Under the Dixie Moon

Adel Destin #1

by Ro Cuzon

Charlie Huston’s Hank Thompson novels meet Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder series in this gritty neo-noir set in New Orleans.

Four years after Hurricane Katrina and the death of his wife, New Orleans bar owner Adel Destin has just kicked his heroin habit when Sondra Williams—an ex-junkie who once revived him from an overdose—begs him to help her find her missing sister. Adel has no choice but to accept, and soon is on the trail of a serial killer targeting women living on the fringe of society.

Navigating temptations from his old life, dirty NOPD cops, and friends who turn to enemies in the delta heat, Adel must find the killer or end up framed for murder.

Praise for Under the Dixie Moon:

“Ro Cuzon is among the rising stars of the new generation of noir novelists who are moving the form forward in exciting, innovative ways.”
George Pelecanos

“New Orleans is a postcard city, but Ro somehow gets under its skin. One of the best new voices in crime fiction.”
Sean Chercover

“A no-holds-barred, sexy and violent noir with a liberal dash of NOLA. It delivers an unblinking look at the dirty underbelly of a corrupt society, complete with ugly consequences and melancholy endings.”
Library Journal, Staff Pick for Best Books of the Year

“Ro Cuzon has written one of the freshest PI novels in years.”
Spinetingler Magazine

“Smoking hot New Orleans noir.”
Mark T. Conard

Genres: Crime

300 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

The blues and getting punched in the face were the two biggest influences in Ro Cuzon's development as a writer. Born in Brittany, France, Ro boxed for several years as a teenager and dropped out of high school to play guitar in a band. He has lived in France, San Francisco, the Caribbean, and Brooklyn, and finally settled in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. He's earned money as a waiter, bartender, construction worker, painter, landscaper, as well as other, unmentionable activities.

Reviews

[Michelle Isler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shut the front door! I loved this book. I loved the voice, the atmosphere, the brutality, the friendships, and I could go on and on. Ro Cuzon takes you by the hand and leads you through the streets of New Orleans, through the dark alleys, into the seediness of the underbelly. Hell, he even carries you across the Mississippi to the creepy warehouse district. Those warehouses hide a brutal secret that viciously unfolds throughout the book. It lures you with fear and graphic violence, yet you cannot look away. You just follow the trail of blood.

Adel Destin owns a bar in New Orleans. He has been off heroin for three weeks. He's trying to keep clean, with the help of boxing and his friend/bartender, Lou. Everything seems good until Sondra Williams , ex junkie that saved Adel's life, comes into bar and wants to hire him to find her missing sister. When Adel agrees to take the job, he finds himself following a deadly path through the corrupt NOPD, junkies, the MOB, psychotic hit men, and one scary serial killer. It is definitely a fun and exciting ride.

Ro Cuzon pays attention to the details. You can here the jazz music, smell the jambalaya, and taste each cold beer. I did not want it to end. I am so happy that this is a series and I know that there is another Adel Destin book waiting for me. I highly recommend.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dixie has a plot that thickens and thickens till you've got a literary stew so thick your fork stands straight up. A wide-reaching story that covers all the bases without ever seeming like it's trying too hard. No pretense; all suspense. It builds and builds. Its staccato chapters add to the pace, rapid-fire bites designed to keep the pages turning. Cuzon's command of the language shines through, but doesn't hit you over the head. He seems quite comfortable espousing prose to spitting street vernacular.
It's quite an accomplishment to construct a story this complex and still manage to tie all the strands together. The main character, the reoccurring hero from Ro's other novels, is bartender Adel Destin, a rough-and-tumble streetwise ex-addict who knows how to kick ass when he needs to. He's not a detective, he's not a cop. He's a likable misfit who is damaged by his own weakness. He reminds me a bit of one of James Crumley's heroes, but with more edge.
No question, I'll be returning to the table with more of Ro Cuzon.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dixie has a plot that thickens and thickens till you've got a literary stew so thick your fork stands straight up. A wide-reaching story that covers all the bases without ever seeming like it's trying too hard. No pretense; all suspense. It builds and builds. Its staccato chapters add to the pace, rapid-fire bites designed to keep the pages turning. Cuzon's command of the language shines through, but doesn't hit you over the head. He seems quite comfortable espousing prose to spitting street vernacular.
It's quite an accomplishment to construct a story this complex and still manage to tie all the strands together. The main character, the reoccurring hero from Ro's other novels, is bartender Adel Destin, a rough-and-tumble streetwise ex-addict who knows how to kick ass when he needs to. He's not a detective, he's not a cop. He's a likable misfit who is damaged by his own weakness. He reminds me a bit of one of James Crumley's heroes, but with more edge.
No question, I'll be returning to the table with more of Ro Cuzon.

[Christopher Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ro Cuzon was another cool cat in the small crew I rolled around with at Bouchercon. I was sold the moment another writer deemed UNDER THE DIXIE MOON to be like the television show, THE WIRE, only set in New Orleans. Like some of my favorite books, the setting, New Orleans, plays a huge role in UNDER THE DIXIE MOON – almost a character itself. It took me a few pages to get into the novel, but once I was in tune with Cuzon’s style, I was hooked to the finish. Cuzon weaves a gritty, complex tale with compelling characters that I found myself liking more and more as I got to know them (even those ‘unlikeable’ ones). Solid Noir.

[Rory Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again (as with "Under the Carib Sun"), I was compelled to eat up the second half of this story tonight. There was no waiting until tomorrow.

Cuzon has a real power in his storytelling: he can wind the tension up slowly, and then the energy of released momentum is considerable.

Again, atmosphere here is a major plus. Even if you've been to New Orleans (and my experience is limited), I think you'll see it in a new light. There are plenty of cool characters too, starting with Destin, but really at all levels.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid contemporary noir. The plot gets a bit predictable about 3/4 of the way through the book, but this leaves plenty of time for Cuzon to tie up the loose ends that might just drive the reader crazy otherwise.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoking hot New Orleans noir. Good stuff.