***Note: There are affiliate links in this post and if you click on them and make a purchase, we will earn a commission from it. We appreciate your support and thank you in advance.
BUY NOW
Publish Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction
Page Count: 288
Description
A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans.
After solving a crime blamed on Vodou in New Orleans’s French Quarter, Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond has returned to her benevolent work as a healer. But when her friend and enigmatic client Evangeline “Vangie” Stiles comes to her for a spell, Mambo Reina quickly realizes what Vangie really needs is a sleuth.
Something is amiss in the Stileses’ marriage. Five thousand dollars has inexplicably appeared in the bank account Vangie shares with her scam-artist husband, Arthur, and she smells trouble. So does Reina. Especially when her investigation into Arthur’s likely new con leads to murder. Considering the manner of death and the signs on the victim’s body, Reina recognizes it for what it is: ritual magic of the vodouisant kind.
As Reina digs deeper, she encounters a conspiracy exploiting vulnerable youth-one of whom may have abilities just like hers. With the help of her friends Darryl and Tyka, Reina must hone her ever-evolving skills to uncover a mystery that reaches further than she imagined.
***Book Description is from Goodreads***
Book Reaction Navigation
The Gist
There’s suspicion that Arthur Stiles, a professional criminal, is up to his old tricks again. At the request of his wife, Evangeline “Vangie” Stiles, Vodou priestess, Mambo Reina Dumond is tasked to navigate the streets of New Orleans in search of him. Little do they know, Arthur’s choice of felonious activity is a sticky web. Complex and quick to entangle anyone that interferes.
With the help of her clients, frenemies, and friends who have become family, Reina combs through truths and clever lies to find the reason behind Vangie enlisting her for help. Not all things are what they seem, but what Reina ultimately realizes is that there are scams amiss, tainted Vodousiant magic involved, and several people to sift through. It is all a matter of knowing who, what, and why.
What Worked For Me
Found Family
I enjoyed the small moments we got with Darryl and Tyka, and wish we had more. I’m a sucker for friendships where friends make time for each other. The last time they were together was memorable and important to me as a reader because we got to see how people show up for Reina outside of the sleuthing.
I highlight this because most of the book creates a visual of Reina being a character that is lonely and surrounded by people. Many of her relationships are heavily transactional. It was good to see that that isn’t always so.
I hope there’s more of this trio in the next book and I’m equally curious as to whether they did more together in the first one.
What Did Not Work For Me
Pacing
The book is under 300 pages and seemed stilted for most of my reading experience. I think the location descriptions and character movement negatively impacted the pacing. It felt similar to listening to someone speak and not saying much, resulting in an interaction that feels longer than it really is.
When going into this book, to get past the pacing issue, remember that there is a mystery central to the story, and the most important thing is to consume the meat and leave the bones.
Content Warnings
None that I can think of. If you’ve read this book, please let me know if you noticed any content warnings.
Final Verdict
3.5/5 stars, I recommend this book. The Foreign Exchange was reminiscent of a cozy mystery with Haitian voodoo elements. I must share that I did not know that this book was part of a series, and I’m sure my rating would vary if I did. In addition, the pacing of the book was slow and felt oddly chaotic.
One redeeming quality of the book was the reveals between the 65% and 93% marks. Somewhere around there, there was a shift in my perspective and attention to the storyline. It also helps that, although how the story ended was not my favorite, the cliffhanger got me curious. Why? Because I’m nosy (lol).
I enjoyed the author’s writing style and am looking forward to other books by her. I’m excited to experience whatever storyline she develops for the next book in this series.
Many thanks to 47North, Veronica G. Henry, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.
