From the book cover- Burke Basile is a cop with nothing left to lose. Responsible for his partner's death, his marriage and his career over, he focuses on his nemesis, Pinkie Duvall, a flamboyant attorney who helps killers evade justice. Burke's shocking revenge centers around kidnapping Remy, the laywer's trophy wife. But Burke hasn't planned on the electric attraction he'll feel for this desperate woman, who rose from the slums of New Orleans to marry a man she can nevery love. Nor could he have ever predicted the fierce duel that will explode amid the Mardi Gras madness, as the clock ticks toward midnight of Fat Tuesday-when all masks are stripped away, and Burke must confront his own ugly secret.The publisher's review quotes “Fat Tuesday” as one of Sandra Brown’s best romantic thrillers, but I beg to differ. But I will start out with what I could find that was positive. It started out really great, because it didn't explain right away what had actually happened with Burke Basile's partner. I really liked the character of Basile, who was a cop that was involved with an unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of his partner. He also was part of an unfortunate marriage where he finds his wife cheating on him....and she's not very remorseful...a certain word starting with a b comes to mind. The author also kept the reader guessing. So yes, there were parts I enjoyed and liked mainly since it was fluently written and the lead characters were flawed and sometimes endearing, not withstanding the stereo-types.And now to the things that really annoyed me. First of all was the character Pinkie Duvall. I hated this character from the get go. Pinkie Duval, a 50 something attorney who gets all the bad guys off the hook and is a bad guy himself. He allows his bad guy clients work for him doing general bad guy stuff and is involved in the drug trade. Pinkie is also pedophile in my opinion. He sends a girl, Remy, who is the daughter of a prosititue who has left her children on the street to a private Catholic school in hope that she will stay pure for him. He marries her right after high school graduation and treats her like a posession and is obsessive(and that is a very light word to use to describe Pinkie's feelings about Remy) about her. Remy has a little sister and to take care of her, because Pinkie is worried that the sister will take Remy's attention away from him, sends her to the same school. This story line made me sick and it wasn't convincing to me. The overall story might have been more interesting if there were more character development and more action. Also, I thought the romance between Remy and Basile was flat and didn't have much time to develop. Definitely not very believable to me.As far as the writing goes I picked up many of the typical trappings of this genre, especially towards the conclusion. The more I read, the more selective I get I suppose. These days I'm looking for originality and authenticity, and I didn't find it here. This book was just ok....an easy read with the same old plot where the good guy comes out glorious after a great deal fighting and trauma. 2 stars.
Sandra Brown is great at creating skin-crawling villains, and this book is no exception to the rule in that department. In this glitzier version of the Richard Gere-Kim Basinger cinema classic “No Mercy,” Burke Basile is a burned-out cop on the edge. When the man responsible for the death of his partner, Kev Stuart, beats a murder rap, and then Burke goes home to find his wife in the shower with another man, he slips over the edge. He’s helped along when he develops an obsession for the beautiful wife of his bitter enemy, defense attorney, Pinkie Duvall.Pinkie is the slimy lawyer who got scumbag Wayne Bardo off when charged with Kev Stuart’s murder. Because of corruption in the New Orleans Police Department, his power and influence, and connections with the city’s criminal element, Pinkie is untouchable. Almost as untouchable as his gorgeous wife Remy, who he shows off like a playmate while she’s on his arm, but is otherwise kept under lock and key. Pinkie acquired Remy when she was 17 and gave her not a moment of freedom since. Aside from the innocent people Pinkie would hurt if she left, Pinkie also holds Remy’s 16-year-old sister over her head. Fearful of what Pinkie would do to Flarra, Remy gave up fighting long ago.Then one day, Burke Basile snapped and devised a plan, with an unwilling sex offender posing as a priest to help him, to kidnap Remy Duvall. Feeling he has nothing to live for, he vows to avenge Kev Stuart’s death, no matter if he dies or goes to prison in the process. While Burke hides Remy in the swamp, Pinkie Duvall sends the force of his manpower out to find her, while deflecting interference from the pesky FBI, who might delve into things he’d rather keep secret. At the same time, there’s a dirty cop in the NOPD, and Burke Basile isn’t sure who he can trust. The tension builds, practically from the first page, until the satisfying climax at Pinkie Duvall’s blowout Fat Tuesday costume party.In addition to her creepy villains, Sandra Brown has also created colorful protagonists, people with deep flaws and personal demons who find redemption in each other. Their love affair comprises only a small portion of this story, but it is no less important for its minimal presence. Remy and Burke had lost hope of having joy in their lives, had even resigned themselves to death, but when they found each other, it gave both a very strong reason to live, and more than a little hope. It is this that carries them through the insurmountable problems they face, and helps them take down a very dangerous and powerful man. The 90’s spawned some of the best romantic suspense I’ve read, and this book is a fine example. Sandra Brown is an author not to miss.
What do You think about Fat Tuesday (2015)?
I should do my reviews straight away. LOL, I know I liked it but not sure if it was a 4 or 5 star read. I read it over 3 weeks ago... I know, I know, my memory is dreadful. It was good though, I do remember that. Burke Basile is a cop with nothing left to lose. Haunted by his partner's death, his marriage and his career over, he focuses on his nemesis, Pinkie Duvall, a flamboyant attorney who helps killers evade justice. Burke's shocking revenge centers around kidnapping Remy, the lawyer's trophy wife. But Burke hasn't planned on the electric attraction he'll feel for this desperate woman, who rose from the slums of New Orleans to marry a man she can never love. Nor can he predict the fierce duel that will explode as the clock ticks toward midnight on Fat Tuesday, when all masks will be stripped away--and Burke must confront his own terrifying secret. With that, his lips searched blindly for hers. He kissed her hard, crushing her mouth first at one angle, then another, and yet another. He was awkward, clumsy even. But ravenous men eat gracelessly
—Mo
More than a decade after it was first released in the United States, former model and TV weather presenter turned prolific bestselling author Sandra Brown’s tale of a New Orleans narcotics cop’s vengeful battle with a corrupt defence attorney, has been published in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for the first time.Brown, a native Texan, began her award-winning writing career in 1981, and has since penned seventy novels, including fifty-six New York Times bestsellers and several #1 bestsellers, including Fat Tuesday. Over the years her writing has shifted from romance fiction under a variety of pseudonyms to suspense thrillers.Fat Tuesday opens with the acquittal of the man NOPD detective Burke Basile blames for the shooting death of his partner, before following Basile’s increasingly wild attempts to seek revenge on powerful defence attorney Pinkie Duvall. Basile targets Duvall not only because of the acquittal, but because he suspects Duvall of being an underground drug kingpin and well-connected, protected crime lord.Feeling betrayed by friends, co-workers and an adulterous wife, Basile eventually kidnaps Duvall’s beautiful wife Remy in the lead-up to Mardi Gras, hiding her at an isolated fishing camp. Brown takes the reader on an often violent rollercoaster ride from sumptuous garden parties to crack-infested backstreets, bordellos to alligator-filled Louisiana swamps, as Basile tries to dodge corruption both outside and inside the NOPD as he aims for Duvall’s jugular. His plan becomes further complicated by his increasing attraction to Remy, an attraction that seems reciprocated.Fat Tuesday is an enjoyable read. Although it has moments veering towards Brown’s pulp romance past, an exciting story and interesting characters carry the reader along on a fun journey filled with fake priests, shot-gun toting hillbillies, corrupt cops, and betrayal at every turn. It’s the type of book many readers could curl up with for sheer pleasure. This review was first published in the 3 April 2009 issue of NZLawyer magazine.
—Craig Sisterson
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads last month. Once I had a day or two to read, I finished this book in one sitting. The characters are interesting yet imperfect which makes the story that much more interesting. I found this to be a page turner with a unique premise. Burke Basile, a New Orleans Detective, leaves the police department in the aftermath of a drug bust gone bad in which he accidentally kills his best friend and partner. In order to get revenge against the criminal attorney he is convinced is at the helm of the drug ring, Basile decides to kidnap the attorney’s trophy wife. Twists and turns follow and ultimately what seems like an impossible situation to overcome ends happily.
—Jennifer
