Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

Black Dust Mambo

by Adrian Phoenix

Pocket Books, July 2010

It begins with an especially vicious hoodoo murder. Not only did the victim suffer terrible anguish during his death throws, but when his body died so did his soul. Such hoodoo soul eating magic has come from a strong practitioner. Who could it be and more importantly why was it done? The man who died was Kallie Riviere's lover. Fairly soon it becomes clear that she was the intended target. Could it have something to do with her hoodoo family connections and her dark, tragic past?

When nomad Layne Valin discovers his comrade's body he vows to find the culprit. To do so he harnesses his gift as a vessel which allows him to commune with the dead. He touches his friend Gage's body hoping to discover the man's last moments. Instead the hex poison left behind transfers to Layne who starts to bleed profusely just as Gage did. Kallie knocks Layne away, but already he has stopped breathing. Using the little magic she knows Kallie begins to chant while picturing white light sucking the poison from his body. To her own relief and surprise Layne recovers, but with his recovery comes the anguished understanding of Gage's complete demise.

This is quite a powerful start to a novel populated with offbeat individuals from within the Cajun community of New Orleans. Kallie and others have come to the Big Easy for the Hecatean Alliance's annual carnival where humans show off there abilities to manipulate magic. One of the many fascinating characters is Lord Augustine, a rather pompous individual, with a "veddy" British accent who heads the Alliance. It is his group, he insists, that will track down the perpetrator of Gage's gruesome murder.

As the story continues the characters find themselves engaged in engrossing, complex twists and turns of plot. For readers there is something for everyone - magic, hexes, murderous hoodoo poppets, ghosts, possession, at least one bondage fantasy, and a wet boxer shorts contest. Throughout, the author immerses us in the sights, sounds, smells, and total atmosphere of New Orleans. An excellent start to a new series

Patricia Altner is a freelance writer, bibliographer, and researcher in vampire and paranormal fiction. Her book Vampire Readings: An Annotated Bibliography was published by Scarecrow Press in 1998.

Visit Patricia's Vampire Notes for the latest information on vampire and paranormal literature.