Wed 4 Sep 2019
A Mystery Review by LJ Roberts: JANA DeLEON – Louisiana Longshot.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[4] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
JANA DeLEON – Louisiana Longshot. (Miss) Fortune Redding #1. CreateSpace, paperback, June 2012. Also available in other formats.
First Sentence: I stepped off the Learjet at the private airfield just before dawn.
When CIA agent Fortune Redding, assassinates the brother of a Middle Eastern arms distributor, ruining a perfectly good pair of Prada stiletto heels in the process, the result is a price on her head. To protect her, she is sent into hiding at the small-town Louisiana home of her Director’s niece, one Sandy Sue Morrow, a former beauty-pageant winner. What could go wrong when one is trying to fit in, solve a local murder, and stay undercover?
Now and then, one hits a reading slump and needs something light and fun to get moving again. This was it. It was a delightful surprise and a lesson that one is never too old to listen to one’s mother when they recommend a book to read.
DeLeon has a voice full of sass and sarcasm— “I stared down Main Street and grimaced. It was a cross between a Thomas Kinkade painting and a horror movie.” —and defines the protagonist. But beware, the neighbors, particularly Gertie and Ida Belle, who is president of the Sinful Ladies Society— “I looked outside and saw a crowd of gray-haired women bearing down on the restaurant. Sixteen of them, probably from the Jurassic period…” –aren’t what one expects either, which is so refreshing. In fact, none of the characters are, including Bones, the very old hound who is true to his name and finds the human bone initiating the murder investigation.
The author captures a small town perfectly. one in ehich everyone knows your business almost before you do. Her pragmatism about religion is delightful— “Religion was by and large constructed by men, and I had yet to find a man who was logical. Deconstructing religious rules would definitely be a journey into madness.” But it is also the south where food plays an important part— “‘Give me the Seven Deadly Sins.”‘ Eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, pan-fried potatoes, and pancakes. I could practically hear my arteries hardening.”
There are wonderful, laugh-out-loud moments, which is such a treat, especially when the scene isn’t silly, but clever and relatable. But there is also a wonderful moment of self-realization— “Good Lord. I was actually pretty. Like Mom.”
It’s not all light and fun, however. There is a murder to solve, and a handsome cop with questions to evade. There are good insightful observations and truisms— “Clearly, people were the biggest complication life threw at you.” –well-done information on Fortune’s past, and surprises and twists right through to the end.
Louisiana Longshot is a delightful book. DeLeon cleverly avoids a number of stereotypes. The characters are wonderful, the humor is perfect, not slapstick, and the twists are plentiful and well executed. It really is a well-done introduction to a series which should be fun to continue.
Rating: Very Good.
The Fortune Redding series —
Louisiana Longshot (2012)
Lethal Bayou Beauty (2013)
Swamp Sniper (2013)
Swamp Team 3 (2014)
Gator Bait (2015)
Soliders of Fortune (2015)
Hurricane Force (2015)
Fortune Hunter (2016)
Later Gator (2016)
Hook, Line and Blinker (2017)
Change of Fortune (2018) e
Reel of Fortune (2018)
September 4th, 2019 at 10:28 pm
May look this one up. It sounds like a cozy on steroids. Light and playful is always welcome with a touch of dark and violent to settle the stomach.
September 4th, 2019 at 11:11 pm
I’m thinking the same way. and if I didn’t have a house full of books, most of them still unread, I really do think I’d do something about it.
September 5th, 2019 at 11:47 am
I do own it but have not read it. I just read the first few pages (try Kindle sample before buying) and it is funny and the character is the type you want to know more about and enjoy sharing an adventure or two.
These romantic thriller/mysteries are addictive and a nice change of pace if you are tired of solving crimes. They also are heavily formulaic and I burned out on them.
Oh, having a killer for the main character is not unique. I remember one where Mom is a member of a family of killers and has to tell her daughter that on her next birthday the daughter will be old enough the family expects the daughter to kill someone as a rite of passage. Surprisingly a funny light book.
September 9th, 2019 at 12:39 am
There are fine writers in the Romantic Suspense genre and some well worth following. I much prefer that to cozy where the elements that make it cozy too often kill the humorous aspect for me and give me the feeling I am suffocating in taffeta — and I am sure some women feel the same way about guns in some books (sometimes I do too).
But I can think of a number of good writers in the Romantic Suspense genre that I’m happy to see a new book from, and always happy to find a new one. Frankly it is one of the few places you can find the kind of light playful mystery that writers like the Lockridges, Kelly Roos, Craig Rice, or Stuart Palmer used to specialize in.