Jazz Funeral

Julie Smith

1/13/2002

Guests are arriving at Hamson Brocato's home for his annual fund raising dinner to support the New Orlean's Jazz Fest. Unfortunately, the host does not welcome them in. Instead, he is found on his kitchen floor, a knife through his heart. And his younger half sister is missing. Did she see something? Was she kidnapped? Or did she kill him? Melody Brocato had been at her brother's home the afternoon of Ham's death. Where is she now?

Officer Skip Langdon is one of the guests at the fund raiser. She immediately takes on this case as the Homicide detective rather than enjoying the musical evening she had been anticipating. She becomes involved in the search for Melody, now a 16-year-old runaway hiding out in The Quarter. Skip's lover, Steve Steinman, is in New Orleans to film the Festival for Brocato to help raise money for future Festivals and New Orleans music. He has been staying with Skip, both enhancing and complicating her personal life.

This is an excellent mystery thriller. While Skip Langdon is the ongoing protagonist of this mystery series, this is the Brocatos' story. It follows Melody as she runs away from a horror in her life. It follows her parents as they cope with Ham's death and try to find her. It follows Ham's lover as she tries to set up a new life. The Brocatos come to life here. Melody's teen-aged angst drives her into the side of human nature many of us never want to face. Will she be able to return? And who killed her half-brother?

Intertwined all the way through Jazz Funeral is New Orleans Jazz. That is as much of the story as any of the characters. Even if you have not read any of the Skip Langdon novels, you can still read and enjoy this book.

You can find more about this book at .

Notice: Sexual situations

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Kindness of Strangers
Crescent City Kill
82 Desire
Mean Woman Blues