the best mysteries of the last decade. But this story of a Southern family haunted by deeds done and undone comes very close: It's full of beautifully-observed details of everyday life which anchor the mystical moments and keep us rooted in reality. This one -- and other McCrumb classics like The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter -- are perfect gifts for readers who haven't yet found a way into the mystery genre.