Louisiana Fever (Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Don J. Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mysteries | Publication Date: November 1997

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. Martin's Press.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The paths of two unrepentant killers are unexpectedly linked as their deadly intentions play out in steamy New Orleans. One is a pathological smuggler of rare birds. The other is a small insect, the carrier of a deadly virus and a passenger inside one of the birds. One of the first to fall victim to the virus is the smuggler's partner, who dies just as he's made contact with Kit Franklyn, an expert in criminal psychology, who, with her sleuthing partner, medical examiner Andy Broussard, has appeared in four previous books, most recently New Orleans Requiem. Donaldson entertains even as the gruesome death count mounts. The icy logic of Roy, the human killer, is effectively offset by rotund, good-natured Andy's mental agility. Both he and Kit confront serious, life-threatening dangers and some life-changing realities before the predators are effectively contained. Against the humid, wild and funky Crescent City setting, Donaldson delivers some genuinely heart-stopping suspense, such as the moment the insect assassin crawls purposefully across a kitchen floor in search of an open wound and fresh blood.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

After the blandly traditional mystery fare that was New Orleans Requiem (1994), Donaldson returns his Andy Broussard^-Kit Franklyn series to its swamp-horror roots. Medical examiner Broussard and criminal psychologist Franklyn face a double threat this time: a wildlife-smuggling psychopath and an Ebola-like virus with no known antidote. Using the viral-epidemic theme to evoke the same primordial terror that in previous installments was generated by a voodoo priest or even a hungry alligator, Donaldson once again combines a detail-rich police procedural with his special brand of Louisiana Gothic. Quietly, this series has a carved a solid place for itself among the many New Orleans^-based crime novels. Broussard makes a terrific counterpoint to the Dave Robicheaux ragin' Cajun school of mystery heroes: analytical where Robicheaux is emotional, self-indulgent where Robicheaux is Spartan, Broussard proves it's possible to savor your crawfish etouffee without being a tough guy. Thank God for that. Bill Ott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312962576
• ISBN-13: 978-0312962579
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,876,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mystery set in New Orleans, November 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Tuscaloosa, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louisiana Fever (Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Out of Africa, Into New Orleans, December 12, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louisiana Fever (Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Haven't You Read Broussard & Franklyn Yet?, August 22, 2000

By 

Patrick Burnett "penngos" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Louisiana Fever (Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.