The Lower Quarter: A Novel - Softcover

Blackwell, Elise

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1609531191 ISBN 13: 9781609531195

Publisher: Unbridled Books, 2015

Synopsis

A man murdered during Katrina in a hotel room two blocks from her art-restoration studio was closely tied to a part of Johanna’s past that she would like kept secret. But missing from the crime scene is a valuable artwork painted in 1926 by a renowned Belgian artist that might bring it all back.

An acquaintance, Clay Fontenot, who has enabled a wide variety of personal violations in his life, some of which he has enjoyed, is the scion of a powerful New Orleans family.

And Marion is an artist and masseuse from the Quarter who has returned after Katrina to rebuild her life.

When Eli, a convicted art thief, is sent to find the missing painting, all of their stories weave together in the slightly deranged halls of the Quarter.

About this title

About the Author:

Elise Blackwell is the author of four previous novels: Hunger, The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, Grub, and An Unfinished Score. Her short stories and essays have been widely published, and her work has been named to various best-of-the-year lists, translated into several languages, and adapted for the stage as well as a song by The Decemberists. She teaches at the University of South Carolina, where she is also organizer and host of The Open Book.

Review:

"In this novel, Blackwell has created a vibrant amalgamation of mystery, classic noir, erotica, and ekphrasis.... An artful, gritty love story, eulogy, and survivor narrative for the city of New Orleans post-Katrina."
-- Kirkus (starred review)

"A restrained and lovely work, admirably resistant to melodrama, punctuated by moments of sublime insight."
--USA Today

"The novel is a compelling blend of character and setting, without either overwhelming the other. Fans of literary mysteries should love The Lower Quarter."
--New York Journal of Books

"The Lower Quarter is a riveting narrative about crime, art, violence and renewal in a city that embodies all four."
--BookPage

"The authenticity of Blackwell's New Orleans experience is clear on every page, from the bars the characters frequent to the sense of a city rebuilding itself ... will grip readers and keep them turning pages."
--Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Unbridled Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1609531191
• ISBN 13: 9781609531195
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368