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| Jana DeLeon |
Jana DeLeon
2012
The Summary
"It was a hell of a long shot...
"CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever--in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play. Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard.
"Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation might blow her cover and get her killed. Armed with her considerable skills and a group of elderly ladies the locals dub The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late."
The Good
I enjoyed reading Louisiana Longshot. Simultaneously fun and patently absurd, it's a quick and easy novel to read over a weekend--or, heck, even over a lazy afternoon. It's full of adventure, action, and humor, and it's incredibly fast-paced so you're dragged into one wacky adventure after another.
Yes, I was often shaking my head at their crazy antics, but I can't say I didn't enjoy the ride.
Moreover, Fortune Redding is a fun, quirky narrator with a sarcastic streak and a enjoyable sense of humor. She's one tough cookie and, honestly, she's pretty incredible. She's a CIA assassin on the run from one of the world's most powerful and dangerous arms dealers, and she's a highly skilled operative with years of experience. I found her rampant hostility and deadly skills incredibly charming, for some reason.
However, Fortune is not entirely acclimated to an average American life. Things like dating, forging friendships, cooking, cleaning, and acting as a normal person are rather difficult for her. Ask her to disassemble, clean, and reassemble a handgun while wearing a blindfold, and she could probably do it. But ask her to name the most popular people on American Idol, and she'd be hard pressed to answer.
I've found I don't really mind. I can't say I ever liked American Idol very much.
One of the things I liked best about Louisiana Longshot is the relationship between Gertie and Ida Belle. Known as The Geritol Mafia, they are members of the Sinful Ladies' Society--i.e. a secret group of spinsters and widows who basically run the town--and they're a duo of incredibly capable if a little unusual ladies. And their interactions are hilarious.
Lousiana Longshot--and the whole Miss Fortune Mystery series--is a fun, fast-paced adventure with quirky, but lovable characters. It's full of action, intrigue, and explosive mishaps (and a little bit of romance), which is sure to appeal to a variety of readers. It's just a lot of fun.
The Bad
Jana DeLeon's novel is more of a guilty pleasure than I'd like to admit. It's lots of fun, but it doesn't have a whole lot of substance. I'm not saying I didn't like it, but I don't think of it as a book that's going to make a big emotional impact on me. It's a good book with decent characters, fine writing, and incredible adventures, but I wouldn't put it at the top of my favorites list.
The Ugly
Murder.
Granted, the original murder occurred long before Fortune arrived; however, she did have to deal with the leftover bones--and she was endangered by a pair of unexpected murderers. It's not horrifically graphic, but it is a bit violent.
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