Under the Cajun Moon

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www.mindystarnsclark.com

Under the Cajun Moon
Mindy Starns Clark
2009

The Summary
When Chloe Ledet, an international expert in business and social etiquette, learns her father has been gravely wounded, she rushes home to New Orleans; however, she becomes embroiled in a police investigation and a dangerous plot that involves murder, buried treasure, and intrigue.

Now on the run with an high school friend, Chloe must evade the police and an anonymous murderer if she wants to stay alive - and uncover the secret her father has kept hidden for more than forty years.

The Good
Although it took some time to really sink into the story, it was intriguing.  I especially enjoyed when the novel veered into the past.  With Under the Cajun Moon, you actually have two perspectives to follow:  Jacques Soleil (his story) and Chloe Ledet (her personal narrative).

It's fascinating to see how the stories change and how they interweave.  At first, I didn't see how the stories even connected.  I mean, you have Jacques who is a goldsmith in 18th century France and Chloe who is an etiquette savvy businesswoman in modern America.  It's difficult to see the link between them, until you realize there's more to the story - and, more importantly, more to the random shooting that injures her father.

I also enjoyed the descriptions within Mindy Clark's novel.  The details afford to New Orleans and the surrounding areas really gives the reader a feel for the environment and, more to the point, the challenges which Chloe will face in her search.

The Bad
To be perfectly honest, I struggled a bit reconciling the religious undertone of Chloe's story - she does indeed go through a crisis of faith during the course of her story - and the sense of suspense and adventure as she and Travis Naquin go in search of buried treasure.

I have no problem with the addition of faith, merely how it appeared to pop up abruptly (at least to me) in the middle of what I assumed was an action-adventure tale of buried treasure and romance.  I mean, I suppose I imagined something along the lines of Indian Jones-esque adventure - you know, an unexpected and reluctant hero thrown into tough situations - rather than the tame, semi-religious novel I received.

I'm not bashing Clark's work.  It's a good novel with solid development and enjoyable characters.  However, I'm simply pointing out it wasn't quite what I expected - although I suppose I should have taken the hint when I read the back cover:  "[Clark] offers another exciting standalone novel, one full of Cajun mystery...and the glow of God's unending grace."

Yeah.  In retrospect, that should have been a dead giveaway.

The Ugly
Murder.  Big thing right there.

Otherwise, Under the Cajun Moon is pretty tame.