Louisiana Longshot (Miss Fortune Mystery #1)

Finished: XYZ 2024
Book Source: Library

It was a hell of a longshot…

CIA Assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever–in Sinful, Louisiana.

With a leak at the CIA and a price on her head by one of the world’s largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she’s determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.

Unfortunately, she hasn’t even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she’s not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.

Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it’s too late.

Characters

• Fortune Redding – CIA agent, hiding out in a small town in Louisiana to avoid a leak in the CIA and a hit from a foreign bad guy, Ahmad — hiding out for the summer as Morrow’s niece, a librarian beauty queen named Sandy-Sue
• Hadley Reynolds – CIA executive assistant
• Director Morrow – Fortune’s boss
• Ben Harrison – Another CIA agent
• Marge Boudreaux – The aunt that recently passed
• Gertie – Marge’s friend
• Ida Gelle – Marge’s friend, sharp shooter, leader of the Sinful Ladies
• Bones – super old dog that Fortune inherits
• Deputy Carter LeBlanc – ex Marine
• Sheriff Lee – not too bright
• Marie – wife of the missing millionaire, Howard, the body found in the bayou
• Howard – Marie’s husband, mean man
• Melvin – Howard’s cousin

My Review

Embark on a delightful journey — a five-star cozy mystery that seamlessly intertwines mystery, romance, and humor. Set in a charming small town, the story follows Fortune, a CIA agent in hiding. She’s a strong and witty female lead that is trying to stay alive after a hit is placed on her due to a leak at the CIA. She goes undercover as a beauty queen librarian, the opposite of who she actually is. Silly antic ensue. The banter between the Fortune and Deputy LeBlanc, along with the endearing presence of lovable old women, adds depth and warmth to the narrative.

The fast-paced plot has humorous elements throughout that make this cozy mystery not just compelling but also a joyous and entertaining read. It filled that gap that I’ve been looking for since reading the Finlay Donovan or Stephanie Plum series. I didn’t realize until I had finished that the author wrote the Trouble in Mudbug series – I loved that silly series I read about a decade ago but still remember fondly!

Per StoryGraph AI: Louisiana Longshot is a lighthearted and mysterious read with a strong female lead, a small-town setting, and a touch of romance, all wrapped up in a fast-paced and humorous cozy mystery — and I absolutely agree!