The Hoodoo Man

by Judith Smith-Levin

Book Overview

Desmond St John, the legendary, supposedly immortal Haitian voodoo priest known as the Hoodoo Man, is found bound to his bed. Six bullet holes forming a perfect cross have been drilled into his naked body. The hunt is on for the killer.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345420659
• ISBN13: 9780345420657
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Fawcett Books
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Hard to Find, but Worth the Search

Homicide Detective Starletta Duvall is back in this blend of voodoo-hoodoo and murder. The charaters of Paresi, Vee and Mitch are also back and the readers get to learn more about them as Star and Dom try to solve the latest murders that are cloaked in the unnatural. If you enjoyed meeting the capable detective, her rock of a best friend who is a mother and a young widow and the two men in Star's life, her handsome Italian partner and the blonde Adonis doctor, you will thoroughly enjoy how the relationships develop despite the appearance of another female officer. I would suggest looking in libraries for it because bookstores cannot accommodate you. After you have read it, drop the editor an email and strongly suggest that they reprint it and Smith -Levin's first book so that fans who appreciate good fiction and strong positive AA figures can do so by merely purchasing Smith- Levin's books, all of them.

Easy, fun read!

"Easy" and "fun" do not mean "simple" or that The Hoodoo Man lacks in complexity. Sometimes, I want a book where I don't read a whole page and have to go back and wonder what I just read. I enjoy well-researched books with authentic characters and succinct scene descriptions. Flowery language and authors who seem to check every other word in a thesaurus bore me. That said, The Hoodoo Man was one of the best mystery books I've read in a long time. The characters are well-developed - Starletta is cool, you wish you could call her up and chat with her. The author is a former cop and the wonderful way she infuses the technical details of detective investigations without being too manual-like helps you visualize not only the police procedures, but the stress that goes along with it.The mystery might not be very mysterious to some readers, but waiting to see how Starletta uncovers the mystery is pure fun.

The Best Book I've Wrapped My Mind Around in a Long Time!

This girl can really write. I found this book by searching out african american writers on the internet. After reading the reviews, I rushed out to buy it and read it in one day. Star Duvall is the touhgest sister to ever wear a badge, but she's even more than that. She's real, intelligent, and sexy without being a "damsel-in-distress". The story is hard-hitting, well plotted and detailed, and has a perfect touch of romance to round it out. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Do Not Go Gently, but had a harder time finding it. When I finally got hold of it, it was another non-stop thrill ride. I am absolutely hooked and I can't wait for the next Star/Mitchell/Peresi adventure. I HIGHLY recommend both of these books. They are a MUST!

This book was a definite thriller murder mystery!

I first became accquainted with Lieutenant Duvall and Seargeant Paresi in Do Not Go Gently also by by Ms. Smith-Levin. The relationship between the two officers is friendly, caring and realistic. The relationship between Miss Duvall and Dr Grant is unpredictable, sweet and loving. This book like Do Not Go Gently takes the reader immediately to the scene of a brutal murder and the reader is given a "fly on the wall" view of all of the action and supense from that point on. We are astounded by the cold calculating rituals used in the death of the voodoo priest, his followers and the family of Caryle Biggs Junior. We are drawn into the world of uncertainty as we try to figure out if Caryle Biggs Junior is really a child monster grown into adulthood or is he, the prime suspect, just an innocent victim of circumstance and bad karma. This was an excellent story skillfully developed and written and I look forward to the next story with great eagerness.P.

This book turns skeptics into believers without trying

On Christmas Day, New York Police Department officer Sergeant Carlyle Biggs helplessly watches his fourteen year old son Carlyle Jr. kill his mother and two brothers (one an infant). His son murders him next. Seven years later, a nurse finds a newborn baby, whose throat is slit and filled with herbs, left on the shoulder of a road. At the same time, Desmond St. John, an important member of the black community and a powerful practitioner of voodoo, is murdered in a way similar to the death of Biggs. The case of THE HOODOO MAN falls to Brockport police officer Lieutenant Star Duvall. She quickly learns that Carlyle Jr. was recently released from prison and is a local resident. Carlyle is Star's prime suspect, but New York police officer Lisel Werner, Star's juvenile officer, feels that Carlyle could never have killed Desmond or the subsequent victims even though he has links to them all. Judith Smith-Levin is a powerful writer whose hypnotic prose will mesmerize readers into believing in the power of voodoo. THE HOODOO MAN stars a fascinating female protagonist, who happens to be a black woman in a position of authority in a predominately white town. Though her race adds a subtle backdrop, the story line is propelled forward by the tantalizing but frightening mystery, thereby proving that a point can be made without being preachy or pounding it to death. To accomplish that requires real talent by an author and Ms. Smith-Levin has an abundant quality of that. Harriet Klausner