This book was really fun! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I should and I would definitely read more from this author again

This started strong with a compelling MC, atmospheric setting and intriguing mystery. But as it went on it really lost me and the resolution of the mystery was so lukewarm I came away feeling 'meh' about the whole thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love a book set in New Orleans, especially one that features a mystery steeped in Voodou.

Veronica G. Henry has a great idea here, but sadly her writing left me a little underwhelmed. I wanted more immersion into the culture of New Orleans and the setting. Also, I thought there was an overuse of metaphors that had me rolling my eyes in parts. There doesn't always need to be a comparison in order to describe something.

I did like that Henry tackles a post-Katrina New Orleans, and as someone who lived in New Orleans both before, and after Katrina, I felt she did a great job capturing that.

I will pick up the next book by this author in this series because I see a lot of potential for development in the next book.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. this was an interesting read that left me wanting more.

This book had SO much potential, but it just fell flat. The world-building and descriptions of New Orleans and Vodou were really interesting, but the characters were just... pasty cardboard cutouts. So disappointing. I pretty much skimmed through the last third because I just wanted it to be over, which isn't great.

Mambo Reina Dumond has a business providing care and spells for clients out of her New Orleans home. She has the gift of water magic through her patron, and a network of friends and found family in the different neighborhoods around the city. A ritual slaying puts all vodou practitioners at the center of suspicion, especially with Reina's ex, Detective Roman Frost. Despite everyone warning her away from investigating it, Reina is compelled to delve deeper into the dark corners of her city and the vodou community to find the truth.

The magic Reina possesses is gifted to her by Erzulie, the goddess of love. The water-based magic comes at a cost, as it draws its strength from her connection to Erzulie, as well as her own fluids at times. Reina can't use her magic for selfish means without facing backlash; trying to find her mother who went missing after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city means she loses a memory each time she tries to scry a location. She isn't supernaturally strong, and must prepare herself magically before going places she isn't comfortable with. Reina is at risk when she's up against burly people with weapons, and even her own ex undermines her authority or puts down the skills that she has because of his own narrow minded way of doing things. Later he hints at the political underpinnings to his actions, but it still feels like a too little, too late explanation for his behavior. I see why he's an ex, but not why they even got together in the first place.

I enjoyed the glimpses of Reina's relationships, from her romantic strain with Roman, the friendships in the community, the talks she has with her father, and even her relationship with Erzulie. Being a goddess that rides her body, Erzulie is a more disembodied and distant kind of figure, but Reina takes her relationship with her goddess and her faith seriously, and it does impact her choices and the way she moves forward. Vodou isn't the same as movies or tourists might see, it's a way of life and belief as any other religion would be, and the "true" practitioners that have a relationship with a god or goddess can feel the pull of power and imbue the ingredients they use. The vodou community isn't exempt from jealousy and power differentials, either, giving a fascinating look at their faith as well. Reina's love for her city and its people also shines through, and we get a view into a modern post-Katrina city and the fallout of the deadly hurricane. That adds a layer of realism and grounding to a novel where the magic is real and not just faith.

Characters and situations are extensively described, and some of Reina's speech or thoughts seems a little stilted in places. But I was still sucked into her story and feared for her, and wanted to shake her whenever she talked about Roman in a way that made it sound like she wanted to get back together with him. Yes, the characters are all messy and not always likeable. But that made them feel real to me, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of Reina's adventures.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a murder mystery set just adjacent to the world we know, where vodou magic is real, in New Orleans. The story lightly touches on some heavy political topics, like post-Katrina police death squads and corruption, but steers clear of being a rant against privilege. Reina is a very powerful vodou practitioner, but with a very humble and restrained manner. When she stumbles across a murder resulting in the incarceration of a fellow Mambo, she feels she must intervene. Her complicated past history with a police detective is both a help and a hindrance, but she is well connected with some other unlikely but highly effective resources including a local tavern owner who knows everyone and about everything, and a young female gangster. Reina is poor but tough and principled. The loss of her mother, the slightly estranged relationship with her father, her yearning for a child, and the lingering unraveled relationship with the detective give Reina a lot of depth. The story wraps up tidily, with the real perpetrator uncovered, the Mambo exonerated, and some dark secrets a little more exposed.

Thank you Netgalley and Veronica G Henry for the ARC of this book.

This book had great potential and I found the storyline really unique. I loved the world that is built and the detail that is described.

I found that there was something missing to fully grab me and I did take longer than expected to finish this book.

I was struggling with this one and I had to give up after 6 chapters. The writing is very detailed and I liked that but unfortunately nothing else. I liked the premise but I just couldn’t for the action to start.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thanks to Kayla from Wunderkind PR and to the author for providing me with this new book!

I immediately accepted the offer to review this book because of its intriguing premise. First, it was a mystery and I really like mysteries. Then, an unexpected element was added with the voodoo part, since the main character is a voodoo priestess or a Mambo if I want to be precise. So, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about a subject I am absolutely not familiar with!

Even if I am not the biggest fan of the writing style of the author which is way too descriptive for me, I have to admit that it creates a strong atmosphere and that I really had the feeling of travelling in New Orleans. Even the way the characters are talking is mimicking the Southern accent. My favourite parts were the moments when Reina was practising her magic, which were fascinating because I discovered an entire new witchcraft (if I can call it that way).

After a quick introduction of the main character and a bit of her background, the action is triggered and you are discovering other characters as Reina’s investigation is going on. I do not know if it is because of that or because of Reina’s numerous, digressing thoughts but I had some trouble remembering all the characters. I usually like the first-person narration but here I was given too many details at the same time and it slowed both the action and my reading. However, if you are a reader who is most of all character-driven, this narration might actually be for you.

I think my favourite aspect of the book was the integration of some social issues to the plot. In A Quarter of Storm, the author is talking about some important topics such as injustice and discrimination. And these are even more powerful since Reina is one of the victims. Coupled with the first-person narration, it allows the reader to live what is happening with her.

In brief: It was an interesting book, even if the pace was a bit too slow and the mystery simple for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had had in mind that I will be reading a mystery which is just an excuse to talk about other subjects such as injustice and the voodoo culture.

I think this had a lot of potential and wasn’t a bad story at all! It was a bit of a slow start, but I enjoyed the concept of the plot. It was a really quick read, but that was maybe a potential issue. I think if the plot had been fleshed out a bit more this would’ve been a 5 star read!

I couldn’t get into this. I think the writing style wasn’t for me and although the premise was good, I couldn’t get my head around all the different terms for things mentioned in this book and surrounding the magic.

Set deep within New Orleans, The Quarter Storm follows Reina a Voudou priestess who soon after helping a client a murder case arises and the community is on high alert as one of their own is behind bars. Reina is determined to find out who or what is behind the crime before it’s too late.

The further we get into this case the further readers get connected to Reina. Reina is a caring person who carries a hard exterior. Haunted by the past with her mother, her past relationship with Roman (the detective), she struggles to move forward in her life. Among her crime-solving efforts, Henry’s detailed writing gives us a glimpse of New Orleans culture and a deeper insight into the Voudou community. Readers feel as we are walking in Reina’s shoes as we travel to each part of the city hopefully getting one step closer to finding out what happened. But as with most mysteries, the web of lies and secrets becomes more entangled the deeper Reina tries to save one of her own.

“That Salimah Grenade was a human being meant that we should all care if she’d been wrongly accused. That’s what kept the rest of us human. And when what you believed in most, your religion, was called into question, that just added fuel to the fire. Sometimes caring put you in harm’s way. It could mean your life would be upended like ours had. It could cost you your family, your respect, even…”

Though The Quarter Storm has a steady pace throughout its narrative I felt that it moved quite slowly for a mystery/thriller novel. I think because the descriptive writing style at times can be a bit wordy and this aspect of the novel sometimes took me out of the story. I found that there were spots where it gets very interesting and then the pace of the plot would slow once again. I do wish readers got to see a little more of New Orleans rather than the few regular places that Reina frequented during her investigation but I did enjoy the setting and location for the novel.

All in all, this novel was an exciting reading experience. It was definitely different from any previous mystery novel I’ve read before and I like the New Orleans setting and heavy supernatural twist while trying to untangle a web of lies surrounding a murder.

The Quarter Storm by Veronica G. Henry

9781542033916

287 Pages
Publisher 47North
Release Date: March 1, 2022

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction, Sci Fi, Magic, Vodou, New Orleans

Mambo Reina Dumond is a Vodou practitioner in New Orleans. She has a small business compared to Houngan Lucien Alexander. When a body is found dismembered and ready for the oven, the owner of the apartment and Voodoo Real store, practitioner Salimah Grenade is charged. Reina takes it upon herself to prove that no Vodoun practitioner would perform such a ritual and murder. Her ex-lover, Detective Roman Frost, has other ideas. He is a Christian and does not believe in Vodou. He does not like that Reina is interfering in his investigation and lets her know it.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. There are references in the book that made me believe there was a previous book, but this is the first in the series. I was really drawn to Reina because she believes in herself and her religion. If you enjoy books about magic, you will like this one.

The book was hard to get into at first due to the slow start and introduction of the characters, but after a while I found myself enjoying New Orleans and its magical world of it. The gloomy atmosphere was top tier and I liked learning about Vodou
I did find the murder mystery and depth to the character lacking though. For the bigger part of the book the MC was running around and chatting with people, people were telling her to stay away but she wouldn't listen. The synopsis of this book was very promising but it failed to execute it well.
I will be checking out the other books from the author, given that her general idea was great and her writing will get better and better as she keeps working.

Thanks to Netgalleyvand the publishers for giving me an ARC. This is my honest review.

I found this to be a fascinating read. This was mainly due to the things I learned about the practice of Voudou. The MC is a Mambo and this lent the book interest, creating a rich atmosphere.

The MC becomes involved in solving a mystery. The mystery (which she resolves) is pretty basic and fails to lend much intrigue.

However the characters are very well depicted. I look forward to learning more about them in the next book.

LOVED working on this. I have had the privilege of working with Veronica on BACCHANAL, her debut, and her sophomore novel is just as whimsical, powerful and fantastic.

This mystical mystery is an intriguing look into present-day New Orleans and the different communities that live there. If you are looking for an Urban Fantasy with a bit of Mystery and New Orleans flare, this book is worth checking out!

Mambo Reina Dumond and a Vodou practitioner gifted with water magic. Dedicated to the traditional ways, Reina has healing practice she runs from her home. Though she wants the money a prime location in the French Quarter would bring, Reina is content to keep to herself. However, when a murder is discovered above the shop of another vodouisant, Reina finds herself dragged in the middle of a mystery that threatens to destroy them all.

Though there are some magical elements woven in, a lot of the story surrounds Vodou beliefs and practices. As someone completely unfamiliar with Vodou, I found this introduction insightful and loved how it was depicted. Though a mystery at heart, this story is truly an atmospheric exploration of post-Katrina New Orleans. Where no element is explored in particularly great detail, the story is woven into a setting that represents all the complexities of this vibrant and diverse city. Reina has a loving but complicated relationship with New Orleans and its people which makes her experiences even more compelling.

Despite its success at creating a vibrant setting with (mostly) compelling characters, the story itself is pretty straightforward. There is so much potential to really explore different social issues and/or create deeper meaning in Reina’s journey that isn’t fully reached. For lack of a better way to describe it, I loved reading it to the point where I feel that there should be some lingering moments and there just…isn’t?

Overall, this atmospheric, cozy murder mystery with some New Orleans flare is bound to delight Urban Fantasy fans. Content Warnings Include: Dismemberment, Murder, and Police Brutality (non-explicit)

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

I loved how atmospheric The Quarter Storm was. While we didn't get a full immersion into New Orleans, what locations we visited were always well drawn out. But my favorite part was definitely the Vodou and how it was depicted and how Veronica Henry managed to world build this novel with magic. The scenes where the main character, Mambo Reina Dumond, used her magic were the best parts of this book.

Unfortunately, I felt like the book blurb for The Quarter Storm over promised and the novel under delivered.

The murder mystery of the novel took away from the stronger writing of the setting and the Vodou, in my opinion. It distracted and the problem never felt like an actual threat until the very end. Plus, the plot felt weakly constructed. There was never a pull or an understanding as to why the MC needed to figure out what was going on instead of letting the professionals handle it. On top of that, the "love interest" was a terrible human being and it made no sense while the ex would even have been a thing to begin with and making the detective her ex who was still slightly in the picture felt forced to help move the plot.

Honestly, if this book would have been just about New Orleans and Vodou and Mambo Reina Dumond's magic and powers, I would have enjoyed it quite a bit more.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for providing me access to an eARC to review!

I picked this up because I've had Bacchanal on my radar for a little while and thought this might be a good way to introduce myself to the author. Maybe my lack of enjoyment was partly my fault as I wanted to go into it pretty blind so I was expecting this to lean more fantasy/horror like Bacchanal seems to, but it is definitely in the crime/mystery camp (with some fantasy/magical bits sprinkled in).

There were some elements I enjoyed though. The book deals a lot with the city of New Orleans and its development post-Hurricane Katrina, and there were some interesting conversations about gentrification, community, and the commodification of voudou. The main character was also dealing with issues of belonging and identity, especially as she finds herself losing memories each time she uses voudou to try and find her missing mother. The voudou rituals and local dishes themselves were also described in a lot of detail, and the author had clearly done her research in this regard!

I did find the mystery and characters a bit lacking though. A lot of the story is the protagonist just going around talking to people, them warning her away from her investigation, and then her convincing herself that she must continue anyway. Despite all the history included, I feel that the book read at times like you were being presented a lot of facts about New Orleans and its people without being fully immersed in the more intimate elements of the setting. When a lot of the book is the protagonist having conversations with people, I feel you need to really connect with the characters and the situation and I found this unfortunately lacking. I think in particular I didn't understand a lot of the main character's motivations or personality traits - she has a cop ex-boyfriend who is nothing but a douchebag to her and openly discredits her voudou practices but she still swoons over him when he does the bare minimum (he also threatens to beat up her teenage friend and she doesn't seem concerned in the slightest), in the beginning there are a few paragraphs which interrupt the story to explain how much the character wants a child of her own but then we never talk about it again, and she didn't seem to be particularly passionate about her voudou business (though maybe this is part of the commentary on the commercialisation of her spirituality).

Apart from the rather gory description of the murder, this read a lot like a cozy mystery, but without the charm. In Daisies for Innocence there was murder, complicated relationships with exes, and a main character with a small business, but there was also time spent with friends and doing leisurely tasks which made you feel more connected to the characters and the community. I think this would have benefitted from the protagonist having more down time alone or with friends where she was doing things she loved, instead of her being so focused on the mystery the whole time. I also didn't find the mystery element itself very compelling (the dark magic working against her that's mentioned in the blurb never really appeared in my opinion) so I think more elements like the above could have strengthened the overall story. While there was a little of this right at the end, I don't think enough time was spent fleshing out the main characters and the setting to make me want to continue with the series.

I think Henry tries to tackle some big topics - commercialisation of spiritual practice, police brutality/abuse of power, poverty - but these are not interwoven with the central mystery enough to fully explore them and flesh out the world of the story. The inclusion of cultural elements like food and voudou were interesting to read about, but I didn't find the mystery compelling or the characters particularly interesting.

CW: mentions of police murders/brutality, description of dismembered corpse, gun violence, neglected children