Tuesday 19 February 2013

ARC Book Review: Down In New Orleans

Book Title: Down In New Orleans
Author: Heather Graham
Publisher: Open Road
Format: ebook, 
Cost: $7.69
Pages: 325
How I got it: NetGalley
My Rating:★★★★☆
Erotica Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis:
When artist Ann Marcel tries to help her husband Jon clear his name of a shocking murder charge, she steps into the shadowy and sensual New Orleans world of erotic clubs and after-hours jazz joints. Racing against time and the detective determined to send Jon to prison, Ann is soon embroiled in a fight for her life.

My Review:
It wasn't until I was searching for the links for this book that I discovered that it is a re-issue with a new cover & I'm sure some updating on the language& things like cellphones.  since i have never read it, I'm intrigued by it.

This is a different take on the typical Graham book, this time the woman isn't a cop, or even close to being a cop, she's an artist.  For a book placed in New Orleans the only Voodoo participant is a secondary character & there aren't any ghosts this time.  Ann is an artist & the ex-wife of an artist hersefl.

Ann's not a native of New Orleans, she's however fallen in love ( I mean who wouldn't it's New Orleans) with the city & made it her home, on what should've been a typical day, her ex shows up, late to their meeting and when she answers the door, he's covered in blood & almost dead, but he insists " I didn't do it, I didn't do it".   The cops seem to want an easy case, he's the most likely suspect but Ann can't accept that, the man she was married to would never do this & it's up to her to prove that to the cops.

Now I'm all for woman power, & doing what needs to be done; but I also know that barreling into a place where Angels fear to thread is a fool's gamble, yes eventually she did something right, but in the process she almost got killed, almost got several other people killed all to prove 1 person innocent. O_o. While I was reading on Goodreads I stated : "Sometimes I dream,  that idiotic characters get killed just so they learn their lesson the hard way. Your not a cop, even if you are right you shouldn't be a bigger idiot insisting on doing it your way."  Why trust complete strangers but not the cop, you may or may not be dating?!?!? 

I liked Ann, she was older, a mother a woman comfortable in her own kin, a little headstrong, & bullheaded but with a heart of gold. She cracked me up when she started taking lessons on dancing, even though she had never been a strip club before. Her inner monologue of how not to stand out had me cracking up.  Mark was a great guy, one who clearly knew himself & what he wanted, although he kept telling himself to leave Ann alone he just couldn't.  Together they just fit & I liked it, I loved knowing they had great loves before & weren't necessarily unhappy people until they met each other.  Mark's granddaughter was cute & provided the necessary levity when needed. 

There were several viable prospects as the villain, from the smooth (almost too smooth) strip club owner, to the cop who might be dirty, to the cousin who was also a little smooth. I mean it jumped from person to person, depending on the layers being revealed, which of course kept me glued to it.

The villain in this novel took the concept of keep your friends close & your enemies closer. I so didn't know who to suspect but still wouldn't have picked them as the one. Just didn't see it at all.  I loved the slow burn of the romance, especially their visit to the bayou. Can I get one of those please?? I didn't know the difference between Cajun & Creole but it explains so much now. 

It's a really good story & a great read.  I loved it. It's of course by one of my favorite authors, so it's well worth reading.  
 Buy on Amazon                            Add to Goodreads
***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest & unbiased review**** 

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love my readers, and your comments help me to know how you feel, so please share.
Thank You and Goddess Bless.