the Burleigh Drummond universe
Novel
BARONNE STREET
Love sometimes means having to solve your ex-girlfriend’s murder.
Burleigh Drummond, a fixer, ignores a voice-mail plea for help from his ex-girlfriend Coco Robicheaux. She broke his heart when she dumped him, so why should he care? He goes about his job of manipulating the imbroglios of bluebloods and politicos. Still, Drummond misses Coco and regrets not answering her call.
The next morning he is rousted from bed by two extremely unpleasant homicide detectives with the news that Coco has been raped and bludgeoned to death. The detectives also share they have been instructed to do nothing about the case, but should he provide them with evidence…
As Drummond investigates he discovers Coco lived a clandestine existence in the city’s netherworld and had been drafted as an unwitting pawn in a plot to disrupt the upcoming mayoral election. As often happens with pawns, she was sacrificed.
When threats cloaked as friendly warnings escalate to an old-fashioned beating, Drummond enlists a reputed mercenary, a black-separatist reporter, and a computer hacker to assist in his investigation and, eventually, revenge. As Drummond negotiates through the maze of deception and he finds himself at odds with his blueblood clients, the police chief, the mayor, and a gay crime syndicate.
SHORT STORY
A Relatively Small Sum of Money
New Orleans fixer Burleigh Drummond is hired to find a missing heiress. What Drummond discovers is deceit, fraud, and a plan to rob the woman of the estate. As usual Drummond goes rogue and ensures justice for all.
This story was originally published in Blue Murder magazine and subsequently in Tangled Web magazine.
It was selected by Otto Penzler as one of the fifty best mystery short stories published that year.
Short STORY
Part of the Plan
New Orleans fixer Burleigh Drummond manipulates a failed justice system that allowed someone complicit in a child’s murder and rape to avoid jail.
This story was originally published in Blue Murder magazine.
short storYy
Ash Wednesday
On the day after Mardi Gras, New Orleans fixer Burleigh Drummond forces several people to repent for their greed and betrayal. Ash Wednesday is a re-telling of Cinderella and exists in two versions.
The story was originally published in the Erotic New Anthology and reads like a letter to the Penthouse Forum. A revised version appeared in Thrilling Detective magazine and is safe to use as a bedtime story.
short STORY
Price Tag Attached
New Orleans fixer Burleigh Drummond and Jodie Kintyre, a sexy New Orleans police detective, investigate theft and murder in the shadier-than-you-may-think antiques business.
This mystery is a collaboration where Kent Westmoreland and O'Neil De Noux where merge their fictional universes.
Contact Kent:
E-mail: KentWestmoreland.II@gmail.com
Phone number: +1 504.669.7915
© Copyright Kent Westmoreland