#31 Reading

I'm still working my way through my holiday book splurge, and this week finished Chasing the Devil's Tail by David Fulmer. This book falls under my favorite genre: historical mystery. Books like this make me feel like I'm learning while still having fun--whether the story is historically accurate isn't as important to me. I like to research parts of the story that peak my interest, and this book had a lot of those.

The story takes place at the turn of the century in New Orleans, and the main character is a former policeman/private detective. Prostitutes at several different bordellos are being murdered, and the detective is called in to investigate. A few of the characters are jazz musicians, and the so-called "Father of Jazz" is the main suspect. There were several twists, and I was surprised at how well all the loose ends were tied up. I'm looking forward to reading Fulmer's next book.

Reading about New Orleans also made me nostalgic for the city, even though the New Orleans in the book is very different from present-day. I've only visited once; it was the first trip I took after college with a group of girlfriends I grew up with. We began our yearly girl trip tradition in New Orleans, years before Hurricane Katrina, and I have such fun memories there. During the day, we'd walk and shop and chat around the French Quarter and surrounding areas. At night, we sampled the nightlife and a spooky ghost tour. The five of us shared a huge hotel room in the French Quarter--it had one big bed on the main level, and spiral stairs up to a little loft with 2 more beds. It was so hot up in that loft, but we had such a blast being crammed in together. I almost don't want to go back to New Orleans now, because I know how much it has changed since the storm. I do think I'd like to go back with K some time--he made a couple of college trips to the Big Easy, but we've never been together.

Anyway, I have no idea how this book made it on to my list--I think amazon recommended it to me based on me liking The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I read that book several years ago, but still remember how much I enjoyed it.

From Publisher's Weekly:
Storyville, New Orleans, the most historic red-light district in the United States, where the music of Jelly Roll Morton and "King" Buddy Bolden is ushering in the jazz age, provides the stage for this riveting and provocative debut mystery of sex, alcohol, drugs, insanity and murder. When two prostitutes are found murdered and marked with a black rose, Tom Anderson, political boss and the "King of Storyville," calls in Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr. While the death toll mounts, St. Cyr doesn't want to believe that all indications point to his childhood friend, Buddy Bolden. Bolden, who has risen to fame with the "jass" music of his horn, has become more than erratic in his behavior. As St. Cyr watches his friend self-destruct, he wonders if Buddy is indeed the killer. The author vividly describes early 20th-century New Orleans, from the large and elegant houses of the madams to the infested rooms of the crib girls that reflect the distinct and rigid caste system of the day. After a frustrating investigation, the pieces of the puzzle come together in a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Fulmer's use of historical figures such as Tom Anderson, Buddy Bolden, piano player Ferdinand LeMenthe (who would later be known as Jelly Roll Morton), E.J. Bellocq, the photographer of New Orleans whores, and the famous madam Lulu White authenticate an already believable and spellbinding story, which will echo in the reader's mind like the mournful notes of good blues.