NEARER HOME by Joy Castro

Joy Castro’s ability to capture the sensory essence and pulse of New Orleans in Hell or High Water made me homesick. I’m nostalgic all over again thanks to Nearer Home.

Nola Céspedes, Castro’s protagonist, is a straightforward, no-nonsense reporter with more baggage and character flaws than Nick and Nora Charles could sort through. But I do believe the three of them would get along. Nola may not run in the same society circle as Nick and Nora, but she’s not afraid to have a good time and she has a way of gaining a person’s trust. Both of these characteristics often lead her into more dangerous situations than she planned for, and that’s just one of the reasons it’s hard to put Nearer Home down. Without chapters ending in gimmicky hook lines, or deliberate breaks in action, turning the page was still a must for me because Nola is one intriguing dame.

Nola’s friends are an authentic group of women that cross cultures, races and classes. In addition to her job as a reporter, she volunteers in the community as a Big Sister—a position she has a natural sensitivity for even though her family background has major holes. The fact that she’s willing to accept the challenge in spite of her doubts is why we’re on her side. Nola extends herself when it’s easier to pull back. Her courage, shaky as it often is, turns a light on the reader’s conscience, and that’s one of the marks of great fiction.

In therapy for post-traumatic stress and a series of unhealthy copying mechanisms that include no-strings sex with strangers, Nola is an ideal protagonist for the crimes she gets involved with much like Mariska Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Major plot points that trigger issues for the main character add layers of complexity, vulnerability and tension to story. Nearer Home is full of all three.

Joy Castro has a unique character in Nola Céspades, and Nola’s voice feels like the reader’s own. It’s a winning combination that soars thanks to Castro’s choice to place this particular crime reporter in New Orleans.

We’re always in a context that’s bigger than we are and moving fast. We can never see all the pieces. We’ve all got our lurking pockets of prejudices and fear. And the Ninth is a scary place. Cops get killed there. Show me someone whose vision’s not tainted by the past, and I’ll show you a saint. 

Writers know characters make choices based on what they’ve been through, what they’re currently struggling to release and what they want. Post-Katrina New Orleans is one of the most fertile locations Castro could’ve chosen for her flawed heroine. What Nola isn’t struggling with, her city is and that makes the landscape and conflicts of Nearer Home palpable and often too real, which is exactly why this reader will turn to Castro and Nola Céspades again and again.

If you’re curious about New Orleans, love suspense and character with loads of spunk, flaws and heart read Nearer Home.