Louisiana Fever: An Andy Broussard/Kit Frankly Mystery

by Don J. Donaldson and D.J. Donaldson

Book Overview

The nightmare begins when Kit goes to meet an anonymous stranger who's been sending her roses, only to have him drop dead at her feet before she discovers his identity. Broussard learns that the man carried a lethal virus similar to the deadly Ebola. Soon another body shows up with the same bug. As Kit searches for more information about her mystery suitor--and the source of the virus--she comes dangerously close to another killer, this one human...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312143621
• ISBN13: 9780312143626
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Out of Africa, Into New Orleans

Ebola-type fever gains a handhold in the City of Lights. The first victim is a rose-bearing admirer of Kit Franklyn, and the expert diagnostician is Andy Broussard. This is my first outing with the duo I have heard so much about. (...) Andy is a treat. He’s not a conventional hero—a mite too heavy, too old, and too curmudgeonly. He wins us with his strength, humor, and doggedness.The true villain of the piece will chill. He is patient, resourceful and completely focused. The author does a wonderful job of describing near misses by the villain while the characters are blissfully unaware of their brushes with death. The gradual discovery of what is killing these victims raises the suspense level and contributes to fast page turning. The New Orleans descriptions are done with the eye of a native; no bland touristy snapshots intrude.The autopsy scenes are quite intense (read before eating). The plot has some extraneous genealogy that I found tiresome. (...) However, it’s a good, fast, interesting read, and I look forward to reading more about Andy & Kit.

A Story Of Greed

Kit Franklin receives an invitation to meet a mysterious admirer at Grandma O's Restaurant. She is curious because the unknown suitor has been sending roses to her for three straight days. When Kit arrives at the restaurant, she is greeted by a sixtyish stranger who speaks her name and then promptly collapses. The man later dies in a hospital of unknown causes. Then Kit disappears and the authorities suspect she is a kidnap victim. On one level this book is about greed and the harm caused by families trying too hard to bury secrets from the past. There are just enough strands to the story to make it interesting but not too confusing.

Why Haven't You Read Broussard & Franklyn Yet?

In this installment of the Kit Franklin/Andy Broussard Mystery Series, Andy's hash is in the deep-fat fryer and it's up to Kit to save him. The only problem is that Kit's been kidnaped. Add to that the deepening mysteries surrounding Kit's origins, romance trouble and a deadly virus, and you get a rich mystery steeped in medical examiner lore and true human feelings. I appreciate the author's no-nonsense writing style and his quirky, but not over-the-top, cast of characters. Of late, the New Orleans Mystery has become a cliche, riddled with parades, politics, French Quarter dining and Bourbon Street debauchery. Donaldson eschews the gimmicks and serves up sensible, well-written stories using New Orleans, a city he obviously loves, almost as a character. Donaldson's mysteries feel like real life (albeit a life I wouldn't want to live) and his characters feel like people who live there, instead of tourists. Donaldson seems to have stopped writing the Broussard/Franklin mysteries (he's now writing medical thrillers as Don Donaldson) so you can be sad that it's all over or be thrilled that this is a series you can read, start to finish, without having to wait for some slow-poke writer to release the next installment. Give it a try...you'll like it.

Such A Fabulous Series

I truly love the Franklyn/Broussard series. One reason is because Donaldson does not "dumb down" the technical aspect of the books in regard to Andy's work (coroner for New Orleans). The other reason is because, as a reader of this series from the beginning, I have seen the relationship between Andy and Kit grow and develop with each passing book. And also, I have gotten to know a little bit more about the characters with each book. I can hardly wait until he writes a new one. I highly recommend this series if interested in intelligent mysteries.

A mystery set in New Orleans

Donaldson's mysteries are unique among the modern genre because he does not rely on the standard recipes such as: (1) Man meets woman, (2) man and woman fuss awhile, and (3) then man and woman jump into bed. He avoids the unnecessarily foul mouth language that many current authors use for shock value. His novels are of appropriate length for his plots; unlike some authors, he does not stretch a short story plot into an 800 page novel. His novels all feature two likeable and human characters: Andy Broussard, the rotund medical examiner for the city of New Orleans who is also a gourmet; and Kit Franklyn, a young criminal psychologist. They are all set in the New Orleans area, and Donaldson's details for this colorful city are authentic, for he got his doctorate from Tulane University. The details of his novels are well researched. In LOUISANA FEVER, Andy Broussard and Kit fight different, but equally dangerous, enemies. Andy is endangered by a deadly Ebola-like virus that is carried by a very small enemy. Enemies who are, arguably, human threaten Kit and her lover's life. Donaldson creates a character here who is especially despicable; you won't be able to wait until this guy gets what he deserves.