A beautiful city with ugly traditions of corruption and racism. A black man set to hang for a murder he didn't commit. A world-famous author — and detective — who isn't about to let it happen...

"An enjoyable tour of 1890s New Orleans... Twain can take a bow for his perfomance. Heck takes a colorful city (New Orleans) an a colorful character (Mark Twain), adds a murder, a duel, some voodoo and period detail and conjures up an entertaining sequel to Death on the Mississippi." — Publishers Weekly

"A period charmer..." — Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

"This Crescent City mystery simmers." — Booklist

"The second of Heck's Mark Twain detective novels is a charming winner." — Ed's Internet Book Review

"Exciting." — Book Alert