A sinister figure is disturbing the peace in the small college city of Nakadee, Louisiana. Chopped off fingers are popping up at conspicuous locations taunting police. But hidden from the residents preparing for the city’s second-largest event to Mardi Gras, the annual Hot Sauce Festival.

Captain Nate Padgett, Police Department’s Head of Criminal Investigations Unit, is determined not to lose jurisdiction of this case to the Feds. He enlists the expertise of the town’s only Forensic Anthropologist, Lula Logan, Ph.D. He hopes she’ll determine if the fingers belong to the deceased or kidnapped victim.

Dr. Logan already has a lot on the plate:

• lecturing at national conferences,
• teaching at the local university, and
• working on her research project.

She’s also extracting herself from a dead-end love affair with the CIU’s Junior Detective Devon LeMonde. And testing the waters of a budding affair with U.S. Rep. Ambrose Girabeaux (R-LA) for the Nakadee district.

Police Chief Allouicious Broussard has political aspirations and wants the case closed quickly. Officials are finalizing a deal that will bring in a multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline project.

There are quite a few characters in this mystery but don’t get too attached. Some enliven the atmosphere and help the reader soak up the rich gumbo mix of French Creole-Cajun-African-Native Indian-European culture.

In the end, we learn this small town may have more suspects than fingers on two hands.

Severed is a subtle crime thriller rich with allusion, innuendo, and clues.

You must pay attention to detail while reading this novel. That is if you want to unmask the Unsub before the last page.

Severed, the novel, is available on Amazon

VL Towler, website is at severedanoveldotcom