Post-Katrina New Orleans provides the engrossing backdrop for Herron's third Chanse MacLeod whodunit (after 2004's Murder in the Rue St. Ann
). The gay investigator returns to the battered city, determined to stay despite the devastation. Before the hurricane, Iris Verlaine, granddaughter of a local shipping magnate, hired Chanse to find her father, Michael Mercereau, missing for 32 years. But before Chanse could dig into the case, Iris fired him. Shocked to learn that Iris was shot and killed shortly before Katrina, Chanse agrees to help his friends NOPD detectives Venus Casanova and Blaine Tujague solve the murder. Joshua Verlaine, Iris's big brother, also hires Chanse to continue the search for Mercereau, though his grandfather disapproves. Uncovering a disturbing link between Mercereau and a tragic cold case from 1973, Chanse realizes he's stumbled onto something huge. Herren, a loyal New Orleans resident, paints a brilliant portrait of the recovering city, including insights into its tight-knit gay community. This latest installment in a powerful series is sure to delight old fans and attract new ones. (Nov.)
