Synopses & Reviews
In a city overwhelmed with murder and mayhem, the last homicide before a Category 5 hurricane wipes out New Orleans is quickly forgotten and remains unsolved. Until now.
Calling to mind Chinatowns Jake Gittes or Chandlers Philip Marlowe comes a new kind of private detective—a mixed-martial arts coach and bare-knuckled former cop who investigates a curious missing persons/murder case. The cold trail quickly heats up, propelling him into a battle of wits and brawn with the deadliest killers operating in the apocalyptic, post-hurricane ruins of New Orleans.
With no forensic evidence, a destroyed crime scene, and no corpse, Cliff St. James, whos practically homeless and on the verge of bankruptcy, tenaciously navigates the gritty aftermath of a city thats barely functioning. The more layers of deceit he peels away surrounding the case, the grander is the conspiracy that comes into focus, placing him squarely in the cross-hairs of those who specialize in remaining unknown.
Review
"A fast-paced, gritty novel in which no one is to be trusted and nothing is as it seems.... his noir take on the thriller will hook readers." - Associated Press
"Powerful as a Category Five hurricane, Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs is a riveting journey into murder, politics, and greed. Kovacs writes like a master, bringing to exciting life colorful and cosmopolitan New Orleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, brand-new private investigator Cliff St. James is thrown into a cauldron of lies, felonies, and violence just as Mardi Gras begins. This is a spicy, thrilling story as unforgettable as an excellent gumbo." - Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Spies
"Hard-edge. Frenetic. This tale is fluid, dark, and compelling. Ed Kovacs is a vivid addition to the thriller genre."- Steve Berry, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Emperors Tomb
"Ed Kovacs comes out of the gate with a bang. STORM DAMAGE is ultra fast-paced, moving, and nicely devious. Highly recommended." --Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE KING OF PLAGUES and DEAD OF NIGHT
“With a penchant for descriptive accuracy, Ed Kovacs provides page-turning excitement in this New Orleans centered murder mystery. In fact, if you allow yourself to become immersed, youll probably be able to hear the jazz playing in the background—its that intense.” -- John B. Alexander, Ph.D. author of Future War, and UFOs: Myths, Conspiracies, and Realities
Synopsis
In the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane in New Orleans, Private Eye Cliff St. James, a bare-knuckled ex-cop and mixed-martial artist, is stuck with the case of finding a missing person whose disappearance may have ties to Washington.When a Category 5 hurricane devastates New Orleans, the fresh murder of a politically-connected bar owner gets swept under—literally—until in the gritty aftermath of the citys recovery a bare-knuckled ex-cop and mixed-martial artist attacks the case like a hungry dog chasing a meat truck. With no forensic evidence, a destroyed crime scene, and no corpse, Cliff St. James uncovers possible CIA involvement and learns that his duplicitous client, as well as each of his other suspects, are guilty of—at the very least—multiple felonies. Its New Orleans, after all. With a contract on his head as Fat Tuesday dawns, Cliff calls in every chit and breaks every rule to solve the murder and end a new wave of murders.
About the Author
ED KOVACS has worked for many years as a private security contractor deploying to challenging locations worldwide. He is a member of the Association for Intelligence Officers, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. When not on a contract, he splits his time between his home in Southeast Asia and his aircraft hangar home at a Southern California airport.