Three Louisiana mystery writers to discuss the craft

Three Louisiana mystery writers – Robert Hecker, Susan Fleet and John Frady – will talk about their latest mystery novels at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

Robert Hecker, “The Accidental Vigilante.”

Being the son-in-law of a rich businessman doesn't do Jeremy Porter any favors when he gets a job as a police officer. In fact, the demoted, struggling officer is just about fed up with his department’s lackadaisical attitude toward the law. Jeremy soon takes the law into his own hands, sneaking the files of extremely dangerous child molesters and pursuing them on his own. While not intentional, his vigilante quest results in the deaths of three molesters—all classified as homicides. He also discovers something else, ties between the three men and a sex syndicate with Russian connections that the police aren't investigating. How can the cops claim to be keeping the streets safe when they’re manipulating data and ignoring crimes?

Robert Hecker began his career in law enforcement with the New Orleans Police Department. Currently, he is the police chief for the New Orleans Harbor Police and oversees the security operations for the Port of New Orleans. For his efforts during the Katrina Disaster in 2005, Hecker received the honor of being named “New Orleanian of the Year” by Gambit Magazine and the Hero of the Storm award by both WDSU television station and Southern Woman Magazine.

Susan Fleet, "Missing"

Donna and Hunter Gates appear to be the perfect power couple. He's a wealthy city councilman, she's a popular news anchor for a local TV station. One night when Hunter comes home, Donna and their two small children are gone. He asks New Orleans Police Detective Frank Renzi to find them and Renzi uncovers a tangled web of lies.

For many years, novelist Susan Fleet was a freelance trumpeter, college professor and music historian in Boston. While teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music, she began writing crime thrillers. In 2001, she moved to New Orleans, the setting for her Frank Renzi crime thriller series. Her first novel, "Absolution," was named Best Mystery-Thriller of 2009. Her third, "Natalie's Revenge," was Feathered Quill Book Awards Best Mystery-Thriller, 2014.

John Frady, “Bad Preacher”

When Brad Johnson finds a $100 bill on the floor of his office, he never intends to steal from his own struggling church, but only a few hours later he finds himself needing to spend the money in an emergency at a gas station—a move that will set off Earl and the town’s gossip mill. By the end of a single day, the whole town believes that Brad has been driving through New Orleans with women passed out in the back of his car, doing drugs in his front yard, gambling with church money, and cheating on his wife with gas station clerk Sally Mae Watson—only some of which is true.

John Frady is executive pastor of spiritual development/Metairie campus pastor at Celebration Church, a multi-site church with six campuses in the New Orleans Region. He is also co-author of “Staccato: A devotional for worship leaders, worship artists, and worshipers."

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.