Natalie’s Revenge: A Frank Renzi Novel

By: Susan Fleet
Publisher: Music & Mayhem Press
Publishing Date: September 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9847235-3-9
Reviewed By: Amy Lignor
Review Date: September 2012

For readers following the coolest detective in literature at the moment - Frank Renzi - they will be thrilled to know there’s a new crime for him to solve. For those readers who haven’t caught on to Renzi as of yet, these are the suspense/crime novels you want on your bookshelf.

With this new tale, readers begin in 1988 New Orleans, where a very young girl named Natalie wakes up one morning to find her mother not there, and police outside the door with some very bad news.

Fast forward to 2008. Frank Renzi and his partner, Kenyon Miller, have found a major VIP shot in the head in one of the swankiest hotels that ‘The Big Easy’ has to offer. The victim, Arnold Peterson, is the marketing director of ‘The Babylon’ - a new, ritzy casino in the French Quarter. Arnold isn’t a horrible person, but he did have major alleged gambling debts as well as a ‘nose’ for the ladies so, basically, there are many who would want to erase him from the scene.

As Renzi begins to investigate he first heads to the wife, and finds a woman who loves her kids but frankly doesn’t much care that hubby is gone. She knows about his wandering ways and also knows there were people at work who wanted his job and wanted it badly. Not exactly heartbroken, she had stayed with Arnold in order to keep that social status she loves so much. And…she has an alibi.

As Renzi continues, being pushed harder and harder in order to solve this high profile crime, he discovers a great many suspects who ALL seem to have reliable alibis until…

Another man is found shot in the head in a city park. Completely different from Peterson, this was a young man from Texas who just seemed to meet up with the wrong person…yet the bullet in his brain came from the same gun that Peterson’s had.

Readers will literally sit on-the-edge of their seats when they begin to follow young Natalie who seeks revenge for what happened to her mother so long ago. From Natalie’s hard past to her time in Paris, Natalie is a truly intelligent and seductive character. When Renzi jumps on her trail he uncovers a great deal about the young woman, but has perhaps also found the one case he literally can’t close.

This is one great author! From her delectable mysteries to her seductive look at New Orleans - with hurricanes coming as Renzi’s hunt and Natalie’s actions go beyond thrilling - readers could just have a heart attack from the excitement.

Quill Says: Suspense readers will be saying: “We need more Renzi...STAT!”

For more information on Natalie's Revenge, please visit the author's website at: www.susanfleet.com