This murder mystery gripped me from the start. Unfamiliar with the world of dance or organized crime, I couldn’t help but read one more chapter until long after bedtime.

About the Book

Journalist Jade is determined to write a career-defining article. Her dance instructor Anton wants to know who killed his fiancée. Caught between the glamorous world of ballroom dance and Anton’s dark past in the Valencio crime family, can they solve the murder before they become the next targets?

Anton’s sister, desperate to protect family secrets, tries to stop the investigation. The siblings are on a collision course, challenging the Valencio maxim: loyalty to family no matter what.

“A riveting mystery spanning Houston and New Orleans that doesn’t let up the pace.” Sarah Hawthorn, author of The Dilemma.

My Thoughts

Mafia romance isn’t my thing, or at least it hasn’t been. While this book hasn’t converted me, it’s definitely intrigued me. Also, that’s not what I’d classify this as, but it definitely dabbles. This genre-bending tale a little bit of something for the romance lover, the mystery lover, the noir lover, the cozy mystery lover, the action lover, the family drama lover, and probably tons of others.

I will almost always pick up the protagonist is a journalist. Call it morbid curiousity I suppose, from the years I spent drudging away whiling away at the newsprint attempting to find the next big story – just like our heroine. Like so many of us, Jade clearly wants to make a difference while also making a name for herself. And she’s got a little too much ambition. But I love her oomph and her character. She forms a great crew, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.

She has a lot of growing to do, as do most of the characters presented. It was so interesting to see all the points of view of the characters and try to figure out who might be the killer – someone we knew or some unknown third party. The twist at the end was an absolute shock. And there were others along the way, some devastating. This is the author’s first book, and she did not pull any punches. She took bold chances, and I believe they paid off.

“A riveting mystery spanning Houston and New Orleans that doesn’t let up the pace.”

Sarah Hawthorn, author of The Dilemma.

As someone who actually lives in New Orleans, I appreciate that she seems to have done her research. She mentioned real places – outside of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter for once – that for the most part made sense in the context she used them. So many people do a cursory glance at a map and use the place names. Or just use the touristy parts and somehow assume we all live like that. While New Orleanians like to have fun it’s not all Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street down here.

I am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour, and I can’t wait to see where Jade goes next. Will we see her back in New Orleans? More time in Houston? Or home in Australia? The possibilities are endless!

Who’s It For?

Almost anybody could find something to love about this book. People who love dancing will find the references to the world of dance exciting. Those who love mafia stories will enjoy those aspects of the story. Murder mystery and cozy lovers will enjoy this as this feels a lot like a cozy crossover to me, even though it isn’t classified as such. The only people I can imagine won’t love it are fantasy and sci-fi exclusive lovers. Sorry, guys, no spaceships, lasers, swords or elves. But there is plenty of family dramam and political intrigue.

Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Corrupt Police, Organized Crime, Dysfunctional Family, Adult Situations, Adult Language

About the Author

Andrea, author and fiction editor, runs the book editing company Brightside Story Studio. Her writing credits include The Winding Narrative blog, several short stories, two picture books and nine stage productions about contemporary social issues. She has also co-authored/edited two anthologies about expatriate life. The Godfather of Dance is her first novel.

An electrical engineer turned career consultant, Andrea spent 12 years enjoying the exhilaration and dislocation of life as an expat in Nigeria, USA, and Qatar with her husband and two children. She has now repatriated to Australia, where she commutes between Melbourne and Mansfield. Along the way, she developed a passion for ballroom and Latin dance, helped to build a school, got bogged in both the Qatari and Australian deserts and had an accidental hallucinogenic experience in Peru.

Links

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/3BPrItS
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/6hKF3W0
Amazon AU: https://amzn.asia/d/eDnzhWX
Other Links: https://books2read.com/u/mYDDVW
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203693435-the-godfather-of-dance
Author Website: https://andreabartonauthor.com/