SHE NEEDS A KID TO CATCH A KILLER…BUT HOW TO CATCH THE KID? “Julie Smith writes like jazz should sound—cool, complex, and penetrating right to the heart.” -Val McDermid, best-selling author of the Tony Hill seriesThe TENTH installment of the Skip Langdon series is a New Orleans feast for the senses, a canine love story, an action-packed police procedural made-to-order for readers who like their … procedural made-to-order for readers who like their female sleuths bold, smart, and refreshingly human. A serial killer is using Airbnb units to stage his murders, but a teenage runaway has escaped his grasp and now she’s in the wind, believing she’s killed him. Meanwhile the real killer stalks the city – and her.
Cody, the pink-haired sixteen-year-old, should be in school or at the mall texting her friends, not hanging out at the intersection of serial murder and human trafficking. When the options are: (1) Return to a life of slavery (2) Go to jail for murder (3) Be killed by a serial killer, Option 4 makes perfect sense – RUN! As mean as the streets of The City That Care Forgot can be, this child attracts angels (often unlikely ones) – and entire packs of dogs – who come to her aid.
She also finds a friend in NOPD’s newest Sergeant – big (six-foot!), beautiful, tough, and tender-hearted Skip Langdon. Skip knows her best hope of finding the killer is to find Cody – plus she feels for the girl, in whom she recognizes a younger version of her plucky, resourceful, whip-smart self. The city’s hard-boiled; the detective has a heart the size of the Superdome.
Longtime Skip Langdon fans who’ve thirsted for #10 will be delighted to hear the music of New Orleans in Smith’s prose. Fans of female-sleuth authors like Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, and Linda Barnes, will love Skip Langdon’s pluck and charm. And those who particularly favor female cop stories, especially those by Nevada Barr, Lisa Gardner, Tana French, J.D. Robb, Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen, and Anne Hillerman will find a new fave here.
“If you haven’t discovered Smith yet, now is the time to do so… Move over, Sara Paretsky.” –KPFA-FM (Berkeley, CA)
“If it’s gritty realism you’re craving, gently simmered with spicy suspense and marvelously memorable characters, Smith is the perfect New Orleans tour guide… –The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS)
“BRILLIANT.” –San Francisco Examiner & Chroniclemore
Julie Smith does not disappoint!
Another terrific book in the Skip Langdon series of mysteries. If you want a good entertaining mystery, read read this book. I loved it.
Love anything by Julie Smith
Enjoyed it.
So far, I’ve loved every book in the Skip Langdon series. And everything else I’ve read by Julie Smith. Now I’m really wanting to visit New Orleans. Keep ’em coming!
A style of writing that engages but does not burden. Makes you feel like you are looking over the shoulder of the detective.
The resolution of the murders seemed far fetched. The ending was disappointing.
Love all the Julie Smith books. Glad to see they were available again and have reread all of the series and discovered Talba Wallis.
Like the New Orleans scenes and love the characters
Great read !
Was a good book. Had bits and pieces of information about living in New Orleans and human trafficking. Awful stuff can happen in this day and time so I guess it was realistic and informative. I liked the characters and the happy ending.
Meh
Great book! I loved it! A plot twist and a happy ending, what could be better!
I love Julie Smith . Her New Orleans discriptions make you feel you are right there with all her characters
Love her characters, and this storyline was scary-realistic in how human trafficking operates and how children are consumed. Love several of Julies series and plan on reading more of this one.
I enjoyed this mystery, as I do all Julie Smith’s work. Her characters are well drawn, complex and real. The writing is tight, but with enough background on place and character to flesh out the story, and to engage the reader for the next book.
Always a good read. Interesting characters and good plots.
A little hard to get started but ended up a good story
Solid writing in an easy-to-read series. Likeable heroine & secondary characters.
Not my style. I like mysteries, but not this author’s style of writing.