After losing her job and her lover, Tess Parnell hopes her luck has changed when she is contacted about a surprise Louisiana inheritance. Excitement turns to shock, however, when she realizes her family has hidden their New Orleans history, including her grandfather's murder and a possible link to her mother's suicide. Tess heads to New Orleans to cash in on her inheritance, explore her newfound roots and learn the reasons for her family's lies. Sifting through memories and legends, she begins to trace her Creole heritage from a haunted plantation to bayou tragedies and bitter vendettas. Tess is determined to uncover the family secrets that may have warped her mother's life and her own childhood. When Tess unwittingly rouses vengeful forces from a dark New Orleans past, her fight for the truth suddenly becomes a fight for her life. "Sharma portrays New Orleans as beautiful, corrupt, complicated, secretive and tragic-far more than just an atmospheric backdrop for Tess' genealogical investigations. She skillfully shows how the family betrayals, murders, lies and vengeance Tess uncovers are inextricably linked with New Orleans' history, racial and sexual politics, and geography. The author handles dialogue (and dialect) well, which gives vitality to her large, varied cast, and she depicts Tess herself as likable, enterprising and sympathetic....Sharma paces the novel well, gradually unfolding layers of mystery until the final truth is revealed. An often engaging New Orleans mystery with romantic and humorous touches." -- Kirkus Reviews