MYSTERY FICTION’S MOST ELECTRIFYING DETECTIVE DUO—NOW COLLECTED IN ONE BOXED SET!
Get the complete Talba Wallis series by Edgar Award-winning author Julie Smith—plus an exclusive bonus short story—all at an unbeatable price. Talba Wallis, aka the poetess and Baroness de Pontalba, combines beauty, brains, sass, computer savvy, and a poetic soul with the perfect touch of audacity. Her partner, Eddie Valentino, runs the detective agency with experience, a short fuse, and unexpected wisdom. Together, they form an unforgettable and chemistry-fueled crime-solving team.
“The quirky pleasure of watching the Baroness strut her stuff is worth the price of admission.” —Houston Chronicle
Volume 1: LOUISIANA HOTSHOT
In Louisiana Hotshot, Talba and Eddie are hired to track a sociopath and pedophile preying on a client’s young daughter—someone deeply connected to the murky edges of the rap and recording industries, and backed by powerful allies. Both detectives carry personal demons: Eddie struggles with deep regrets, while Talba pursues a haunting mystery that no one dares help her solve. But rest won’t come until the truth emerges—and it will change her forever.
Volume 2: LOUISIANA BIGSHOT
New Orleans’ hottest detective duo faces a tangled web of secrets and danger in Louisiana Bigshot. The murder of Talba’s friend Babalu Maya—actually Clayton Robineau, daughter of a small-town banker—drags them into a decades-old conspiracy. The town itself seems to suffocate under the weight of a dark past, and uncovering Clayton’s shameful, bizarre injury becomes a race against time… because almost everyone in town would kill to keep it hidden.
Volume 3: LOUISIANA LAMENT
When Talba’s estranged sister Janessa calls in a panic, Talba arrives to find a body in the pool: Allyson Brown, known as the Girl Gatsby of New Orleans’ literary scene. Glamorous on the surface, Allyson hides a life of con artistry, deception, and neglect. As Talba investigates, she discovers that the literary world’s petty rivalries and literary egos conceal deadly secrets. Poets and novelists alike cross lines Talba never expected, leading her into the dark heart of ambition and betrayal.
Volume 4: P.I. ON A HOT TIN ROOF
What happens when your lawyer needs you to bail her out? Talba Wallis thinks it’s backward—and something is definitely wrong. Eddie’s lawyer daughter Angie has been set up in a drug bust, and Talba goes undercover in the home of Judge Buddy Champagne. What starts as a routine investigation spirals into a high-stakes game involving dirty judges, family secrets, and an unexpected involvement with the judge’s 14-year-old daughter Lucy. Packed with twists, turns, and surprising revelations, the real pleasure is in the tangled relationships that drive it all.
BONUS SHORT STORY: KID TROMBONE
New Orleans jazz star Queenie Feran refuses to believe her ex-husband’s death was just an overdose. She hires Talba Wallis—poet, P.I., and Baroness de Pontalba—to investigate. As Talba digs deeper, secrets start to surface in the most unexpected of places.
