Book Review: Voodoo, Whipped Cream and Billy the Kid

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Voodoo, Whipped Cream and Billy the Kid     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Louise Crawford
Class/Genre:   Mystery
The Fiction Works, 2001,$12.95, 275 pp.

Beverly Hills detective Art Murray is dealing with a case of voodoo, at the same time as breaking in a new partner known as Billy the Kid. Matters start getting a lot more complicated as love and zombies are thrown into the mix.

If 'Voodoo, Whipped Cream and Billy the Kid' is in the running for any awards, it ought to win for the originality of its title alone, not to mention the bizarre image on the cover. Those two attributes are certainly going to attract the eye of someone browsing the bookshelf.

As for the book itself, it's a very enjoyable tale. Crawford includes a lot of humour, which stands out particularly in the narrative style. Her characters are interesting and certainly have the potential to be used in future novels. The plot is mildly confusing from time to time, although the author has clearly done her research into voodoo and Haiti culture and the information is provided clearly for the reader's understanding.

The ending is slightly disappointing in that two characters heroically arrive on a rescue mission which in my opinion, would not have happen in real life. This detracted from the story somewhat, but other than that, this is an enjoyable and original tale that is guaranteed to raise a smile.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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