Jackpot Blood: A Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery

Professional genealogist Nick Herald must rescue a Louisiana Indian tribe's future from a deadly past

Big trouble plagues rural central Louisiana when the small tribe of nearly assimilated Katogoula Indians unexpectedly receives federal recognition. Spirits long ignored haunt the pine forest; outsiders pour into the isolated community; tribal unity unravels; and someone--or something--is murdering tribe members.

Into this crisis comes Nick Herald, sleuth and professional genealogist from New Orleans, hired to help establish guidelines for tribal membership. Nick lands amid a free-for-all involving other Louisiana tribes, crooked politicians, a powerful local family, mercenary gambling syndicates, and ruthless drug runners.

The expectation of huge casino profits brings out the worst in everyone. But Nick believes the real story lies deeper. He scours family and tribal histories for clues. Assisting him is an amateur ethnographer, a gorgeous woman Nick falls for, even though he questions her role in the deadly drama.

Nick realizes that his Katogoula friends and their storied ancestry face extinction, just as their dream of rebirth seems so close. He confronts an age-old fury that stalks the Katogoula Indians and threatens their very survival--and his

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