Shelter From The Storm: A Hard-Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
This mystery is set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.When a murderous trio tries to rob a bank, a hard rain pounds the French Quarter and the bank they've just robbed. Coming out with their stolen goods, they find the streets flooded. They commandeer a rowboat. When an unsuspecting woman tries to hitch a ride, they shoot her pointblank and finally end up in a house where a couple of tourists are staying.One of the tourists realizes what's going on; the other cooks their meals and thinks it's all a lark.Unfortunately for the criminals, the dead woman had just hired our hero, seedy lawyer Tubby Dubonnet. Tubby, seeing her die before he can even start on her case, emerges from his normal lethargy to chase them down and avenge his client.The picture Dunbar paints of a flooded French Quarter is unforgettable. Memories of Hurricane Katrina come back, but even Katrina didn't do as much damage to the Quarter as a steady downpour.The suspense lies in whether or nor Tubby will find the trio and bring them to justice. (And whether he'll get together with the woman he's forced to room with during the flood.) The real story is what happens to New Orleans.Good read! There are 30+ books that share this title, but I'll bet this one is the most unique. First of all, we have an idealistic lawyer who stumbles into his heroic 15 minutes of fame. He runs head-first into an entangled web of circumstances involving a bank heist in New Orleans during Mardi Gras while an enormous storm goes full circle. The crime is an inside job, with gold and jewelry being taken for pretextual reasons, and the real loot being a legal document worth millions to a few powerful people. I really like how this author develops his characters, professionally and personally, and how colorfully and creatively he describes the city and it's inhabitants. Many feel a lack of closure when the book ends, as the lawyer's quest to find the criminal masterminds is really just beginning. I, however, recognize the first novel in what will become a series of adventures with the same protagonist when I see one.
What do You think about Shelter From The Storm: A Hard-Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (2013)?
Enjoyed this. The writing is solid, the story is well-crafted, the characters are compelling.
—chan
Good read. Moves along well. Ending leaves unanswered questions.
—sindy
