Amazon Gumbo Justice Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Oak Tree Press ISBN-10:  1892343517 Type: Fiction Pages: 237 Copyright: June 4, 2009 ISBN-13: 9781892343512 New Orleans Prosecutor Ryan Murphy wants one thing- to join the ranks of the elite Strike Force attorneys. Too bad a psychopath has other plans for her. Ambitious New Orleans prosecutor Ryan Murphy has one goal, to get a promotion to the elite Strike Force.  Not above skating the line just a smidge to get a conviction, and with a mouth that doesn't know when to stop, she isn't always a favorite with judges, defendants, or even other attorneys.  Her overprotective police captain daddy tries to keep her in check, and her four cop brothers are always around to keep an eye on her. Not to mention she's drawn the attention of a hot detective-- or two.  Life should be good. Enter a demented psycho with plans of his own. When the defendants on the cases she previously prosecuted (and lost), end up dead, Ryan isn't too concerned. After all, street justice has a way of catching up with the bad guys.  But then the killer turns his attention to her, and threatens everything she holds dear.    WIth her family and relationship interests, Ryan should be safe. But the culprit is someone she knows and never suspects, and in the end, she'll need to overcome her demons to outsmart him, or die trying.

Gritty, Raw, And Engaging.
Tough, streetwise, and smart - with an even smarter mouth - Ryan Murphy is not a prosecutor to be trifled with; of course, if you were a peace-loving citizen in the crime-infested, drug-riddled Big Easy, you wouldn't want your law enforcement officials to be any other way. So, tasked with the duty of prosecuting a series of brutal crimes, Ryan uses her incomparable grit and wits to ensure that the incorrigible criminals behind them never again see the light of day.

There's only one problem: before she can see each case through to complete prosecution, the bad guys all end up dead. Even more confounding for Ryan: each killing is mysteriously linked to her - which is the absolute last thing she needs while striving to fast-track her own career. As the sinister events unfold - ultimately placing her own life at risk - Ryan, despite how slick and savvy she's become, must kick her game to an even higher level if she's to outwit a twisted killer who seems destined to remain one step ahead of her.

The initial installment in the Crescent City Mystery Series, Gumbo Justice is, hands down, the real thing. Herself a public defender and former New Orleans prosecutor, Holli Castillo infuses her compelling tale with such authenticity and unique energy that even those who have never visited the Big Easy will undoubtedly finish the book feeling as though they've lived there forever. Furthermore, her perfectly crafted characters and gripping storyline push the narrative along at break-neck pace, making the 200+ pages breeze by and leaving you craving for more as the story - regrettably - concludes...as such, hopefully installment #2 is just around the corner...

Gritty, raw, engaging - and with an absolutely delicious closing twist - Gumbo Justice is a highly entertaining instant classic from an emerging literary star fast on the rise. Kudos to Castillo for crafting such an ingenious, unique thriller, and be on the lookout for more from this promising new talent.

Renee Washburn
Apex Reviews

A Mystery as steamy as its setting.
Wow!!!! I've just finished reading "Gumbo Justice" by Holli Castillo, published by Oak Tree Press. Set in pre-Katrina New Orleans, "Gumbo Justice" is full of memorable characters and edge of the seat writing. Castillo is a Louisiana appellate public defender and former New Orleans prosecutor, which lends edgy authenticity to her story and her heroine, Ryan Murphy, an assistant district attorney. Ryan has a smart mouth, a penchant for hard work and fairness both in and out of the court room, Tequila and sexy cops. She also has a past that's intruding on her present with deadly vengeance. Someone's on a killing spree and each victim is connected with a case Ryan's handled. Are they trying to implicate her in murder or is this a bizarre form of torture? Castillo deftly hands us one suspect after another and just when you think you know whodunit, she presents them and us with a perfect alibi. Then when you think things couldn't get any hotter, Castillo turns up the heat to deliver an ending with a twist that's definitely a satisfying shocker.

Norma Seely
Editor, MurderX5 blog

A New Queen of Thrillers
Move over James Patterson - Holli Castillo has arrived. Well, it makes sense doesn't it? Patterson was an advertising exec; Holli Castillo is a criminal appellate public defender and former prosecutor in New Orleans. Which one do you suppose has been up close and personal with the seamy side of life? Castillo's first thriller - Gumbo Justice - takes us on a wild ride into the drug scene in the Big Easy's projects where we're confronted with intertwined mysteries. Who is killing the defendants that assistant prosecutor Ryan Murphy failed to convict? And how is Murphy's mysterious family history related to the killings? The plot takes more twists and turns than the old Zephyr roller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach. The final curve will blow you away, so whatever you do, do not peek at the last page. Murphy is the best hard-boiled heroine since V. I. Warshawski, but she's smarter, tougher, and - in a piece of brilliant character development - paradoxically more vulnerable. Gumbo Justice is fast-paced and tightly woven, combining a psycho-thriller, a police procedural in a city where procedure takes a back seat to impulse, and a terrific love story - a stunning achievement.

J.M. Orenduff
"The Pot Thief" series.