There are no good people in this book, except perhaps for a couple of the innocent bystanders. But this isn't a book where you want to be an innocent bystander. Despite the lack of anyone you could conceive of rooting for, the book remains fascinating since each main character is evil in his or her own way. Some by choice, some by lack of choice, some maybe just born that way. Following these characters through the book, as the situation spirals more and more out of control, it is interesting to see what they are thinking and what they do next, and watching as they try to carry out their plans. Even as the book turns into a veritable bloodbath and one vulgarity follows another, it remains a rather fun reading experience, which is strong testimony to Smith's strengths as a storyteller.

At the center of it all is Lydia, a quadriplegic woman, who nevertheless manages to twist men around her non-existent finger, even to the point of committing murder. I guess this is all in very bad taste, but the characters are never cardboard. Each of them gets ample time to display his or her deeply flawed personality, and the action never lets up as the book moves through the New Orleans and Biloxi environs.

As an author, Smith just earned a "Favorite" from me. ( )