This was the second book of the series Mr. Heck writes regarding Samuel Clemens' speaking tour. He has hired a bright young man from Yale, Wentworth Cabot, to act as his secretary/companion on his travels.

In this book, they have landed in New Orleans and meet with local writer George Washington Cable. He presents them with a mystery. A local politician was recently murdered and a young black man, the man's cook, has been charged with the murder. He had recently had a falling out with his employer so he must have done it. Cables' question to Clemens: Did he do it?

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at this week's meet up at Cafe Mozart in Evanston.

Caught this at the April Evanston BC Meet-Up last week. Thanks, marcus23!

I enjoyed the book, filled with New Orleans myth and culture. I did have a problem nearing the end of the book as the main narrator of the book seemed to change his style and use of phrases...Throughout the book he and the other locals refer to the spirit healers as users of "hoo doo". In the last 20 pages or so all the characters who had used the phrase "hoo doo" change and call it voodoo. Also the narrator referred through out the book to main characters as "black men"....and in the final pages changes to "colored men". Could just be an editor mistake situation but it did make an impact. Oh well, okay read otherwise.