Lost River

by David Fulmer

Book Overview

After two stand-alones, Fulmer returns to his Valentin St. Cyr series, set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. St. Cyr, the Creole detective, has sworn off his life as a fixer for Storyville boss Tom... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151011877
• ISBN13: 9780151011872
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 317 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Vow Broken Yet Again

This is the fourth book in this series that I have read. I believe that there is a Fifth one published earlier which I have not read (as yet). I am hooked on this series about the New Orleans "back-of-town" detective, Valentin St. Cyr. The ones that I have read are all stand alones, but there are some references to the previous books. At the end of Chasing the Devil's Tail, Valentin leaves New Orleans "forever" to get out of the corruption in the town and in the city government, especially the police department. He returns reluctantly in Rampart Street to help out his former boss, Tom Anderson (King of Storyville). At the end of that book, St. Cyr and his true love, former fancy girl, Justine move into an apartment on Spain street with both vowing to never again wander into Storyville. You can guess what happened with that vow when multiple murders start occurring at the various houses in Storyville. It appears that someone is attempting to destroy the whole system which keeps Storyville going and provides the finances for New Orleans (as well as the various politicians, policemen and others of influence). One of Valentin's key clues was provided by his old friend "Buddy" (Charles Bolden) who was committed to a mental asylum at the end of Chasing the Devil's Tail and has not spoken a single word since being in that place. Like all of the previous series books, this is a great read (especially if you are familiar with New Orleans).

"DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS"

Murders are ruining the profitable business in New Orlean's red-light district. Clients frequenting bordellos are being killed off in rapid succession. Enter super-sleuth detective Valentin St. Cyr, and the search is on. Author David Fulmer relates this tale capturing the full flavor of corruption in this city in the early 1900's. You are there in the houses of ill-repute for affluent clients and in the lowest rattiest dives, hearing the music, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of the past "Blue Book" era. The plot has abundant twists and turns to engage, mystify, and puzzle readers. If you liked the cleverness of Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, you will enjoy this highly entertaining book. It is a fast moving murder mystery. Round up the suspects!

Fulmer's Mojo is back!

Mid-winter cravings brought me back to Fulmer and Valentin St. Cyr for Lost River. I loved the first two of the series, but I was so-so on Rampart Street. Everything I liked about the first two of this series is here: mysterious murders, a VERY reluctant detective St. Cyr, intrigue between Valentin and Justine, Tom Anderon's nearly-toppled Storyville empire, inept police officals, the now-nutty Buddy Bolden, Beansoup, a number of possible villains, and the lush sounds, scents, and rhythm of New Orleans of 1913. For me, there could have been a little more music, but the novel's pace doesn't really allow characters to sit and enjoy themselves. Storyville was gone by 1918. Thanks to David Fulmer Lost River (Valentin St. Cyr Mysteries) it is alive today!

"Me and Bobby McGee"

"...Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained, took us all the way to New Orleans..." As disclosure, I've become a fan of David Fulmer's artistic ability. There are several Fulmer books, each of them exceedingly well written: "Chasing the Devil's Tail"."Rampart Street", "Jass", "The Dying Crapshooter's Blues", this latest effort, "Lost River", and the "Blue Door", whose Philadelphia prize fighter's theme is a departure from the New Orleans setting of the others. There may be others but if there are, I couldn't find them. The first reviewer gave an excellent overview of this latest book, "Lost River", and little more about the story can be added without giving too much of it away, so in the interests of writing a complimentary review yet not repeating, I will say that in each of these books, the well-laid out story plan is presented fluidly, seamlessly, artfully. The subjects and settings - the red light district of Storyville, New Orleans - are secretive and forbidden, therefore, the intrigue is powerful, the reader is captured from the first page. This is no easy feat - it's easier to let the reader work awhile on the first few pages than it is to have them eating out of your hand from the first page, but Fulmer possesses that type of talent and has managed to accomplish it, for me at least. It has plenty of the peripheral elements, and this review could be considered a medley for all of the Fulmer works; the human frailties are explored; a love story intertwining through the debauchery, murder, power, weakness, classes struggling against a wall of bigotry that must eventually fall due to the dogged perseverance of those willing to take the heat to break the wall; all of which is skillfully related, even beautiful - the storms, the street scenes, even the mention of the wild sea gulls along the bayou during a walk to a voodoo shack give special ambiance to the tale. For those readers who still harbor some romantic feelings, the possibility that the two principals of the love story that is intensely woven in the background but never pushed, between the beautiful "sporting girl" Justine, and the tough but strangely vulnerable Detective, Valentin, can actually triumph over the incredible odds of their surroundings, is in itself a powerful emotion adding to the mystery of it, since it took several books to build the climax of that that "Lost River" provides. I recommend all of Fulmer's books to anyone who enjoys mystery novels and wants to find the best of them - the ones with substance.

(4.5) "The sort who had to have more and more to fill up the holes in their ragged souls."

Fulmer returns to New Orleans' Storyville circa 1913 in his latest Valentin St. Cyr mystery. Although St. Cyr has been gone from the center of vice and pleasure for three years, a spate of related murders has thrown Storyville into chaos. Storyville has built its reputation on the back of Tom Anderson, the King of Storyville, who has ruled the area with an iron fist, controlling crime and excess, ensuring safety for those who would follow their various carnal interests, from sporting houses to saloons, gambling casinos to opium dens. So far the experiment has been successful and lucrative, Anderson able to pay off the appropriate people to stay in business, graft for politicians, extra money for the cops, everyone happy with full pockets until a series of random murders strike fear into the gentry who commonly reward themselves for hard work with an evening in Storyville. Now all that is threatened- the next victim could be any man of means. The author knows this territory well, mining the details that make historical fiction so endlessly fascinating: the madams who run their establishments, skillful at finances and controlling overzealous clients, catering to every need, regardless of its outrageous nature... for a price; and the fringe areas, where the downtrodden avail themselves of whatever pleasure is available for a penny, the dissolute cribs where desperate women barely survive the life, victim to crime and drugs. Even in the lowest place there is always trade, sometimes rich boys slumming, taking advantage of the helplessness of the poverty-stricken. No, Storyville isn't all shine and glitter, such accoutrements providing a façade for a brisk trade in human depravity, where virtually anything can be had for the right price. And Tom Anderson is feeling the effects of age and his body's infirmity, not as quick to respond to challenges, Storyville a little frayed around the edges. His relationship with St. Cyr in tatters, Anderson must rely on the detective's history for setting right the imbalances of an often treacherous place, in this case the random murders. Reluctantly, the Creole detective is drawn back to Storyville, much to his dismay and the fear of his lover, Justine, which shows itself in a quiet fury. Maybe this time St. Cyr won't be so lucky and walk away. Valentin is inevitably seduced, clothed in the familiar sounds and scents of Storyville like a well-worn suit of clothes, if a bit out of practice. He will need an edge in this case, Police Captain Picot, St. Cyr's nemesis, waiting for any opportunity to snatch his prey without the King of Storyville to protect the detective this time. Indeed, St. Cyr catches the scent of duplicity early, but the case is cluttered with so many bodies and a mysterious killer that it costs Valentin valuable time, placing Justine in unexpected danger in a chilling conclusion. Even St. Cyr's best friend, Buddy Bolden, resurfaces for a brief instant from the insane asylum where he has been commi