A devastated city, a dangerous undercover mission, a careless romance, an astonishing family secret . . .

Leaving behind in Philadelphia a high-paying job and a busted engagement, blues-loving New Orleans Creole and real estate finance expert Tamara Mitchell returns to her hometown on a dual mission—to help the city recover from Hurricane Katrina and to pursue an old grudge. In the desolate aftermath of the storm, she goes undercover for the FBI, encounters a forlorn minority neighborhood called Bacatown, is inspired by a crusading black minister, revives her relationship with her mother, and meets a handsome banker whose life is in disarray. Working incognito for a powerful and wealthy real estate developer—Joe Pacello—who’s the intended object of her revenge, she must watch her back for the threatening local Mobsters who’ve financed Pacello and will stop at nothing to defraud the incoming federal aid. She must negotiate intersecting and sometimes conflicting paths of revenge, personal safety, romance, and justice for the beleaguered Bacatown as her original mission evolves.

Patrice grew up in Uptown New Orleans and she, like Tamara in this debut novel, learned to love regional music, especially blues. In her professional career, she arranged financing for many controversial inner city projects similar to the one in the story. Her MBA in real estate finance enabled her to distinguish the good from the bad in this fraught world where wrongdoing is often masked by self-serving claims of the public interest. She now resides in Baton Rouge with her husband, two rescued dogs, and a large collection of blues CDs.