<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: There's a mystery in every family history
Review: Jackpot Blood is the first Nick Herald mystery I have read and it certainly won't be the last. Nick Herald is a certified genealogist from New Orleans who earns a precarious living by tracing the family roots of his clients, who are often less than pleased with the results of his findings. This time Nick has been asked to help a newly-recognized Indian tribe establish guidelines for recognizing membership in the tribe. The federal recognition of the Katogoula tribe sets off a chain reaction of events that reaches from the corrupt halls of power in Baton Rouge to the bright lights and dirty money of Las Vegas and back to the deep woods of the Louisiana bayou. Along the way we are introduced to a diverse and believable group of characters who inhabit each of these worlds and come to interact in surprising ways. As the reader is drawn into the story, each of the different plot elements is brought together in a very satisfying way. Unlike many mysteries that hold the readers attention only to fall apart at the end, Jackpot Blood builds to a very suspenseful conclusion that is engrossing and totally in character with the story. Hick Herald's passion for genealogy and discovering the truth no matter where it leads him is an integral part of the narrative and fascinating for all of us who have wondered about our origins and family history. A good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Hit 'pay-dirt' with Fox's newest novel, Jackpot Blood!!!
Review: Jimmy Fox's latest novel, Jackpot Blood, is a 'whale' of a treat! Adventurous and persistent, the main character, Nick Herald, is a genealogist who is driven to analyze family records of the Katogoula Indians. And in the process, he uncovers secrets, lies...and murder. The tribe is diminishing into non-existence unless Nick can dig up the past. Wary of hidden dangers, Nick stalks a killer bent on keeping the past dead and buried.Jackpot Blood is rich with Louisiana imagery. Author Jimmy Fox exhibits an almost poetic quality in his descriptive ambiance. The quirky characters are 3-dimensional and ripe with spicy flavor ¯ Louisiana 'Hot Sauce' to an avid reader! WARNING: Read carefully, so that you don't miss a single detail! Jackpot Blood makes the reader yearn to research their own past, the lost generations before them. But then again, maybe a skeleton or two could be found in that closet too! Hit 'pay-dirt' with Fox's newest novel in The Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery series. Take a gamble on this book; you won't be disappointed. In fact, after reading Jackpot Blood, you'll be ready to shout "JACKPOT!" I give it...three cherries! Review by Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Author of Divine Intervention and Whale Song
Rating:
Summary: Fox does his job so well in this book I suspected everyone.
Review: Tired of the genealogy textbooks? Give your brain a rest and delve into some genealogy fiction with a sinister twist. Read Jackpot Blood and you just might learn a thing or two about genealogy research. In his newest Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery, Jimmy Fox weaves the essence of genealogy research seamlessly into the story with wonderfully long descriptions of real genealogy methods and existing records.
In Jackpot Blood, Nick Herald, professional genealogist, is hired to identify both ancestors and descendants of six core families in the recently recognized Katogoula Indian tribe. Someone, however, wants the tribe's past and present kept a secret. Tribe members are murdered one by one as non-Indians stake out a reservation and casino bosses wine and dine the tribal council. As Nick digs further into the tribe's history, old tribal beliefs resurface and Nick must determine if the killings are human, animal, or spiritual. As an author Fox does his job so well in this book I suspected everyone and everything of having a motive to kill.
Although few of us have the resources to pursue a genealogy to the extent Herald does, genealogists will be enthralled with the genealogical hunt as the story progresses. As Nick explores the tribe's history readers will experience the thrill of rooting out answers in long-forgotten sources and share his triumph when he breaks down a brick wall because he took good paper and pencil notes. Fox also has Nick deal with the everyday annoyances of researching in libraries and old courthouses. Anyone who has ever spent long hours looking at a census will chuckle at Fox's description of a squabble that takes place between Nick and another library patron concerning the use of a microfilm reader. These details make Jackpot Blood not just a great piece of fiction but an exciting genealogy experience.
Jackpot Blood is the third in Jimmy Fox's Nick Herald Genealogical mysteries. I can't say I much liked Nick when I met him in Fox's first book, Deadly Pedigree, but Fox's writing flows so easily that my annoyance with Nick is easily forgotten with each book as I am drawn in to the story and the genealogy. I am eager to find out who Nick's next client is and what mystery their family tree will hold.
If you are interested in finding out what Jimmy Fox has to say about Nick Herald, check out my "Ask the Author" feature at www.christinesbooklist.com. Jimmy Fox answers my questions and the questions from a select few readers.
JACKPOT BLOOD by Jimmy Fox. 2004. iUniverse, Lincoln, NE. ISBN 0595308864
<< 1 >>
| 
