Hell or High Water: 1 (Nola Céspedes Novels) - Hardcover

""Hell or High Water" is a tightly written thriller. Nola's first-person perspective and her witty, often cutting dialogue will make the reader believe in the character and really care for her and what happens to her. . . . Like the city for which she was named, Nola is damaged yet unbeaten. . . . an exciting, incisive novel." --"El Paso Times
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""Hell or High Water" is so thick and rich with authentic New Orleans details that you'll be wiping sweat off your brow and smelling the crawfish etouffee. Joy Castro has crafted a complex, conflicted, and hauntingly real heroine with Nola Cespedes. Shackled to her past and to New Orleans, Castro's Nola reminded me of Pat Conroy's Tom Wingo and the Outer Banks in "Prince of Tides." "--Alex Kava, "New York Times" bestselling author of The Maggie O'Dell series, "Whitewash" and "One False Move
""In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed. An irresistible and compelling novel." --Lorraine M. Lopez, author of "Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories"

Castro's first mystery is fierce and intense, with both harrowing depictions of New Orleans after Katrina and psychological mayhem for its troubled heroine, who crawls under your skin and lingers there long after you've finished reading. "Kirkus Reviews"

Exquisite New Orleans background, intriguing newsroom politics and atmosphere, a flawed but plucky heroine, and skillfully paced suspense makes this a stay up way past your bedtime' read. "Booklist, (starred)"

Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers will find this a fascinating look into an intriguing city. Nola is a feisty character... "Library Journal"

A terrific mystery, but "Hell or High Water "is more than just a mystery; it's a heartfelt examination of a second America--poor but undaunted--that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there . . . I can't wait to see what Joy Castro does next. "Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River"

"Hell or High Water" is a tightly written thriller. Nola's first-person perspective and her witty, often cutting dialogue will make the reader believe in the character and really care for her and what happens to her. . . . Like the city for which she was named, Nola is damaged yet unbeaten. . . . an exciting, incisive novel. "El Paso Times"

"Hell or High Water" is so thick and rich with authentic New Orleans details that you'll be wiping sweat off your brow and smelling the crawfish etouffee. Joy Castro has crafted a complex, conflicted, and hauntingly real heroine with Nola Cespedes. Shackled to her past and to New Orleans, Castro's Nola reminded me of Pat Conroy's Tom Wingo and the Outer Banks in "Prince of Tides. " "Alex Kava, New York Times bestselling author of The Maggie O'Dell series, Whitewash and One False Move"

In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed. An irresistible and compelling novel. "Lorraine M. Lopez, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories""

"Castro's first mystery is fierce and intense, with both harrowing depictions of New Orleans after Katrina and psychological mayhem for its troubled heroine, who crawls under your skin and lingers there long after you've finished reading." --Kirkus Reviews

"Exquisite New Orleans background, intriguing newsroom politics and atmosphere, a flawed but plucky heroine, and skillfully paced suspense makes this a 'stay up way past your bedtime' read." --Booklist, (starred)

"Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers will find this a fascinating look into an intriguing city. Nola is a feisty character..." --Library Journal

"A terrific mystery, but Hell or High Water is more than just a mystery; it's a heartfelt examination of a second America--poor but undaunted--that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there . . . I can't wait to see what Joy Castro does next." --Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River

"Hell or High Water is a tightly written thriller. Nola's first-person perspective and her witty, often cutting dialogue will make the reader believe in the character and really care for her and what happens to her. . . . Like the city for which she was named, Nola is damaged yet unbeaten. . . . an exciting, incisive novel." --El Paso Times

"Hell or High Water is so thick and rich with authentic New Orleans details that you'll be wiping sweat off your brow and smelling the crawfish etouffee. Joy Castro has crafted a complex, conflicted, and hauntingly real heroine with Nola Cespedes. Shackled to her past and to New Orleans, Castro's Nola reminded me of Pat Conroy's Tom Wingo and the Outer Banks in Prince of Tides. " --Alex Kava, New York Times bestselling author of The Maggie O'Dell series, Whitewash and One False Move

"In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed. An irresistible and compelling novel." --Lorraine M. Lopez, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories

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 and is confronted with the question: In the aftermath of devastation, who is responsible for rebuilding what's been broken?

Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this haunting thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle to rebuild. Fast-paced, atmospheric, and with a knockout twist, Hell or High Water features an unforgettable heroine as fascinating and multilayered as New Orleans itself.