CLAIRE DEWITT AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD - Sara Gran

From the back of the BOCD:Claire DeWitt is the world's greatest PI and a follower of the enigmatic French detective Jacques Silette, whose mysterious handbook DETECTION has led Claire to use the I Ching, omens, prophetic dreams, and mind-expanding drugs.

Claire also has deep roots in New Orleans. When a respected DA goes missing during Hurricane Katrina, she returns to her newly wrecked former city to find out why. Finding old friends and making new enemies, Claire solves the case, but she's haunted by others gone missing: her best friend and partner in detection, and Jacques Silette's daughter, Belle.

Sara Gran is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, including COME CLOSER and DOPE. A former bookseller and native of Brooklyn, she has since lived in New Orleans, Miami, and northern California.

*********************************************

I will first comment on the narrator, Carol Monda. Whoever chose her to narrate this suspenseful tale had excellent taste and discernment. Carol was the absolute perfect narrator for the voice of Claire and the rest of the characters, but especially Claire. Gritty, sultry, matter-of-fact-bordering-on-deadpan. Think grittier than C J Critt. That's gritty.

Claire has the most intriguing style of detecting. She says she is the world's best detective in her matter-of-fact tone by following the clues as they present themselves, however they present. Sometimes as a matchbook, piece of paper with the bill at the diner, or a dream. She takes smokes weed, drinks, cusses, is strangely maternal and I like her a lot. I would love to have her on my side or working on my investigation. She doesn't stop even when the client tells her she's fired (they all say that, she tells us). She needs to know whodunnit, no matter how long it takes.

The book is told in sequence, but with sporadic flashbacks to her youth with her friends Kelly and Tracy and with her mentor, Constance. All have been inspired to be detectives because of the book written by the French detective Jacques Silette. The book is found in various locations throughout the book, almost like a touchstone for Claire to pay heed.

I got to see a side of New Orleans I'd not seen before in any other book I've read or any visits.

I hope many people read this book, especially if you can listen to this with Carol Monda narrating.

Thank you Library Thing (http://www.librarything.com )for entrusting me with this hellah noir story!

Five grittier than anything beans......