Enamored: Lucien Caye Private Eye Novel

Lucien Caye Private Eye #2

by O'Neil De Noux

Enamored A New Orleans Crime Novel She crossed Canal Street from the neutral ground, walked right past me and I watched her come and go, both views unforgettable. I’m not kidding. A woman can do that on occasion, sear an indelible image in a man’s mind. She was the woman in gray. That’s how I thought of her the following days as she popped in and out of my mind, tapping me on the shoulder over coffee, whispering in my ear, “I was real.” I didn’t obsess over her image. It just came and went, more like a photograph than a motion picture, although she had moved quite nicely. She remained a snapshot, the woman in gray, until a week later when she stepped from the darkness beneath the balcony of my building shortly after midnight, on a sultry Thursday night – Thus begins the most elusive case in New Orleans private eye Lucien Caye’s career, a case of lust and murder, a case that will baffle him, intrigue him, make him fall in love – three times. The case of a desirable woman enamored of a undesirable man defies understanding, yet the human heart rarely listens to the human brain. A smart guy like Lucien should know better, but his mind has trouble controlling his libido, much less his heart.

216 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2012

About the author

O'Neil Paul De Noux was born on 29 November 1950 in New Orleans.

Reviews

[Misterg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half way through this book I was listening to a radio programme and heard the phrase "murder your darlings". This applies perfectly to this novel. The basic premise is fine, and shows the author's obvious love of 1940/50s Private I stories. The internal dialogue often proves this. There are, however, a few typos/spelling errors and even wrong words (I would except, instead of I would expect).

But my main gripe concerns the aforementioned "darlings". The tale is anchored in place by reports of the outbreak of the Korean war, as well as sporting highlights. These take up far more space than is necessary for the story, and are easily skipped without losing the plot. The same goes for the "erotic" content. Much of this could be hinted at, rather than taking pages of detail. It even "retells" the scenes from a book the main protagonist is reading.

As a story there is plenty going for it.
As a book; time to prune out the deadwood and gain more stars.

Would I read another? Probably not unless heavy editing had taken place.