Introduction to this Edition

It’s been more years than I want to think about since the last Andy Broussard, Kit Franklyn mystery was published. After writing six books about the overweight, cerebral, complicated New Orleans Medical Examiner, Andy Broussard, and his gorgeous death investigator sidekick, Kit Franklyn, I lost touch with them and the rest of the gang. I expect you can think of people too, who at one time played a major role in your life and then weren’t there anymore . . . not dead . . . just both of you going about your business, not thinking of each other.

During my hiatus from writing about Kit and Andy, the publisher of those books let them go out of print. Kit and Andy certainly didn’t deserve such treatment, so I’m elated that with this new edition by Astor + Blue and their intent to reissue at least two more books in the series, Andy and Kit’s adventures will be available again for a new generation of readers to discover. But will there only be a recounting of tales already told? I’m thrilled to say, the answer to that is, no. After two more reissue editions, . . . where’s that drum roll I asked for . . . ? Astor + Blue will publish a new Andy and Kit novel never before available in any form. More about that, later.

In preparation to write this introduction I noticed that almost none of the characters have a cell phone. Moreover, all the speakers at the Forensic meeting where the book takes place, use old-fashioned slide trays instead of giving computer-based talks with PowerPoint. I thought about modernizing those parts, but that wouldn’t be right. The story should remain as written originally because that’s the way events actually happened. I shouldn’t be altering them now.

I was also touched by Broussard’s willingness to share this story with us. The guilt he felt about the murders that occurred and the recounting of his deep feelings for a long-ago love were things he could have properly kept to himself. But he was man enough to let me write about them. And Kit allowed us into her innermost thoughts. too, even when they concerned her long-time boyfriend, alligator farmer, Teddy LaBiche. Neither Andy nor Kit held anything back. So in addition to a cracking good mystery with tension and danger and puzzles at every turn, you’ll get to see beneath the surface of two very complex and damned clever human beings that I’m proud to call my friends.

—D.J. Donaldson