VOODOO THAT YOU DO By Richard Helms Trade Paperback, 325pp.
Back Alley Books
Richard Helms's nice-guy protagonist, Pat Gallegher,
witnesses the murder of his friend and finds himself drawn
back into a life he thought was behind him.
Because of a kind of blackmail by the local Mafia boss, he
finds himself trying to track down the killer of his friend
Hotshot Spano. This takes him into the various elements of
the New Orleans underworld including not just the Mafia, but
the invading Vietnamese and the long-entrenched darkness of
Voodoo.
Along the way, Gallegher tries to save a little girl from her
abusive, organized crime-connected father, while developing a
relationship with a an attractive director of a local runaway
shelter.
Helms takes us through the back streets of New Orleans and
the backwaters of the Louisiana Bayou. He dips us into the
cult of Voudan
(Voodoo) and he introduces us to the sometimes-insensitive
child custody courts.
In one scene, which I think is particularly strong he
has a one-on-one confrontation with an investigating officer
who just won't stay off his back.
Gallegher struggles with danger not only to himself, but to
those he cares for, but he gets the job done and all is again
right with the world.
VOODOO THAT YOU DO is an excellent read, complete with not
just interesting characters and a colorfully painted
background, but with a well-constructed story and strong
emotional involvement.
An excellent read.
Jack Bludis
===== THE BIG SWITCH, by Jack Bludis http://designimagegroup.com/bigswitch.html
Coming in September, THE DEAL KILLER
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