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New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith is a gritty murder mystery set in New Orleans during the 90s. Chauncey St. Amant, prominent civic leader and socialite, has been crowned King of Rex. It’s Mardi Gras Day, and parade goers are enjoying themselves as the Rex parade is rolling down St. Charles Avenue until the reigning monarch is shot by an overly enthusiastic reveler dressed like Dolly Parton. Skip Langdon, a rookie NOPD officer, witnesses the crime. Because of her family background and her connection with the St. Amant family, Skip and an overzealous filmmaker work together to solve the crime.

I live relatively close to New Orleans, so I appreciated reading this novel just for the setting alone. Julie Smith did a wonderful job capturing the atmosphere of the Crescent City. There were so many familiar references to locations, venues, activities, and food tied to the city and surrounding areas that added to my enjoyment of the overall story.

New Orleans Mourning is the first book in the Skip Langdon series and my introduction to the tough, thick-skinned police officer. While Skip has her fair share of flaws, I liked her from the beginning. She is up against a great deal working in a job that is predominately male and chauvinistic. Not to mention, she has to also contend with her social-climbing parents and a socialite background that she despises because she does not fit their mold. Despite her appearance, which is brought up quite often throughout the novel, she does find a partner in crime (in more ways than one) when she collides with filmmaker Steve Steinman on the day of the murder. Both Skip and Steve are where the likable characters begin and end. The dysfunctional St. Amant family and their social connections, the detectives Skip works with at the NOPD, and a few shady characters that Skip crosses paths with during her investigation are a whole bunch of unlikeable characters that at times make you want to throw in the towel because they are all so despicable.

Despite the unsavory characters, the length (could have been shorter), and some of the unbelievable scenes involving police procedures, Smith knows how to weave an intriguing tale. I suspended my disbelief a time or two because the overall mystery was engrossing with all its family secrets, twists and turns, and a jaw-dropping ending I did not see coming. I ended up giving this novel 3.5 stars. I’m hoping I can get my hands on a copy of the second novel, so I can find out how Skip fares in the aftermath of this investigation not only as a police officer, but also in her relationship with Steve.