Louisiana Hotshot

Talba Wallis #1

By: Julie Smith

Narrated by: Nan McNamara

Confirmed grump Eddie Valentino placed the ad. Hotshot 20-something Talba Wallis knew exactly how to answer it.

And thus was born the dynamic duo of New Orleans private detectives, one cynical, 65-year-old Luddite white dude with street smarts, and one young, bright-eyed, 21st century African-American female poet, performance artist, mistress of disguise, and computer jock extraordinaire. Think Queen Latifah and Danny DeVito.

In Louisiana Hotshot, their job is to hunt down a sociopath and pedophile who's molested the 14-year-old daughter of their client, hangs out on the ragged edges of the rap and recording industries, and has more powerful allies than a Cabinet member.

But both detectives have unfinished business from the past - in Eddie's case, something he deeply regrets; in Talba's, a personal mystery, one so frightening no one will help her investigate. But she knows she won't sleep till she solves it - and the truth will change her forever.

©2001 Julie Smith (P)2016 Julie Smith

Story great, narration...so-so

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Narrator mispronounced many words, including "dudgeon" (she pronounced it dungeon), "demonic" (de-moan-ic) and more. She also didn't understand the "Yat" New Orleans accent. It's only Brooklyn-esque, not full-on Brooklyn. She also made too many of the voices cartoonish or childish.

In narration, less is usually more.

enjoyable

fast paced, comical, Louisiana based detective story. New Orleans is the perfect setting for this story.

Great pace & energy

Loved this one. The narration was lively & fitting for the story. Great characters. I look forward to reading more of the series.

Captivating story

What made the experience of listening to Louisiana Hotshot the most enjoyable?

The interaction of the characters was fun

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot had a few surprises and twists

What about Nan McNamara’s performance did you like?

Her voice was interesting as she voiced the different characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Suspense in the quarter

Loved it!

Loved it! Poem in beginning was a little different, but made sense as the story progressed .Cannot wait to listen to the next book in the series.!!

I Really Loved This Audiobook

First up, just a little warning, this book is described as a Humorous Mystery but if you are expecting a cozy, just be aware that there is some strong language flying around!
It all begins with Talbas' mother, Miz Clara, thinking it about time her daughter got herself a job, she scans the ads. and discovers this gem:
"Nerd wanted. Nerdette wouldn’t be too bad. Young hotshot, under thirty, 5 yrs. computer, 10 yrs. investigative exp. Harvard ed., no visible piercings. Must play the computer like Horowitz played piano. Slave wages".
The ad. was placed by private detective Eddie Valentino but what neither he nor Talba knew was that Angela, Eddies daughter, had written a spoof ad., never imagining that he would actually run it!
Not worrying about such trifles as arranging an interview, Talba goes online, gets the lowdown on Eddie (and his family) and off she goes to see him. Eddie, feeling a bit blindsided isn't sure that Talba is quite suitable, despite the fact that she tells him that she is as much of a hotshot as he is likely to get.
Angela can't believe that someone actually answered the advertisement, she does a background check and discovers that Talba is a poet, the Baroness de Pontalba no less!
That night Angela takes Eddie and her mother to watch Talba perform. Talba gets the job.
The Poem
Tabitha raps out a poem about how she got her name, not Tabitha, not the Baroness, but a name that a cruel minded doctor suggested to Miz Clara. I loved this poem, and this is where audiobooks come in to their own, actually hearing it being recited (or rapped?) really conveyed the story in all its poignancy. The cruelty and humiliation of the name becomes more evident as the story progresses
Eddie has problems of his own so Talba takes on more than she ought, her lack of experience lands her in a few difficulties. She then adds to her problems by going against the wishes of her family by insisting on uncovering a long held secret.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery and humour, but wants something a little deeper and more complex.

Narrator
Narrated by Nan McNamara who did such a wonderful job of giving each character a distinct voice and personality. I've never been a follower of rap poetry but I have to say, her rendition of Talbas' poem was, quite simply, outstanding and not likely to be soon forgotten.
Audiobook provided by the producer, author or narrator for an unbiased review

Love this series

I want to be clear that my only reason for rating the performance a four instead of a five, because the reader did an excellent job, was my feeling that she should have sounded more ethnic. Not in accent or dialect, (though that would be fine) but in the force of personality that just oozes from Talba off the page when I read the actual book. However, this series is absolutely worth a listen no matter who reads it.

Awesome

I gave an overall rating of 3 because of the language. If I had know ahead of time that is was going to be full of foul language , I would not have read it. I finished the book dispite the language, because the story was so good. But I hate to say it, I won't be reading any more of Ms. Smith's books because of the language.

I Know People Like This

Talba Wallis is a very smart young woman who gets a job as a new investigator for an established Private Investigator. While working on her first job she finds things about her past. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book in the series.

Great cozy mystery

I received this audible edition for free for a honest review.. I highly recommend this for true cozy mystery readers.. cute, cuddly and suspicious.. thanks Julie Smith