eBook House of Blues download

Interesting characters, but way too many undeveloped story lines that detracted from the main plot. Vampires, crooked politicians, dysfunctional families, unresolved romantic relationships, drug addicts, jazz clubs, homosexuality - this book had it all - and had little to do with the murder/kidnapping case Skip was assigned to work. Poor editing, with many typos, and a pretentious vocabulary that lent nothing to the story. The ending brought very little closure, and I was sorry I had wasted the time reading this nonsense.

Confusing at best. I love NOLA & have enjoyed reading the Skip Langdon series but this one just doesn't cut it. Way too many subplots that don't have anything to do with the main story. The author wastes many pages talking about a puppy when it has no bearing on anything. I even forgot about the main story line. Not a good read at all. I do not recommend this book

While Julie Smith can write, I thought this was not a good effort. She included so much extraneous material that several times I put it aside and said I wouldn't waste more time on it. But, it was Julie Smith; it will get better. And it did. There was a good bit of suspense in the last third, and I finished it. But in truth, I think she needed an editor who would red-pen many sections and say, "Cut." Dump a fourth of it and you'd have a good suspense. That's just my opinion.

House of Blues is the best book I've read in a long time. It has real characters in real life situations, playful good romantic relationships and those that are not so lucky, excitement, mayhem, murder, grief and loss. Everything that makes it a good read and an exceptional piece of literature. Yet it has more, it connects with the reader, in any walk of life, anyone who has ever been caught in their own shortcomings, ever been the rock of any group of people and cracked, anyone who has been dealt the blow of realisation that some of us are made to look through the window of life from the other side, will not only enjoy this book but will come away in thoughtfulness, being comforted, satisfied.

Frankly, I don't understand how anyone could NOT like this book.

Julie Smith economically gives her characters depth: they not only bleed, they 'breathe' with the spark of life. She expertly uses description to deepen the reader's understanding of a character, relationship or situation - which seems to be a 'lost art' these days. To those of us who do our travelling from our arm chairs, she presents an interesting locale in an inviting way. And in place of the all too common - but expected - horrid sex scene, Smith's main character yearns for emotional connection and caress, not a quick rut in sweaty filth. Then Smith sensitively draws closed the curtain to leave her lovers their private intimacy.

Add to all of the above a fast-paced plot with new ideas and what's not to like?

If you're going to force me to 'criticize' something in this story, all I can point to is Smith's presentation of her Skip Langdon as somewhat of a lower-case 'superwoman' when she continues working after a physical ordeal that would have left mere mortals in a hospital recovery unit for three months. But avid readers - and lovers of 'cop/detective' stories - can appreciate that the limitations of fiction occasionally require telescoping and/or compression of time and events in order to move a story along.

I can't speak for the rest of you, but I'm sold!

"House of Blues" was my first encounter with Skip Langdon but from here on out, I'm collecting the work of Julie Smith.

There are so many things to love about HOUSE OF BLUES, the fifth entry in the Edgar Award-winning Skip Langdon Series. It’s unputdownable! Magnificently-constructed, the atmosphere of New Orleans is set in all its steamy contradiction. Half alive, half dead, the city is as complex as a Louisiana gumbo simmering on the stove and just as tasty. The characters are steeped in complexity and quirkiness, their depth all neatly conveyed by Ms. Smith’s ability to turn a phrase.

The murder of a grumpy old man, who is, in fact, a bully gets this novel off to an exciting start. After all, his wife, Sugar Hebert, only goes to run an errand and boom! She comes back to find her husband dead, and the rest of her family gone … as in disappeared … vanished. Wha’ happened? Are they dead as well or have they seeped into the woodwork like all the other secrets she’s been hiding? But it’s not just her, I mean, EVERYONE in this story has them! They make for very dirty, dirty, dirty consciences (did I mention “guilty” ones also?), but that doesn’t deter Skip Langdon from pursuing the leads and tracking down who did what to whom. She’s going to find those missing persons if it’s the last thing she does, and it just might be.

You meet so many diverse individuals on this journey that it’s difficult to fit them all in. And each is so exquisitely crafted that it brings a tear to the eye of a mystery lover like myself. Oh, and the choice of words! Somebody has been working in their vocabulary garden and pruned the orchids until a purity of thought was achieved. Some of my favorite passages? The recipe for successful writing: “Sit staring at paper until drops of blood form on forehead.” Then there’s an explanation of what green, blue and gold people are and, of course, a story on the planet where spaghetti grows. These are just absolutely perfect examples of how you amplify a character and turn them into being downright fascinating. I couldn’t get enough.

If you’re a lover of mysteries, or the written word, do yourself a favor and pick up this bad boy. In fact, I’ll relate a story to properly describe the experience of reading this novel. I used to work second shift in lower Manhattan. Consequently, I always took my break around 10:00 PM. I would go outside and eat my snack on a bench by the water. The evening would be perfectly still with the moon high up in the sky and the river tranquil. Every night around this time, a singles cruise ship that featured jazz would sail its way into view and approach. A sleek, white boat, its open decks allowed it to be seen … and heard. I’d hear the rich, sexy notes of a saxophone and the utterly cool, cool music and the heartbeat of that percussion. The gentle sound of laughter and conversation from the crowd spilling out onto the decks would fill in the syncopation as would passions erupting from those falling in love. That’s what HOUSE OF BLUES is … it’s a mystery found deep in the night when you’re being swept out to sea.

I'm giving it five stars.