There’s always something to celebrate in New Orleans. Mardi Gras is the biggest season and most well-known celebration, but Halloween comes in second. From parties to decorations to costumes, October is filled with events for all ages.
So, when September arrived, I knew I needed to make the window at Lagniappe Books something special. My business partner and best friend, Andrew Ballard, gave me the responsibility of decorating the shop window a few months ago. As a child, and to be honest as an adult, I loved rearranging my home bookshelves. Adding the latest mystery novel to my collection meant moving books around. But my Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie books always took center stage.
Lagniappe Books needed a proper Halloween display. Plastic bats, fake blood, and polyester witch hats wouldn’t be appropriate in such an elegant book store. Andrew wanted the shop to resemble a home library. And it did with the tall wooden bookshelves lining the front of the store. A long dining room table in the center of the room served as our sales counter, as well as a display for new books. The back of the store had a burgundy loveseat, two matching chairs, and a coffee table. Besides the comfortable seating area, the lemon furniture polish for the wooden bookshelves mixed with the woodsy smell of new books invited customers to relax and enjoy shopping with us.
Finding unique Halloween decorations in New Orleans didn’t prove to be difficult. A city that loves celebrations is a haven for artists of all kinds. From the art galleries lining Royal Street to the artists displaying their artwork for sale along the Jackson Square fence, there’s art for everyone’s taste. But today I headed to the French Market to find just the right piece for Lagniappe Book’s display window.
I walked through the French Quarter, passing Jackson Square and crossed over Decatur Street. The sweet scent of powdered sugar and dough wafted through the air, but I kept going. Beignets from Cafe du Monde would have to wait until I finished shopping. The French Market beckoned me at the end of the row of stores.
Booths offering food for those who wanted healthy food and those who wanted to indulge, filled the first section of the market. From fresh produce to alligator sausage, you could make all your meals with ingredients from the stalls. And you didn’t need to forget about dessert with pastries, candies, and of course, beignets, sold there, too. If you were thirsty while you were shopping, you could grab a smoothie or a beer.
Just like the grocery side sold healthy and unhealthy food, this flea market was also contradictory. From hand crafted items such as paintings and knitwear to mass-produced products like suitcases and sunglasses, the market stood as a strange representation of the city. Like New Orleans, the French Market offered objects that were new and old, beautiful and tacky, and from the past and present.
I rushed past the food and headed to the flea market section. Last week, I shopped here and found an artist with the most incredible work. Trudy Mitchell created art pieces from recycled materials. Sculptures made from broken children’s toys, picture frames dotted with shattered china, and even paintings done with leftover house paints, Trudy made one of a kind of art. When I told her I was the co-owner of Lagniappe Books, she insisted I come back today for unique pieces that I would love.
And she was right. Trudy pulled out a box holding three paper mache bats. These sculptures were as big as real bats, according to Trudy. Their wings were out as if they were flying. But what made them special was the material she used. Instead of black paper, Trudy used old book pages. And she used a ribbon tied with tassels that looked like bookmark ribbons to hang the bats in the air. They reminded me of a grown-up version of the rubber bats on elastic bands I bought as a kid on Halloween.
I snapped all three bats up and took them back to the shop. I planned to hang the bats in the window over the tables filled with copies of Interview with the Vampire and Dracula. Although it was just September, I wanted to put them up as soon as possible. In a few days, I wouldn’t look at bats the same way. Unfortunately, a killer recreated a new vampire legend right here in the French Quarter. And it would be up to me to stop them from making more.
The Dead End Tour, A French Quarter Mystery Book #5
Genre: Cozy
Release: April 2023
Format: Digital
Purchase Link
French Quarter tour guides tell stories of the creatures of the night, but they’re just stories. That is until Sammy discovers a body with a vampire bite. When the killer won’t stop, Sammy has to find them before they “bite” again. Will Sammy find the “vampire” or will it be a dead end?
The Dead End Tour is the fifth book in The French Quarter Mystery Series, featuring newcomer Samantha Richardson. Join Sammy as she explores the Big Easy by solving mysteries of the past and present in this cozy mystery series.
About the author
Jen Pitts is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling, reading, and enjoying life with her husband, children, and two cats in the Pacific Northwest.
All comments are welcomed.