Review: Hell or High Water by Joy Castro

Hell or High Water by Joy Castro

Publisher: St. Martin's Press  

Pages: 352 

Format: ARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune,finally catches a break: an assignment to write her first full-length feature. While investigating her story, she also becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in the French Quarter. As Nola’s work leads her into a violent criminal underworld, she’s forced to face disturbing truths from her own past.




Kritters Thoughts:  Sex offenders, New Orleans after Katrina and an investigation all wrapped up in an interesting novel.  Right from the beginning I was sucked into the story and wanted to know how it would unravel, but there are some definite plot points that I was questioning.  


I loved seeing New Orleans after Katrina in a fiction setting.  It was so interesting to read how the city was recovering and ways that the storm had changed the city.  Then to hear that sex offenders were given a second chance at life without the label was both uplifting and heart wrenching.  Not to be on a soap box but sex offenders are basically given life sentences as they have to register and make themselves known, as well as having to avoid certain places in town - so this was a perfect storm for some to escape town and start fresh somewhere new.  


The other aspect I found really interesting was the story she was researching and without giving away anything, to find out how it impacted her personally took my breath away.  I wasn't ready for the final twist, but sure glad it happened, it explained a lot in the end.


This book isn't for the faint of heart and it isn't the lightest read, but in the end it is purely satisfying.




Rating: definitely a good one, but can't read two in a row


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from JKS Communications.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.