The Lafitte Affair. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.The Lafitte Affair

When burglars break into Hope Mausoleum and violate Crypt 1083-A, where the remains of the former Girod Street Cemetery are housed, New Orleans property crimes detective Thibodeaux "Bo" Duplessis is confronted with three confounding questions: Who are the burglars? Why did they break into the crypt? What, if anything, did they take? In need of expertise he does not possess, Bo turns to his childhood friend Bruneau Abellard, a cranky, overweight antiques dealer with exacting epicurean standards and a font of historical knowledge. Affecting annoyance, though privately intrigued, Bruneau agrees to assist with Bo's case. Together, the friends uncover a secret love affair between a famous antebellum actress, whose remains are contained in the crypt, and the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. As their investigation deepens, they find themselves confronting two separate yet entwined mysteries, two hundred years apart. To solve the present-day crime, they come to realize they must first unravel a conundrum from the distant, murky past. Set against the singular backdrop of contemporary New Orleans, with glimpses of the city during its "Belle Epoque" of the 1820s, The Lafitte Affair is populated with characters as eccentric as the city itself: a grand dame of the Garden District; a competitive female puzzler; a slippery con man; a giant hermit with a shrouded past; a pugnacious French bulldog; and a phantom thief who seems always two steps ahead of his pursuers. Looming over them all is the ghostly presence of the pirate Lafitte, a larger-than-life figure of seemingly endless contradictions.

Norman Woolworth is a retired corporate executive, and The Lafitte Affair is his first novel. A graduate of Tulane University, Woolworth maintains an abiding fascination with the City of New Orleans, which he visits as frequently as he is able. Like his protagonist, Bruneau Abellard, Woolworth appreciates nothing so much as a great meal, paired with a well-chosen wine, shared with close friends. Unlike Bruneau, Woolworth enjoys hiking, active vacations and exploring the natural world. A journalist before embarking on a three-decade career in Corporate America, Woolworth holds a M.A. in English Literature from the University of Virginia. A father of three grown children, he resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife Lori and their blue-blooded mongrel, Nola.