Jack Delmas, a laid-back New Orleans private investigator who enjoys soaking up the Lousiana bayou flavor, investigates the murders of both his barmaid client and her missing boyfriend, a drug associate she hired him to find. A first novel.

Big Easy Backroad

Literature & Fiction

Hegwood, Martin

United States

Minotaur Books

Casper Perinovich has shrimped the waters off Biloxi's Point Cadet for longer than anyone can remember. Pushing eighty, Casper is still one of the toughest and smartest old birds left on a waterfront increasingly being taken over by big-money casinos. To Jack, Casper is like a second father. Two weeks into a tough investigation and in need of a break, Jack heads out fishing with Casper, only to have disaster strike. A lifelong Point Cadet resident and vocal opponent of the casino development encroaching on his Gulf Coast town, Casper returns home, flips on his light switch, and his house explodes around him. The value of Casper's land, it seems, may have been worth killing over. And as good a man as Casper is, he's got a long list of enemies, everyone from a band of Vietnamese gangs, some angry local rednecks, a money-hungry niece, and even the mayor himself! Jack is determined to find the killer, all the while knowing that the real murderer may be staring him in the mirror all along.

A Green-Eyed Hurricane

St Martins Pr

Massacre Island: A Novel

Dauphin Island, AL: Three college students arrive at Jason Summers' beach house for the last big party of the season. Nausea strikes hard before the first shot of Tequila is ever poured: blood, everywhere. They have found the bodies. Reporters and politicos scramble for position. Three of the victims belong to the Beautiful People: a smooth entrepreneur, a Beauty Queen, a News Anchor. The fourth, Rebecca Jordan, is forgotten in the frenzy that surrounds the killings. Rebecca's mother, disgusted by the desecration of her daughter's memory, seeks help from Private Investigator Jack Delmas. He reluctantly accepts, and soon finds that appearances are not what they seem in this quaint community. Beneath its surface lies a netherworld peopled by debauched jet-setters, international smugglers, and cunning, unpredictable murderers. It is a world where innocence can be swallowed whole, and where the best intentions of people like Rebecca Jordan can distort into grisly bloodbaths like the one that consumed her. To win justice for Rebecca, Delmas allies with Jimbo McInnis, an oversized, fast-living, Hemingway-quoting deputy sheriff. Together, they must delve behind the madness to find the truth. Doing so may cost them more than their reputations.

Johnnie the Dime Koscko: don't be fooled, he's not really a gangster. But he'd like to be one, and that might just make him even more dangerous. He left the Mississippi coast thirty years ago in search of the big leagues in Las Vegas. But the closest he ever got was as a sometime flunky for the Mafia wannabes in the Rat Pack. Now he's back in Mississippi, and he's got a vision for his old hometown. With gambling legal, he's going to turn his Jackpot Bay casino into the classiest, swankiest attraction this side of the Rockies-If only he can expand his business beyond blue-haired locals and low rollers in polyester suits. He's off to a good start. Rulon Hornbeck, the suave manager he reluctantly took on to give his place "class," has booked the spectacularly popular Snow Mountain Band to play a gig in the showroom. That's drawing some big-ticket gamblers from Europe. If they come and like the place, that puts Johnnie the Dime one step closer to realizing his dream. Problem is, Snow Mountain hasn't made itself too popular with some religious folks, and it's not patching things up that the concert's on a Sunday. Enter the Narrow Path Independent Bible Church of Charismatic Believers. They have a bullhorn and they're not afraid to use it. Then there's the other problem: Tara Conrad, a no-nonsense, hyper-liberated security auditor has been sent by the insurance auditor to figure out why Jackpot Bay's been losing so much money. She's not afraid to assert herself, and that doesn't sit right with Johnnie. And, of course, there's the small matter of a bloody shoot-out that erupts on the gaming floor when Johnnie's oafish, violent nephew, Clyde, decides he can treat the staff however he wants. Maybe the Jackpot Bay's future isn't such a sure thing after all. In fact, things might start getting pretty bloody pretty soon. And that's why Jack Delmas is there. Delmas, the hero of Martin Hegwood's critically acclaimed southern mystery novels had just accepted another routine assignment from his employer: introduce Johnnie and Tara and make sure they play nice. But when the stakes are this high, playing nice is for losers.

Jackpot Bay: A Novel

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

In the sizzling tradition of James Lee Burke and Lawrence Block, author Martin Hegwood brings Dixie grit and flavor to a novel of a Florida Gulf mob murder that twists faster than a back swamp road. After drowning in a barmaid's sea-green eyes, P.I. Jack Delmas agrees to track down her missing pal-only to find him murdered, voodoo-style. Delmas suspects the druglord who rules New Orleans' underworld. But when a second murder rocks the city, Delmas is the chief suspect. Trapped in a web of corruption and secrets, Delmas has one chance to clear his name-and maybe save his bride.

Big Easy Backroad (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries)

In the sultry southern style of James Lee Burke and the hip P.I. voice of Dennis LeHane comes a major new figure on the mystery scene, Martin Hegwood. His first novel, Big Easy Backroad introduced PI Jack Delmas and was a big southern hit. Critics and fans alike fell for his atmospherically dead on, visual writing and his ultra compelling protagonist. Like all Bayou bred men, Jack enjoys a cold bottle of Dixie beer, and a little bit of danger. This time out, Jack finds himself caught in the midst of a deadly struggle for control of Biloxi's waterfront. Casper Perinovich has shrimped the waters off Point Cadet and Biloxi for longer than anyone can remember. Pushing 80, Casper is still one of the toughest and smartest old birds left on a waterfront increasingly being taken over by big money casinos. To Jack, Casper is like a second father. In need of a break, Jack heads out fishing with Casper, only to have disaster strike. Casper, a lifelong Point Cadet, Mississippi resident and vocal oppoent to the casino development encroaching on this Gulf Coast town, gets home, flips on his light switch, and his house explodes around him. The value of Casper's land, it seems, may have been worth killing over. And as good a man as Casper was, he's got a long list of enemies. Everyone from a band of Vietnamese gangs, some angry local rednecks, Casper's money hungry niece, and even the mayor himself! Jack's determined to find the killer, all the while knowing that the real murderer may be staring him in the mirror all along. This is a murder story, but it's also the story of a city. Through thorough research and a lifelong love of the south, Hegwood captures modern day Biloxi. It's a Biloxi poised on the brink of moving beyond its shrimping and seafood canning days and into a world where boats that never sail house some of the country's busiest casinos just a foot away from land. Hegwood richly evokes the passing of an era, in a thrilling mystery that will keep you turning the pages long after the last boat sails.

The Green-Eyed Hurricane

St. Martin's Paperbacks

Dauphin Island, AL: Three college students arrive at Jason Summers' beach house for the last big party of the season. Nausea strikes hard before the first shot of Tequila is ever poured: blood, everywhere. They have found the bodies. Reporters and politicos scramble for position. Three of the victims belong to the Beautiful People: a smooth entrepreneur, a Beauty Queen, a News Anchor. The fourth, Rebecca Jordan, is forgotten in the frenzy that surrounds the killings. Rebecca's mother, disgusted by the desecration of her daughter's memory, seeks help from Private Investigator Jack Delmas. He reluctantly accepts, and soon finds that appearances are not what they seem in this quaint community.Beneath its surface lies a netherworld peopled by debauched jet-setters, international smugglers, and cunning, unpredictable murderers. It is a world where innocence can be swallowed whole, and where the best intentions of people like Rebecca Jordan can distort into grisly bloodbaths like the one that consumed her. To win justice for Rebecca, Delmas allies with Jimbo McInnis, an oversized, fast-living, Hemingway-quoting deputy sheriff. Together, they must delve behind the madness to find the truth. Doing so may cost them more than their reputations.

In the sultry southern style of James Lee Burke and the hip P.I. voice of Dennis Lehane comes a major new figure on the mystery scene, Martin Hegwood. His first novel, "Big Easy Backroad, introduced P.I. Jack Delmas and was a big Southern hit. Now in his second outing, Jack finds himself caught in the midst of a deadly struggle for control of Biloxi's waterfront. For his entire life, Casper Perinovich has shrimped the waters off Biloxi's Point Cadet. Pushing eighty, he's still one tough, smart guy who isn't afraid to voice his opposition to the development of the big-money casinos encroaching on his Gulf Coast town. In need of a break, Jack heads out fishing with Casper. Disaster strikes when they return home: Casper flips on his light switch, and his house explodes around him. The value of his land, it seems, may have been worth killing over. And as good as a man as Casper was, he still had a long list of enemies, everyone from a band of Vietnamese gangs, some angry local rednecks, a money-hungry niece, and even the mayor himself! Jack is determined to do right by Casper's memory and find the killer at all costs--even if it means losing his own life...

The Green-Eyed Hurricane (Beeler Large Print Series)

Contemporary

Thomas T. Beeler

Jackpot Bay (Beeler Large Print Series)

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Books by Hegwood, Martin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hegwood, Martin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Big Easy Backroad

A Green-Eyed Hurricane

Massacre Island: A Novel

Jackpot Bay: A Novel

Big Easy Backroad (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries)

The Green-Eyed Hurricane

Massacre Island: A Novel

The Green-Eyed Hurricane (Beeler Large Print Series)

Jackpot Bay (Beeler Large Print Series)