A review by strawbe_rese
Rampart and Toulouse by Kristin Fouquet

4.0

This is a lovely collection of quirky, melancholy and even unsettling stories. I found all of the stories and characters so interesting that I'd have a hard time choosing a favorite, but I found the frightening headspace and mental deterioration of the character in 'Paris is the Pretty One' an incredibly fascinating journey to witness and, for me, read a bit like a horror story. I also found the effective immersion in the setting and fun characters, as well as the way they interacted in 'Rampart & Toulouse' to be highly engaging since I felt constantly anxious for the main character’s well being due to both outside conflict and because of the affliction she develops during the course of the story, as well as her mental space.

I always particularly love transporting stories that have such a strong sense of the city in which they're taking place and I really felt the blood of New Orleans coloring these stories. The book as a whole is richly atmospheric and worth checking out if you can get your hands on it if you have a taste for moody reads.

I was lucky enough to win this through the first reads program.