Chasing the Devil's Tail: A Mystery of Storyville, New Orleans

This evocative novel puts the reader right in the middle of Storyville New Orleans, 1907. You can almost hear the music and see the sights, such is Fulmer's ability to bring the period to life. The mixing of his fictional detective Valentin St.Cyr with real people of the era left me having to remind myself that this was fiction, it was so well written. My father was a huge fan of old New Orleans jazz (i.e. Billie and DeeDee Pierce) and yet I had never heard of "King" Buddy Bolden. It is set in the red light district of New Orleans and does describe some sex scenes between the prostitutes and their johns as well as drug use. I wasn't a bit offended, I imagine that's just what it was like. I don't want to give away the plot, but suffice to say if you've ever walked in the area near the French Quarter and wondered what it would have been like in the days of Storyville (which was all demolished long ago) this is the closest I've ever come. It was also a great mystery and I will be looking for Mr. Fulmer's other books.

http://www.cajunculture.com/Other/creole.htm "Coodermom" (the first and only reviewer to rate this book less than 4 stars) opinion of Mr. Fulmer's historical accuracy seems to be far from the truth, as the link above will demonstrate. I sense an agenda. I read this book after I saw a review of "Jass" (the second book in the series) a few weeks before my daughter went to NOLA for spring break this year. I bought both for her, and read this after her rave reviews of both books. This one gives a sense of time and place seldom found in literature--similar to reading the works of Arthur Conan Doyle--and is educational as well as entertaining. A little grisly for younger readers, but highly recommended for anyone who enjoys well written books, NOLA, history and/or mysteries.

This beautifully crafted novel drew me in from the first chapter and kept me hooked all the way to the last page. This book has all the elements of a fast read: excellent character development; clever plot twists; and compelling writing style. Not to mention, murder, prostitutes, bad cops and voodoo.Author David Fulmer paints the seedy red-light district so vividly that I felt like a fly on the wall, secretly watching the story unfold through Valentin St. Cyr's eyes. I hope there's a sequel in the works!

Absent a time machine the best way to wile away a few hours in the past is through good historical fiction. "Chasing the Devil's Tail" transports readers to the famed New Orleans district of Storyville in 1907. Author David Fulmer deserves plaudits for his historical research alone. He re-creates the sights, the sounds the lingo and the language. Further, the author peoples the story with engaging, fully realized characters, none more engaging than the protagonist, Valentin St. Cyr. (The book also features real life characters such as famed jazz musician, Jelly Roll Morton).Add to this a ripping good mystery about a series of murders that too conveniently point to St. Cyr's best friend, musician Buddy Bolden.Fulmer leads us on an intriguing journey, placing a Rosette Stone in the path early on. The resulting conclusion is surprising but plausible.An excellent read on many levels. Great debut by Fulmer, may he write many more.

As a frequent visitor to New Orleans as well as a fan of all that city's great music, I am always interested in fun fiction that covers this territory. I picked this book up on a whim and was amply rewarded -- not only does Fulmer bring historical characters (such as Buddy Bolden, Lulu White, and - very briefly - a young Louis Armstrong) alive, he places them perfectly in their city in their time (the flooding, the banquettes, even the use of terms like "lucifer" for what we now call a match). Well written, with believable people and good musical description, this was just a not-to-be-put-down read. OK, maybe it's not quite "Coming Through Slaughter" (Michael Ondaatje's masterful recreation of Bolden's life), but it beats the hell out of a lot of other mysteries that trade off the Crescent City's allure. This reader eagerly awaits Fulmer's next book.