Book Description

From USA TODAY bestselling author Candice Proctor (aka C. S. Harris) comes an unforgettable tale of lust and murder set against the steamy, decadent backdrop of nineteenth-century New Orleans . . . Occupied New Orleans, 1863: When a beloved elderly doctor is killed by a silver-tipped crossbow bolt while visiting his wife's tomb, Federal provost marshal Zach Cooper is assigned to investigate. A career cavalry officer reluctantly sidelined by a battle wound, Zach soon finds himself dangerously attracted to one of the main suspects in the murder: the beautiful, mysterious young French widow Emmanuelle de Beauvais.As Zach's investigation takes him from the crumbling mansions of New Orleans's impoverished aristocracy to the slave gatherings of Congo Square and a Voodoo practitioner hidden deep in the treacherous swamps beyond the city, he becomes increasingly torn between duty and a blinding, all-consuming passion. And as one brutal murder follows another, Zach must race to unmask a vicious killer who may-or may not-be the woman he has come to love."Proctor is in top form here. A gripping plot, arresting characters and a thoroughly researched setting combine to make this a remarkable read." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Superbly suspenseful." BooklistFrom Booklist: When Zach Cooper, the provost marshal of the Union forces occupying New Orleans in 1862, meets Emmanuelle de Bourdonnay [sic] in the course of a murder investigation, he is attracted to the beautiful widow only to discover that she withholds the truth from him, if not her body, even as those close to her continue to die. Despite her anti-Yankee feelings and grudgingly revealed secrets, Zach comes to love her, fears for her safety, ignores his suspicions that she should be a suspect, and single-mindedly pursues his investigation of those who have been involved with Emmanuelle and her work at the Hospital de Santerre. Although this is a superbly suspenseful historical romance, the book's real appeal is its mood, for which Proctor has an obvious gift. The reader actually feels weighed down by the heat, humidity, despair, corruption, superstition, sense of foreboding, and hatreds of old New Orleans. Even knowing that the two lovers will commit to each other doesn't lessen the drama leading up to the exciting--and to some extent surprising--ending. Mary K. Chelton Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved.From Publishers Weekly (starred review): The Union occupation of New Orleans provides the backdrop for the latest novel from Proctor (Whispers of Heaven; Women, Equality and the French Revolution), a versatile author whose firsthand knowledge of the region and vivid descriptions infuse this story with a strong sense of place. A series of tragic incidents draw Emmanuelle de Beauvais, a widowed single mother and doctor who hates the occupying Union forces, and Zachary Cooper, a Union provost marshal, together. After witnessing the death of her old friend, Dr. Henri Santerre, Emmanuelle questions whether the arrow that killed him had really been meant for her. Her fear intensifies when other friends, also associated with the hospital, are murdered. Cooper initially suspects the self-possessed Emmanuelle of the crimes, but when a serious attempt is made on her life, Cooper's investigation takes him from the city's crowded docks to the homes of old aristocrats and even into a swamp to question a man renowned as a seer and an herbalist. The attraction between Cooper and Emmanuelle intensifies as they uncover a twisted web of passion and betrayal spun by those she trusts most. Proctor is in top form here. A gripping plot, arresting characters and a thoroughly researched setting combine to make this a remarkable read. (June 2)