Tubby Meets Katrina

May 1, 2006
In Dunbar's odd seventh Tubby Dubonnet crime novel (after 2000's Lucky Man), the Katrina of the title is not the devastating storm but a psychopathic murderer, Bonner Rivette, who takes advantage of the chaos in New Orleans after the hurricane to escape from jail. Rivette abducts one of Dubbonet's daughters, declaring himself to be the personification of the hurricane. The Katrina debacle is fresh enough in the nation's consciousness that the vignettes of human suffering as well as the failures of government come across as pale shadows of news reports. The routine hunter and hunted plot fails to grip.

July 1, 2006
In Dunbar's seventh Tubby Dubonnet mystery, the New Orleans lawyer -turned -sleuth returns home from Bolivia the day before Hurricane Katrina hits. While he is trying to stay alive in the devastated city, a psychopathic killer escapes from jail and heads to New Orleans to target Tubby's daughter. Dunbar's latest novel is not a true mystery but more of an action tale of survival. Once again displaying his fine command of storytelling, Dunbar takes a major tragedy and shows how anyone can learn to survive and eventually begin to live again. This may be the first novel dealing with Katrina and will not be the last, but Dunbar's portrayal of people putting their lives together and helping others is remarkable. Dunbar lives in the new New Orleans.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2006
New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet is finally home after an extended stay in Bolivia. When he arrives at Louis Armstrong International Airport, he notes the CNN report on the massive hurricane making its way toward his home city. Ah, he thinks, just another seasonal inconvenience. As he heads for the welcome comfort of his modest abode, a psychotic killer named Bonner Rivette uses the confusion of the coming storm to escape his jailers. Looking for shelter, Bonner serendipitously makes his way to Tubby's high-rise office, where he hatches a plan to lure Tubby's daughter to the office under the guise of helping her injured father. She falls for the ruse and is held hostage. Tubby enlists the aid of his friends to execute a daring rescue, but Bonner is not done with either Tubby or his daughter. The seventh Dubonnet caper is a familiar blend of low-key humor and building suspense as Tubby battles both the storm and the elements to ensure the viability of both his family and his city.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)