The Swamp Ghost

Old New Orleans Bookshop Mystery, #2

by

Christi Keating Sumich

A mysterious ghost light in the swamp lures treasure hunters to their deaths.

The Swamp Ghost is the superb first book in author Christi Keating Sumich’s Old New Orleans Bookshop Mystery, following up on the full-length prequel that launched earlier this year and features the sleuthing skills of Mary Catherine Whitney, the young matriarch of the family. After their success unraveling the mystery of Dominique Yoo’s diary and becoming figures of local acclaim for the feat, Mary Catherine and her husband, bookshop owner Tobias, write and publish a popular action/adventure tale of the famed pirate or profiteer Captain Jean Lafitte. Their notoriety, though, led many residents of their hometown of New Orleans to their door in search of their assistance in solving other minor mysteries, and Mary Catherine has skillfully and patiently obliged, despite being in a delicate condition. Regardless of her misgivings and with the birth of her latest child imminent, Mary Catherine is swept into a new mystery, this one involving the appearance of a mysterious blue light in the swamp, pirate treasure, and whispers of paranormal vengeance. 

I loved this new adventure for the Whitney family and believe it may be even more exciting than their wonderful introductory story. With Mary Catherine in the lead, the story focuses on her life as a middle-class wife and mother, and on her family in New Orleans in the 1830s. She is a feisty woman, educated by Ursuline nuns, and fully in charge of her family, with a loving husband and two surviving young sons, and her natural wit and sharp observations prepare her well for following the few clues to what is occurring in the swamps around the digging of the New Basin Canal. Still, she is humble and puts her successes down to pure dumb luck. The final reveal of the truth behind the fifolet, the ghostly blue orb, is exciting and satisfying. 

The descriptions of New Orleans are vivid and atmospheric, making me want to visit the historic city for myself. The included details of the project and the experiences of the men involved in its construction are eye-opening, and the conditions in which they worked and the lives of the immigrant families waiting for them at home in the city are appalling. 

I recommend THE SWAMP GHOST and its sequel to readers of historical mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.