Casting Bones

Having lived in New Orleans, I can honestly say Don Brun's depiction of New Orleans with its culture, food and corruption rings true. Bruns introduces readers to a New Orleans where the rich feed on the poor, and African Americans are an easy scapegoat. Politicians, judges, and the police are all looking out for number one, while vast numbers of tourists are only interested in the decadent diversions New Orleans has to offer.

Quentin Archer is a rare cop, a straight cop who had to leave his job in Detroit when an attempt to out drug trafficking cops, including his two brothers went awry. His wife was murdered as a warning, and he daily receives threatening phone calls. Quentin isn't willing to take the easy "out" of accusing a young ex-con for the murder of a judge. He wants to find the truth. Quentin's integrity makes Solange, a talented mambo, willing to share what she has discovered of the crime spiritually, despite the risks.

Casting Bones captivates the reader, pulling them into a New Orleans at once dark and colorful, where magic still weaves its way through life and its residents remain loyal despite the corruption of leaders. Casting Bones is a magnificent mystery that focuses on a very pertinent topic - the issue of private prisons and the corruption they encourage. Take a trip to the Big Easy and explore its depths in Casting Bones - if you like serious police procedurals you won't be disappointed.

5/5

I received a copy of Casting Bones from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom
(11/3/16)

Casting Bones by Don Burns is a superbly written 1st book in a series intoducing Queten Archer as a detective in the Big Easy. Casting Bones was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley.
Quentin Archer was a former Detroit Detective, who left after the hit & run of his beloved wife . Her death occured shortly after his fight to correct the corruption of the Detroit PDwhich involved his own family.
So he moved to New Orleans & was hired by the NOPD .
His first assignment was the murder of a Juvinille Justice Judge and Q. Archer soon discovers some shady connections & dark secrets involving the murder & involvement of other prominent figures associated with a secret organization.
A young beauty who has many gifts of the Voodoo practice begins to help him in his investigation when she begins to read the mind of a patient. The patient never speaks & is the nursing & rehab center where her mother lives & where she volunteers.
This is one of those books that you will stay up reading & be glad you did!

Quentin Archer catches the case of a murdered judge in the Big Easy. Let’s face it, any judge has plenty of enemies and Quentin has to sift through criminals, crooked cops, a bartender on the take and numerous eccentric locals. His real break comes when he befriends voodoo queen Solange Cordray. While visiting her mother in a nursing home, Solane reads the mind of another patient and learns that an organization known as the Krewe Charbonerrie is behind the murder, and that’s not all. This is a thrilling ride into the dark underbelly of New Orleans, a city I know and love

This is an atmospheric thriller set in the Big Easy and its attendant voodoo culture, mysticism, spells, and magic. It is swamped with murders. We are in post Katrina New Orleans where a grieving Detective Quentin Archer has recently located to escape his experience of elements of corruption in Detroit PD, his criminal family and the murder of his wife, Denise. In a city with corrupt politicians and police, Quentin is to discover that New Orleans is even worse than Detroit. It begins with Solange Cordray, who has an impeccable lineage in the practice of Voodoo, being made aware that a murder of a judge will occur and that it is connected with the powerful group that is Krewe Charbonnier. Her source is a important man with a questionable past suffering from dementia. Solange has no idea what to do with this information as months later a judge is indeed found dead.

Quentin's policy of keeping his head down is blown away with the brutal murder of the hardline judge, David Lerner, as he attempts to do the right thing by pursuing the truth. Only the NOPD is less concerned about following connections that lead to the most powerful men in the city than framing a young black man by planting evidence. The only leads Quentin has are gained from the most unorthodox of sources, Solange, who can forsee danger coming his way and supplies him with a gris gris bag to help protect him. She reads the future for her clients through the casting of bones and casts spells. To Quentin's consternation, the gris gris bag does save him. He is inexorably drawn to Solange, who has further information for him.

The evidence connects the dead judge with the private River Bend Prison. In a twisted trail, there are further murders including two more judges, an unwelcome suicide, corruption everywhere and ruthless killers. Quentin and Solange find themselves working together to get to the truth. The past rears its head for Quentin in terms of his family and the possibility that he is closer to discovering exactly who killed his wife.

The first in this series is a wonderful story, with great characters in Quentin and Solange. There are a number of other characters that add ambience who aid Quentin such as Matebo, a pickpocket, and Mike, the bartender. I look forward to the next in the series. Enjoyed this hugely and recommend highly. Thanks to Severn House for an ARC.

Casting Bones by Don Bruns

302 Pages
Publisher: Severn House, Severn House Publishers
Release Date:

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, New Orleans, VooDoo

In New Orleans, Solange Cordray is a Voodoo Priestess following in her mother’s footsteps. Quinton Archer is a detective recently located from Detroit. He and his partner, Adam Strand, were assigned the murder investigation of Judge David Lerner. His body was found shot and thrown in the river. Antione Duvay, a young juvenile offender, Lerner previously sentenced was charged with the murder although Archer did not believe him to be guilty.

Archer has his own issues to deal with. He is still trying to find who killed his wife Denise in Detroit. He had one brother arrested as part of a drug ring. Another brother is on the run and is stalking Archer. Solange is getting information from a nonverbal patient at the retirement house where she volunteers. She gives the information to Archer, but he has a hard time believing her.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. This is the first book in the series so I am sure the characters will develop more through the series. In this book, Archer has a hard time fitting in and spends a lot of time dwelling on Detroit. If you like books about New Orleans, Voodoo with a mystery, you will enjoy this book.