Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead (Claire DeWitt Mysteries #1)
Summary:
Sara Gran has written a novel about an unprecedented private investigator named Claire DeWitt. Destiny, it seems, has chosen Claire to be a detective, planting a copy of the enigmatic book “Détection” in her path as a teenager. Claire has grabbed this destiny with both hands but fate has been cruel. Twenty years later detection is her religion and “Détection” is her Bible.
Now she is summoned to New Orleans, because someone has heard she is "the best," to search for an upstanding citizen lost in the miasma of Katrina. The battered and beggared New Orleans, second only to Claire, is the star of this story. Thus the title.
The style is slick, gripping, and mystical, as strange and as easy as the character of Claire DeWitt. You may be repelled by her earthiness or mesmerized by her off-the-wall devotion to her calling. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
Having lived in New Orleans one memorable summer, this was an interesting way to revisit the city, both the good and the bad. Claire DeWitt is an antihero. She has some vices that come just short of an addiction as she somewhat attempts to address her own traumatic past in addition to solving the mystery. Her non-traditional approach brings her to interact with a variety of interesting characters that almost reminds me of the Mercy Thompson series, but without the paranormal flavor.
I liked that this book had parallel stories of Claire herself in addition to the mystery she was overtly in New Orleans to solve. It kept the mystery more engaging for me and has me intrigued to continue with others in the series. The book was not predictable in the least for me and certainly was a nice change of pace!
Warning: Contains repeated violence, drug & alcohol abuse, and some intense themes for young readers.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Mystery fans looking for something a little different and those who love New Orleans.
Want to read the whole series?
Clare DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway (Claire DeWitt Mysteries #2)
The Infinite Blacktop (Claire DeWitt Mysteries #3)