The Foreign Exchange
A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans.
After solving a crime blamed on Vodou in New Orleans's French Quarter, Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond has returned to her benevolent work as a healer. But when her friend and enigmatic client Evangeline "Vangie" Stiles comes to her for a spell, Mambo Reina quickly realizes what Vangie really needs is a sleuth.
Something is amiss in the Stileses' marriage. Five thousand dollars has inexplicably appeared in the bank account Vangie shares with her scam-artist husband, Arthur, and she smells trouble. So does Reina. Especially when her investigation into Arthur's likely new con leads to murder. Considering the manner of death and the signs on the victim's body, Reina recognizes it for what it is: ritual magic of the vodouisant kind.
As Reina digs deeper, she encounters a conspiracy exploiting vulnerable youth--one of whom may have abilities just like hers. With the help of her friends Darryl and Tyka, Reina must hone her ever-evolving skills to uncover a mystery that reaches further than she imagined.
Veronica G. Henry is the author of Bacchanal and, in the Mambo Reina series, The Quarter Storm and The Foreign Exchange. Her work has debuted at #1 on multiple Amazon bestseller charts and was short-listed for the Manly Wade Wellman Award and chosen as an Amazon editors' pick for Best African American Fantasy. She is a Viable Paradise alum and a member of SFWA and the MWA. Her stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and FIYAH literary magazine. For more information, visit www.veronicahenry.net.
"Urban fantasy fans will be drawn in by the vibrant NOLA setting and the charming cast." --Publishers Weekly
"This engaging exploration of New Orleans and voodoo traditions is a delightful read." --Booklist
"Take a Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth and a perplexing murder. Toss them both in a pot and sprinkle in New Orleans flavor, hot and sultry, then add a big dash of Mambo magic. Stir. Repeat. And, bam, you have The Foreign Exchange by Veronica Henry. Mambo Reina Dumond is back! Let the good times roll!" --Tracy Clark, two-time winner of the G. P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award for the Cass Raines PI series
"Robin Miles enchants as she introduces New Orleans Mambo (Priestess) Reina Dumond...This is an energetically rendered mystery-fantasy... Heartbreaking Katrina memories and fascinating lore add realism as Mambo uncovers a real estate scam and learns that African boys are being secretly 'recruited' for the NBA." --AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner
