When Hurricane Katrina hit back in 2005, I remember being mesmerized by the television coverage. I was sickened and wished I could be there to help the victims. I was sad and frustrated that something like that could happen in our own country, and that red tape and incompetence were permitted to keep people from getting life-saving assistance in a timely manner. I had the TV on so much to watch for news updates, that when Lucy was born over a year later, Bethany suggested we name her Katrina.
The novel Hell or High Water, by Joy Castro, explores an issue in post-Katrina New Orleans that never crossed my mind until I read the book. The storm and mass exodus of the city provided the perfect opportunity for convicted sex offenders to go off the grid, and possibly never get back on it. When Times-Picayune reporter Nola Cespedes is given an assignment to investigate this problem and write a feature story about it, she hopes it will earn her a transfer and beef up her reputation at the paper.
At first glance, Nola is a tough, confident and independent party girl with a full social life. She is determined and driven. But as her research gets more and more intense, pieces of Nola are pushed to the surface, despite her best efforts to keep them buried. The complexity of her character is intriguing and keeps the story interesting. Bit by bit, the reader realizes there is quite a bit more to Nola than meets the eye.
Hell or High Water is full of surprises. It hooked me early and kept me curious and interested right up through the end.
For more information, visit the author's website at http://www.joycastro.com/
I received a complimentary copy of Hell of High Water. All opinions are my own.
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