Mardi Gras Mambo
by Greg Herren
Category: Fiction

In Bourbon Street Blues and Jackson Square Jazz, Greg Herren introduced the wickedly naughty--and irrepressible--Scotty Bradley, who's never met a drink he didn't want, a decadence he could resist, or a hunky trick he won't treat to a little bit of himself. Now, in Mardi Gras Mambo, Scotty's back on the crowded, party-happy streets of New Orleans, getting ready for a Carnival he'll never forget--if he lives through it. . . It's Carnival time in New Orleans, and Scotty Bradley, ex go-go boy turned private eye, is looking forward to relaxing with his boyfriends, Frank and Colin, and partying it up right. But nothing ever seems to work out the way Scotty wants it. Not only is it cold and rainy, ruining his elaborate costume plans, but former FBI agent Frank has "issues" with dropping a hit (or two, or four) of Ecstasy. Hello! Ecstasy at Mardi Gras is practically guaranteed in the Gay Bill of Rights! Fortunately, Frank gets over himself, the weather clears up, Scotty's dealer, Misha, delivers the goods, and the boys are off to the races. And that's when the real fun begins. After a night of partying, they come home to find the cops waiting for them. Misha has apparently been murdered and guess who was the last person to see him alive? Turns out his wheeling and dealing had gotten him in trouble with a lot of people--including the Russian mob. And those guys don't play around. Suddenly, Scotty's missing not just one but two boyfriends. And as the streets of Nola come alive in a hot human frenzy of sequins, music, dancing, and the sweat of thousands of revelers ready to throw caution and clothing to the wind, Scotty is in a desperate race to save the men he sometimes loves and keep Fat Tuesday from being the last day any of them ever see. . . "When Herren introduced young, well-muscled former New Orleans bar dancer Scotty Bradley, he gave crime fiction one of its most engaging gay heroes." --Booklist Greg Herren is a personal trainer and writer who calls New Orleans home. Former editor of Lambda Book Report, he has published in many publications, including Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review, A&U, Genre and Instinct. He is currently working on a sequel to Mardi Gras Mambo. He has no pets, no plans to adopt or artificially inseminate, and tries to live quietly with his partner of eight years.