Jass: A Valentin St. Cyr Mystery

by David Fulmer

Book Overview

In the rowdy red-light district of Storyville, four players of the new music they call "jass" have turned up dead. When Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr begins to investigate, he discovers that every... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151010250
• ISBN13: 9780151010257
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 334 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.9" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Jazz Musicians In Turn Of The Century New Orleans Pay With Their Lives For Sexual Romp

Another extraordinary tale from the author about early 1900's New Orleans life. The reader is taken back in time with vivid scenes of life in Storyville. All of a sudden jazz players from one five piece band start being murdered. The death toll increases as the rooming house landylady where one of the musicians had lived is also done away with. Then, the beautiful mistress of one of the victims, who had sought refuge with Creole Private Investigator Valentic St. Cyr, is killed. Madams of sporting houses that have paid off police are further extorted by someone. The beautiful former octoroon concubine of St. Cyr is threatened with the exposure of a deep dark secret from her past. St. Cyr's nemesis police lieutenant J. Picot plays a surprising role as he attempts to stifle St. Cyr's investigation. Top notch page turner.

book reveiw

I have enjoyed the entire series. Solid detective series. Unique setting and characters.

Beautiful imagery

As if he had actually been there, David Fulmer manages to sucessfully bring me to old New Orleans. I just love his books, it says a lot when I feel sadness when the book is over. I love the music history included - what a treat!

Excellent

I ran across the first of David Fulmer's Valentin St. Cyr novels, Chasing the Devil's Tail, a year or so ago when it was just out in paperback. I bought it on a whim, and enjoyed the mix of atmosphere, history, Jazz, and New Orleans a hundred years ago enough that when a second book appeared, I immediately picked it up. I wasn't disappointed with the story: it's the sort of book that you'll think about for a good long while. Valentin is still living in his relatively luxurious apartment on Magazine Street, still working security for Mr. Anderson, who runs Storyville, and still living with Justine, the girl he rescued in Devil's Tail. As this book opens, an old friend calls for him, demanding that he investigate the killings of several jazz musicians in New Orleans. St. Cyr's friend turns out to be the renowned Jelly Roll Morton, a friend through St. Cyr's childhood friendship with King Bolden, the originator of Jazz and a character in the first book. Morton has suspicions that the musicians who've been killed have been playing in tony New Orleans, and that someone is opposed to them luring young whites into the dance halls they play. St. Cyr is originally skeptical, but when a bass-player-turned-preacher turns up dead, St. Cyr realises there's a much more sinister thread through all of this: the men were all members of a particular band some years before. It seems someone's after these particular jazz players, not all of them in general. Fulmer seems very knowledgeable about the early roots of his sub-text, the music that was called "jass" at the time, which morphed into "jazz" later. His portrait of New Orleans at the turn of the last century rings true, his characters are interesting and well-rounded, and the whole story hangs together rather well. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and look forward to Rampart Street, the next entry in the series.

Jass gives vivid glimpse of early Jazz

The death of a Negro musician is not something that turns many heads in Storyville. But when several die, private detective Valentin St.Cyr is moved to look into the situation. In no time, he finds resistance coming from all directions. No one seems eager to have the truth uncovered. Jass, the second book in the Valentin series, is set in the red light district of New Orleans in the first part of the 20th century. The story is alive with brothels and music halls, overflowing with the lively, new music called Jass. David Fulmer has created an interesting character, in Valentin, and placed him in a rich, colorful world that comes alive to us thanks to the author's skillful descriptions. I am not normally a fan of historical novels, as they often spend too much energy on setting and the characters suffer because of it, but Fulmer manages to avoid overloading the pages with the time and place. He gives us just enough to envision this wonderful world yet still keeps the characters front and center. The characters themselves are realistic and engaging. If you are a fan of music, you should enjoy the portrayal of Jazz at it's birth. If you are a fan of historical novels, turn of the century New Orleans is fascinating. If you enjoy complex characters, then Valentin should draw you in. In short, this is a book that can be enjoyed by just about everyone.