The sixteenth novel in Hambly's evocative mystery series set in antebellum New Orleans and following the adventures of Benjamin Janvier or January, a free man of color navigating the dangerous intersections of old French Creole society and the influx of rough and ready American frontiersmen.
Soon enough Benjamin January finds many reason to regret that he has agreed to play at the wedding of wealthy and eccentric old Creole landowner Veryl St-Chinian to Irish barmaid Ellie Trask, fifty years his junior and saddled with a notorious past and a conniving uncle. Veryl's family are furious; not just the white family but the "crocodile eggs" too --- the free colored mistresses and their children who are acknowledged in private but not in public. As the wedding guests gather at the isolated plantation of Cold Bayou where the marriage is to take place, the body of Ellie's slave, Valla, is discovered in the woods nearby and January himself is accused of the crime.
There's something for everyone here: an intricately plotted murder mystery; a dissection of the horrors perpetuated by America's original sin of racism, both white on black racism and even more invidious black on black racism; and a portrait of the complex ties that both blight and bond a family.
Barbara Hambly writes all kinds of fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, and historical fiction. Whatever the genre, her books are distinguished by meticulous research, attention to detail, and compelling characters. This is a series I recommend starting at the beginning and reading in sequence, as the stories build on each other. Reading Hambly is like virtual reality without the glasses: a total immersion experience. I usually wait for a Saturday when I have nothing else scheduled, because I know once I start I will not stop until I finish the book.
Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.
Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus.
Click HERE to read the review from The Fish Shelf Blog.
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