Land of Shadows: Detective Elouise Norton, Book 1

Twenty-five years ago, Elouise Norton's older sister, Tori, was caught stealing candy from a neighborhood store owned by a man named Napoleon Crase. In a panic, Elouise ran from the store and never saw her sister again. The police conducted a perfunctory investigation but never discovered what might have happened to Tori.Perhaps the investigation was so slipshod because the cops were lazy or perhaps because they were overburdened. Perhaps it was because the victim, Tori, was a black teenager who did not have a sterling reputation to begin with. But whatever the case, a quarter of a century later, Elouise remains haunted by the loss of her sister and has become a homicide detective herself, having promised her mother that she would yet bring Tori home.Elouise (Lou) and her newbie white male partner are called to the scene of a condominium construction site, where a seventeen-year-old girl named Monique Dawson has been found hanging in a closet. Lou's new partner, Colin Taggert, jumps to the conclusion that the dead girl was a suicide, but Lou quickly disabuses him of that notion and insists, correctly, that Monique is the victim of a homicide.Interestingly, the condo development project is owned by Napoleon Crase who, in the years since Tori's disappearance, has pulled himself up by the bootstraps to become a millionaire developer, and the site of the project is very near the site of the store where Tori disappeared.Inevitably, these coincidences will weigh on Lou, but will they compromise her ability to conduct a full and fair investigation into the death of Monique Dawson? And as if she doesn't have enough on her mind to begin with, Lou's husband, a game developer, is in Japan. He's calling Lou infrequently and is generally staying out of touch. Lou wonders if he's cheating; if so, it wouldn't be the first time. The last time Lou caught him, he "apologized" by buying her a $90,000 Porsche SUV, but that may not be enough if he's straying again.Lou pursues the case, which takes a variety of twists and turns and involves some pretty sleazy characters. But she's a detective driven by the need to know the truth and she pursues it with a grim determination. She's a new and original character, and Rachel Howzell Hall introduces her in a very compelling story. Hall also creates a very convincing and intriguing setting in an area of south L.A. that's undergoing a black gentrification, and the end result is a book that will appeal to large numbers of crime fiction readers. I'm looking forward eagerly to Lou's next case.

Elouise Norton is a detective in the LAPD's Homicide Department. She's also Afro-American and the sister of a young woman who had disappeared twenty or so years earlier. In Rachel Howzell Hall's first novel in her "Lou Norton" series, "Land of Shadows", Norton is called in to investigate the death of a young woman, found in a closet of a new apartment complex. At first, the death is discounted a suicide, but is soon determined to be murder. And there's no shortage of suspects. Lou and her new partner, Colin, dig deep into the victim's life to find her murderer. But Lou is also looking for her sister's murderer.One of the strengths of the book are the characters and the setting. Howzell Hall writes with largely an African-American cast and she knows the ins-and-outs of the society she's portraying. No one's all good...or all bad. Her characters are nuanced and all are interesting. She brings a bit of Lou's private life into the story; along with her missing sister, Lou also has a less-than-faithful husband.Howzell Hall's first book is told in the first person, with additional parts told from the third. It's a good story - the characters are fairly complex - but the plot suffers a bit from what I think is a first-timer's gambit in writing - the "damsel in distress". See, the murderer is also after Lou. All gets solved in the end, and Elouise Norton goes on to further books in the series. And I'm going along with her

I wasn't prepared to like Lulu Norton. She seemed harsh and unnecessarily cruel to her new partner. And I thought Rachel's portrayal of Colin was a bit amateurish at first, but both characters and their portrayals grew on me as Lulu and Colin raced to solve a series of serial murders, one that may involve Lily's long missing sister. I loved the twists and turns off this story and found myself totally enthralled. I'll recover from my sleep deprivation some day, but I question whether Lulu will recover from the serial cheats of her creep husband.Grab this book; it's a winner.

Ms. Hall's books always leave me wanting to pick up her next book, and this one is no different. Ms. Hall's writing reminds me of Raymond Chandler's writing style - dripping with description and painting a crystal clear picture. The plot is intriguing and all of the characters are written well - I felt like I knew all of the characters, especially Detective Lou Norton. Lou Norton is a smart, passionate and committed detective, and her most recent case hits close to home. I rooted for her and even tried to protect her; more than once I found myself begging her not to do this or say that, else she risk losing her job or her life. In my view, when you start talking at a book the way some yell at a movie screen to convince the heroine not to open that door, you've got a great book.In addition to the well-written characters, the themes and plot of the book more than justify the $15 price of admission. It's a classic whodunnit, with modern twists and important focus on issues of race and class. This focus does not make the book preachy or boring, however; it actually moves the plot forward, making the reader think twice about decisions made by the characters. These themes also made the ending that much more satisfying in a way that is hard to explain.If you are looking for a compelling summer read, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a book that explores themes of race, class and crime, this is the book for you. If you've been searching for a gripping thriller with a strong female lead, this is the book for you. If you have no idea what book you're looking for, but you're willing to take a chance on something new, do yourself a favor and buy Land of Shadows - you'll be hooked and counting down the days to the next installment, just like me.

I came across this author whilst searching for similar ones to David Baldacci. I would say it is not anyway near Baldacci’s style of writing at all. The book was said to be ‘full of cracking jokes’. Well, I didn’t find much funny about the ‘wise- cracking’ Elousie and neither did I think the entire plot of the book had any depth or quality. IMO Elouise came across as rough, crass and a bit of a ‘know-all’. The characters were one-dimensional, cliched and boring. The entire book felt as if it was written in a hurry, lacking detail and substance. I couldn’t wait to finish it. I will not be reading anymore books by this author.

Took a while to get involved with the characters as it is very American and so unfamiliar to a middle aged Sot living in Wales. The main protagonist is difficult to get to know initially but you do find yourself getting more involved as you see her vulnerabilities as well as her very tough exterior. Finished it wanting to read more.

I was surprised that there weren't more 5 star reviews for this great book. I came across a review on Goodreads and thought it sounded like my kind of thing. It was, so much so that I've had to buy the next two in the series right away.I loved Detective Lou Norton, and I thought the way her personal life weaved through the story was really well done. All the characters are well drawn and three dimensional, even if they only appear for a short while.I definitely recommend this author, do try this book!

I came across a review for this book in The Sunday Times, where it was given rave reviews. I wouldn't normally pay £6 for a Kindle book, but this was money well spent. The character of Elouise is so well drawn and so funny and sassy that I was drawn to her immediately. She has to deal with the murder of her sister 25 years ago together with a new murder of a young girl, and the strands of the story, both now and then, criss and cross beautifully. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. The author has a sense of humour and pathos which draws you in and she deserves to be widely read. Read this!!

Good honest story , this is what I have come to expect from this author. Would recommend and would read more of her books myself.