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Skip Langdon #8
82 Desire
Though the modern bus has long since replaced the streetcar in New Orleans, Desire is still the meanest street of them all. Now Police Detective Skip Langdon finds herself on its shady side in what at first appears to be a small case with some big names--Councilwoman Bebe Fortier has misplaced her equally prominent husband. Yet Skip soon senses something big starting to unfold. Something rooted in corruption, resulting in violence--and motivated by that old demon . . . desire.
Across town, Talba Wallis has a simple desire of her own--to find out what Russell Fortier's disappearance has to do with her. Wallis is a woman who leads three lives--poet, computer expert, and part-time detective once hired to spy on Fortier. But the private investigator she worked for can't help her out. He's lying in his office with a bullet in his chest.
Reporter Jane Storey is also walking down that mean, sultry street--she's on the brink of the biggest story of her life. But she's got a bad feeling she's being played like a deck of cards.
In fact, all three investigators--cop, private eye, and reporter--sense an unknown (and malevolent) presence pulling strings they cannot see.
Smith's steamy masterpiece is a tale of desire running out of control . . . of corporate greed, a lust for power, and a legacy of misery that only now must be set right--at a cost measured in blood and heartbreak and lives.
Across town, Talba Wallis has a simple desire of her own--to find out what Russell Fortier's disappearance has to do with her. Wallis is a woman who leads three lives--poet, computer expert, and part-time detective once hired to spy on Fortier. But the private investigator she worked for can't help her out. He's lying in his office with a bullet in his chest.
Reporter Jane Storey is also walking down that mean, sultry street--she's on the brink of the biggest story of her life. But she's got a bad feeling she's being played like a deck of cards.
In fact, all three investigators--cop, private eye, and reporter--sense an unknown (and malevolent) presence pulling strings they cannot see.
Smith's steamy masterpiece is a tale of desire running out of control . . . of corporate greed, a lust for power, and a legacy of misery that only now must be set right--at a cost measured in blood and heartbreak and lives.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1998
311 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Julie Smith
259 books403 followersAuthor of 20 mystery novels and a YA paranormal adventure called BAD GIRL SCHOOL (formerly CURSEBUSTERS!). Nine of the mysteries are about a female New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, five about a San Francisco lawyer named Rebecca Schwartz,two about a struggling mystery writer named Paul Mcdonald (whose fate no one should suffer) and four teaming up Talba Wallis, a private eye with many names, a poetic license, and a smoking computer, with veteran P.I. Eddie Valentino.
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 14, 2024
Liked the characters, real and interesting, in an area I am not all that familiar with. Will continue w/ this series, good author.
October 10, 2024
It's New Orleans in the heat of summer. Police Detective Skip Langdon finds herself on a case of a missing husband. The husband being Councilwoman BeBe Fortier's own. Did said husband leave on his own or is something sinister going on. interesting.
August 22, 2017
Back for another visit with Skip Langdon in New Orleans. This time Skip is involved in the case of the murder of a private detective which leads her into the machinations of a group of big oil company executives that have been cheating small independent oil companies out of their leases.
One of the cheated owners is out to get revenge and uncover the dirty dealing and the detective was working for him. Throw into the mix a poet and technical wizard who was working part time for te detective by going under cover at the big oil offices to get information on the dealing.. A couple of more murders and attempted murder and a trip to Florida by Skip in search of one of the execs before the case can be closed. This is the next to last book in the set I downloaded. Reading the last one now.
One of the cheated owners is out to get revenge and uncover the dirty dealing and the detective was working for him. Throw into the mix a poet and technical wizard who was working part time for te detective by going under cover at the big oil offices to get information on the dealing.. A couple of more murders and attempted murder and a trip to Florida by Skip in search of one of the execs before the case can be closed. This is the next to last book in the set I downloaded. Reading the last one now.
October 13, 2018
Hilarious murder mystery
Only Julie Smith can describe how life is lived in New Orleans. The dichotomy between uptown and the French quarter, the difference between the wards and surrounding areas is like going to totally different states yet they all get together in the same dives for the best soul food on the planet. Amidst all this is oil. Big oil. The offshoots run everywhere there is enough land to support a derricks. And oil is worth killing killing for.
This installment, number eight by the way, into the life and life's work of Skip Langdon, begins with oil, and is a slippery slope downhill through shady deal, illegal oil lease reclamation right on over to murder. Skip Langdon has no idea just how ruthless Big Oil can be.
Only Julie Smith can describe how life is lived in New Orleans. The dichotomy between uptown and the French quarter, the difference between the wards and surrounding areas is like going to totally different states yet they all get together in the same dives for the best soul food on the planet. Amidst all this is oil. Big oil. The offshoots run everywhere there is enough land to support a derricks. And oil is worth killing killing for.
This installment, number eight by the way, into the life and life's work of Skip Langdon, begins with oil, and is a slippery slope downhill through shady deal, illegal oil lease reclamation right on over to murder. Skip Langdon has no idea just how ruthless Big Oil can be.
May 31, 2022
I enjoyed this more than some of the Skip Langdon books that preceded it. I trace this mainly to the absence of Langdon’s nemesis Errol Jacomine. I enjoyed the absence of the paranoia that dominated some of the earlier books.
This book follows Smith’s usual format of seeing bits of the story from different viewpoints so that the whole context of the crime(s) is gradually revealed. I enjoy this aspect of Smith’s books because I get a sense of many personalities as well as different aspects of life in New Orleans.
The character Talba Wallis who features in a different series by Julie Smith is introduced in this book.
Overall, a good mystery story starring interesting characters and a more confident and capable Skip Langdon.
This book follows Smith’s usual format of seeing bits of the story from different viewpoints so that the whole context of the crime(s) is gradually revealed. I enjoy this aspect of Smith’s books because I get a sense of many personalities as well as different aspects of life in New Orleans.
The character Talba Wallis who features in a different series by Julie Smith is introduced in this book.
Overall, a good mystery story starring interesting characters and a more confident and capable Skip Langdon.
February 10, 2019
This book revealed yet another layer of the character, Skip Langdon. As a female cop in New Orleans she has faced many life or death situations and always rises the star. In thos book she shows some uncertainty and genuine fear. Somehow, she seems a little more human than the previosy super cop, but definetly every bit as much of a go-getter. The story, as in all of Smith’s, has a lot of characters whose lives become entwined. This was not my favorite, but not my least favorite, and still very enjoyable.
January 17, 2019
Another Great Book from Julie Smith
The eighth Skip Langdon Mystery is another interesting tale woven around multiple characters and subplots. Everyone contributes to the mystery or the mystery in the mystery.
Why does a New Orleans councilwoman's husband disappear? Why does a OK get killed? Who is the mysterious manipulator working in the background to bring out the truth?
The answers to these questions and more are revealed in this great page-turner from Julie Smith.
The eighth Skip Langdon Mystery is another interesting tale woven around multiple characters and subplots. Everyone contributes to the mystery or the mystery in the mystery.
Why does a New Orleans councilwoman's husband disappear? Why does a OK get killed? Who is the mysterious manipulator working in the background to bring out the truth?
The answers to these questions and more are revealed in this great page-turner from Julie Smith.
January 4, 2019
This is #8 in the series of 9, and I just have to finish them! Got to see what happens with Skip and Steve, and with Errol Jacomine. What a completely even villain Julie Smith created....hopefully he will be caught in the 9th book. And here's hoping there are even MORE books in the Skip Langdon series. They simply must keep going. :)
May 21, 2017
Wow great reading
Mesmerized by the pace of this book and its characters! Make quick read of book and left a smile on my face. The baroness of this book by itself it's worth the reading.
Mesmerized by the pace of this book and its characters! Make quick read of book and left a smile on my face. The baroness of this book by itself it's worth the reading.
December 6, 2017
A Great whodunut
Characters were well formed, I liked the way the story somewhat delved into the lives os the secondary characters. All around a good read and looking forward to reading mre
Characters were well formed, I liked the way the story somewhat delved into the lives os the secondary characters. All around a good read and looking forward to reading mre
June 4, 2017
Another fabulous story
Well, I admit that I am a huge fan. Each one of these books is better then the last, you will be happy that you took the time to read the whole series
Well, I admit that I am a huge fan. Each one of these books is better then the last, you will be happy that you took the time to read the whole series
January 7, 2018
Boring, boring, and boring. Couldn't hold my attention at all.
September 9, 2017
Fun read!
Enjoy the Skip Langdon series and meeting new character Taliba! What fun! Looking forward to reading next book in the series.
Enjoy the Skip Langdon series and meeting new character Taliba! What fun! Looking forward to reading next book in the series.
March 22, 2018
good story
July 15, 2018
Very engrossing read. Didn't take very long to figure out who the murderer was but, still intriguing. Would recommend this book to any mystery lover.
March 11, 2019
As always a delightful easy read.
March 29, 2021
The ending was less than satisfying.
November 24, 2021
Good to a poi t
Of the all Julie Smith stories, this was my least favourite. I still like the character of Skip Langdon, but there was no New Orleans flavour as was in the others.
Of the all Julie Smith stories, this was my least favourite. I still like the character of Skip Langdon, but there was no New Orleans flavour as was in the others.
May 8, 2022
Bravo, Julie Smith
A satisfying mystery and police procedural read starring Skip Langdon and quite a cast of characters. The editing was spot-on.
A satisfying mystery and police procedural read starring Skip Langdon and quite a cast of characters. The editing was spot-on.
October 15, 2022
It's an edge of your seat-er!
April 10, 2024
READ ALL BY JULIE SMITH
I’ve read all Julie Smith’s novels. They are interesting, include pathos and humor, the characters are believable. I highly recommend them all!❤️
I’ve read all Julie Smith’s novels. They are interesting, include pathos and humor, the characters are believable. I highly recommend them all!❤️
November 12, 2024
Another good Skip Langdon adventure in New Orleans. Interestingly, a new character is introduced, Talba Wallace, who graduates to have a Julie Smith series of her own.
January 6, 2025
Ugh! Not impressed.. couldn’t focus…skipped forward… still couldn’t focus…
August 9, 2023
Um desaparecimento misterioso e dois assassinatos levam a protagonista a viver mais uma aventura perigosa. Muito bom.
August 15, 2016
Detective Skip Langdon (New Orleans Police Dept) is surrounded (again) by a cast of colorful characters: Steve (her boyfriend), Cindy Lou (best friend), Jimmy Dee (landlord), and his teenaged wards -- add to the mix, the Baroness and her mother. Ms. Smith makes them all come alive and describes New Orleans in such loving terms that you want to visit!
No graphic sex or violence
No graphic sex or violence
June 20, 2011
It wasn't bad - it just didn't grab my interest. It felt like a place holder, a story to occupy readers between main acts. On the up side, it didn't have Jacomine, although I'm willing to bet he turns up again.
December 11, 2011
8th Skip Langdon book. . (Hardly seems the same writer as the Rebecca Swartz series). Got lost in the abundance of dialog that didn’t move the story forward. Ended up scanning rather than reading. Will try one more of her novels because a friend really loves them.
April 12, 2012
This seems to pre-date some of the other Skip Langdon series.
The ease with which the case wraps up seems a bit unbelievable
and there are several loose ends with several characters.
Still, all in all a good read.
The ease with which the case wraps up seems a bit unbelievable
and there are several loose ends with several characters.
Still, all in all a good read.
March 17, 2014
One of the well written mystery series set in New Orleans.
Skip lives with boyfriend and friends make extended family.
Missing person.
4 at oil company who have cheated many people out of oil leases and consequences.
Missing person is husband of New Orleans Councilwoman.
Skip lives with boyfriend and friends make extended family.
Missing person.
4 at oil company who have cheated many people out of oil leases and consequences.
Missing person is husband of New Orleans Councilwoman.
April 8, 2015
I enjoyed this thriller-number 8 in the Skip Langdon series. As usual- the city of New Orleans itself is a vivid character. This plot was a little more fanciful than the earlier books, but an easy read with several twists and turns. Perfect for a beach/ plane read. I'd recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews