Customer Reviews

Bourbon Street Blues

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bourbon Street Blues is the second book by Greg Herren and the first of what appears to be a series featuring amateur sleuth Scotty Bradley. Scott, who was given the name Milton by his hippy parents (say his first and last name and you'll understand why he chose to go by Scott), is a personal trainer and sometimes go-go boy. He lives in New Orleans where anything can happen and usually does. He rents an apartment from his lesbian aunts and has a great relationship with his Proud-to-have-a-gay-son parents.

It's Decadence (sometimes referred to as the gay Mardi Gras) in the Big Easy, and Scotty is having a great time. That is, until a former client who vanished a year ago reappears and asks Scott if he can hide at his apartment. "They're after me," he tells Scott at the club where Scott is dancing. Scott thinks his old friend is on drugs and decides to ignore him, but when he gets home, he finds a mysterious computer disk has been slipped into his boot along with his tips for the night. Technophobe Scott doesn't have a computer, so he heads out in the wee hours of the morning to use his friend's computer. When his friend turns out to be unavailable, he returns home to find an acquaintance dead on his doorstep.

Scott suddenly finds himself in the middle of a plot to destroy New Orleans, a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah according to an extreme right wing gubernatorial candidate. It's up to Scott, his friends, and Frank Sobieski, the sexy FBI agent, to prevent the murder of thousands of people.

Author Greg Herren has created likeable characters that show a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't really live up to that promise. I really liked Scotty and his family and friends, and I wanted so badly to like the book as well, but the plot was just so outlandishly unrealistic that it left me feeling a little cheated. I ended up reading it just as escapist fare, since there was no way you could possibly take it as a serious mystery.

The main character is one of those types that you just can't help but like. He comes across as a genuinely good person, but also as very human, as do his friends and family. I especially liked the touches of supernatural that Herren includes in the book; Scott, it turns out, is somewhat psychic. The characters alone kept me reading to the end.

Herren concludes the book with the implication that the series will continue. I'd probably read the next book in the series, just because I liked his characters so much. However, if the plot turns out to be as preposterous as this one, it will probably be the last one I read.

Though some of the visuals were fun, overall I found the writing so flat and the plotline so hackneyed that I didn't even finish the book. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I don't want to read good writing. I was very disappointed in this book.

He's every gay man's dream, he's irresistible, he's hot, he's sexy, he's good-looking & muscular, a personal trainer, and a part-time go-go boy. And on top of all that, he has psychic powers that reveal to him visions of some horrible events to come. He goes by the name of Dick Dansoir, but his real name is "Scotty" Bradley. He's a native of New Orleans, where the biggest circuit party, "Southern Decadence", is about to begin. This is the time for Scotty to shine, dance, cruise and be admired. Scotty is going to find out his life is about to change dramatically and it's going to be one unforgettable bumpy ride.

Hold on to your hats! This is a new mystery that you are going to really enjoy. There's one event after another that will keep you flipping the pages so fast you'll get paper cuts. Why has one of Scotty's best clients been shot execution style? Why has an old friend who had disappeared unexpectedly reappeared? What does the discovery of a mystery computer disk mean? And why are corrupt public officials interested in Scotty? Could this good-looking FBI agent be a new love interest for Scotty? And why has this sexy cat burglar sparked an erotic desire in Scotty? There is so much more as the plot gets deeper and deeper in this story. We get an exciting tour of gay life in the French Quarter and a view of its many fascinating characters. The story reaches an exciting climax, and you will find yourself eagerly awaiting the next installment in this new mystery series.

I know I am hooked on this talented author's debut mystery writing. The characters are vividly described and developed so well, you will feel you personally know them. Greg Herren has done a great job in introducing us to his delightful and exciting world of New Orleans, and he now has his work cut out for him. So DON"T STOP NOW, Greg! We Want More! Be sure you DON'T Miss This One!

Joe Hanssen

Bourbon Street Blues is adorably cheesy, lightweight fun. Although as a gay man I find the main character's delight in his horny superficiality extremely unappealing (Dude! I love sex, but have another friggin' interest! Get a puppy, knit, something!) -- BUT Herren's brisk style and sense of fun win out. I really liked this one.

I was attracted to this book for one reason, mainly, outside of the gay theme.. and what was it's setting: Modern Day New Orleans, Louisianna. I live not to far from New Orleans and spent many a night, and Decadence (a Labor Day Holiday in New Orleans, when this story is set), in New Orleans in the very clubs he talks about. That's right, his clubs and their locations are far from fictional. If you've been to New Orleans, you know the Oz, and directly accross from it the Bourbon Pub the Parade Upstairs, the Hit Parade Across the street where you can buy all sorts of clothing in emergency situations, and next door the Bourbon Orleans (A Hotel Popular with the Gay Crowd in New Orleans, especially during holidays), all on the corner of St. Ann and the infamous Bourbon Strees, just a few blocks from Jackson Square. This story is about a Personal Trainer/Go-Go Dancer at the Bourbon Pub who gets into a situation that may be a little over his head. (BTW, if The front cover is the Bourbon Pub, the artist had obviously never been there.. ther are no short tables and chairs it's all bar tables, bar, and barstools, and Men on the bar shaking their stuff) (www.bourbonpub.com www.ozneworleans.com)
This author MUST Live in New Orleans because the most exiting thing for me was sayin "I Know where that is!" which isn't often for me that I can do that.
But aside from the setting, the story is told very well. I could not put the book down. The actual story took a minute or two before actually getting started. It took a little while to set up, but once it did.. you were hooked. I did find a few of the lines written into the Story a little corny, as well as the overall premise (that is, once you learn what is REALLY going on)... however, getting over the few corny elements. This book was a true treasure. The Author demonstrated his knowlege of Gay life in New Orleans very well (you can tell he's been there himself, for sure). I have ordered the second book, in hopes that it will follow along just as well. I hope we get a good series of Scotty and his NOLA Adventures. Greg Herren just got a fan... Keep us interested, and keep writing to keep us reading! I'm ready.

This book is great! It makes you want to read all of the author's writings! And the other ones I've read are just as good too! This is a great one in which to start. The only complaint I had was that it made me a little homesick, having been gone from NOLA for over 6 years! The book inspired me to plan an upcoming trip where I am going to revisit all of the wonderful and adventurous locales the author so aptly described! It was like I was there again, barhopping all of my favorites spots. The characters are so real, I felt like I met them there. And I may very well have! Good Job, Greg! Keep 'em comin!

If your enjoy a good mystery book with characters that come to life, then this is a book for you. The characters come alive, many of them gay, in exotic New Orleans, Louisiana. Very readable, down to earth writing that I could recommend to anyone. This is the first book in a series by Greg Herren and I have read them all. Another series follows this one and I plan to read them as well!

I got the book for my friend's birthday.

Greg herron is from New Orleans and has won numerous awards for his writings.

His latest book is about a hollywood power couple that moves to the Big Easy and all hell breaks loose.

The stories are all about New Orleans with a twist.

A gay sexoholic personal trainer and sometimes go-go dancer with second sight finds a dead body on his doorstep and a mysterious computer disc in his shoe. What follows is a rip-snorting tale whose plot, once revealed, is a tad overwrought. Good writing, likeable people, but the finale suggests that Herren saw one too many of those 1930s Saturday matinee serials. Some characters will reappear to better advantage in his Chanse MacLeod detective series.

Having just been to New Orleans the storyline of the book captured my attention. Heren has created a great character with Scotty Bradley and made me feel like the city was a character as well. The plot seems to tie up quickly and I felt a little robbed of some unfinished parts but over all I did enjoy this novel. I guess maybe I wanted more and will have to wait for the next installment of Scotty "Milton" Bradley and his personal trainer/GoGo boy exploits. Thanks Greg for a great read!