20+ Books Set In New Orleans
New Orleans. Just the name conjures images of wrought-iron balconies, the soulful sounds of jazz, and the intoxicating scent of magnolias. It's a city that breathes history and pulses with a vibrant, unique culture. There's a reason so many authors are drawn to this captivating place. Reading books set in New Orleans is like taking a literary tour, allowing you to experience the city's magic from the comfort of your own home. You'll find a newfound appreciation for its rich tapestry of stories, its intriguing characters, and its indelible spirit. I've curated a round-up of over 20 books that are set in New Orleans, each offering a different glimpse into this extraordinary city.
Before diving into the list, let's explore why authors are so captivated by New Orleans. The city's layered history, its blend of cultures, and its inherent sense of drama provide a fertile ground for storytelling. From the antebellum South to the modern day, New Orleans offers a backdrop that can be both enchanting and haunting. Understanding these elements can deepen your appreciation for the books we're about to explore, enhancing your reading experience and allowing you to truly immerse yourself in the stories set in New Orleans.
What Makes New Orleans Special For Storytelling?
New Orleans is a city of contrasts. Its history is marked by both celebration and tragedy, from the grandeur of the French Quarter to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. This duality provides a rich source of inspiration for authors. The city's unique blend of French, Spanish, African, and American influences creates a cultural melting pot that is reflected in its music, food, and architecture. The atmosphere is thick with a sense of place, a feeling that permeates every corner of the city. For authors, this means characters can be shaped by the very streets they walk upon. The city is also known for its vibrant and sometimes eccentric characters, making it the perfect setting for stories that explore the human condition. The allure of the French Quarter, the shadows of the Mississippi River, and the echoes of the past all contribute to the city's magnetic pull for writers. Just as authors are drawn to settings like those found in Books set in Ireland or Books set in Italy they find a unique and compelling narrative landscape in New Orleans.
What Are The Best Books With New Orleans Setting?
Let's dive into the heart of this post: a curated selection of books that transport you to the heart of New Orleans. These are categorized to help you find your next literary adventure.
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Fiction Books Set In New Orleans
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a comedic masterpiece. Ignatius J. Reilly, an eccentric and hilariously opinionated character, navigates the streets of New Orleans, offering a satirical look at the city's underbelly. John Kennedy Toole's portrayal of the city is both affectionate and critical, capturing the essence of New Orleans' unique spirit. The book is deeply influenced by the city's culture, especially the French Quarter's bohemian atmosphere. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the quirky side of New Orleans.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Anne Rice's iconic vampire novel is set against the backdrop of 18th and 19th-century New Orleans. The city's dark and mysterious atmosphere perfectly complements the gothic tale of vampires and their immortal existence. Rice masterfully weaves the city's history into the narrative, creating a haunting and atmospheric read.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Set in the late 19th century, this novel explores the themes of female independence and societal expectations. Kate Chopin's portrayal of New Orleans and its surrounding areas provides a glimpse into the lives of women during this period. The book is set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, Louisiana, and captures the societal constraints of the time.
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
This existential novel follows Binx Bolling, a New Orleans stockbroker, as he searches for meaning in his life. Walker Percy's exploration of alienation and the human condition is set against the backdrop of the city's streets and neighborhoods.
The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice
This historical novel delves into the lives of the gens de couleur libres, the free people of color in 19th-century New Orleans. Anne Rice's meticulous research and vivid storytelling bring this fascinating period of history to life. The book is a rich tapestry of characters and events, and a testament to the city's complex history.
Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose
Sure to please fans of Jayne Ann Krentz and Lisa Gardner, QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT introduces readers to a team of high-end private investigators who seek justice for the people of New Orleans—no matter what they must do to get it. The story follows Molly Sutton, a U.S. Marine-turned-PI who is determined to help those who can’t find justice elsewhere. When Molly is assigned the case of Gabe Hebert—a smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water—she must navigate the undeniable attraction she feels for her new client. Sparks fly as Molly and Gabe unravel a web of crime and corruption while investigating the mysterious death of Gabe’s father.
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman
Author Interview with Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman
1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician.
Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him.
Final Heir by Faith Hunter
In the fifteenth novel in the New York Times bestselling, pulse-pounding Jane Yellowrock series, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Jane Yellowrock used to hunt vampires for a living, but then she became their queen. And that made her a target. She’s fighting to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans, but she has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever and they keep their grudges alive with them. She’ll need all the help she can get from her found family, her friends, and the Beast inside of her to fight off the factions hell-bent on destroying her.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
FROM A COZY NEW ENGLAND HAVEN
Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, but they can't seem to understand what it's like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. When an act of familial meddling goes way too far, she realizes just how desperately she needs space to figure out who she is.
TO THE HEART OF NEW ORLEANS
Truman Belvedere's heart is crushed when he learns that his boyfriend has a secret life including a husband and daughter. Reeling, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far, far away from Louisiana.
COMES ONE HOLIDAY SWAP THAT'LL CHANGE THEIR LIVES
The Foreign Exchange by Veronica G. Henry
A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans.
After solving a crime blamed on Vodou in New Orleans’ French Quarter, Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond has returned to her benevolent work as a healer. But when her friend and enigmatic client Evangeline “Vangie” Stiles comes to her for a spell, Mambo Reina quickly realizes what Vangie really needs is a sleuth.
Something is amiss in the Stileses’ marriage. Five thousand dollars has inexplicably appeared in the bank account Vangie shares with her scam-artist husband, Arthur, and she smells trouble. So does Reina. Especially when her investigation into Arthur’s likely new con leads to murder. Considering the manner of death and the signs on the victim’s body, Reina recognizes it for what it is: ritual magic of the vodouisant kind.
As Reina digs deeper, she encounters a conspiracy exploiting vulnerable youth―one of whom may have abilities just like hers. With the help of her friends Darryl and Tyka, Reina must hone her ever-evolving skills to uncover a mystery that reaches further than she imagined.
The Marriage Box by Corie Adjmi
Author Interview with Corie Adjmi
Casey Cohen, a Middle Eastern Jew, is a sixteen-year-old in New Orleans in the 1970s when she starts hanging out with the wrong crowd. Then she gets in trouble—and her parents turn her whole world upside down by deciding to return to their roots, the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn.
In this new and foreign world, men pray daily, thanking God they’re not women; parties are extravagant events at the Museum of Natural History; and the Marriage Box is a real place, a pool deck designated for teenage girls to put themselves on display for potential husbands. Casey is at first appalled by this unfamiliar culture, but after she meets Michael, she’s enticed by it. Looking for love and a place to belong, she marries him at eighteen, believing she can adjust to Syrian ways. But she begins to question her decision when she discovers that Michael doesn’t want her to go to college—he wants her to have a baby instead.
Love Buzz by Neely Tubati-Alexander
A chance romantic encounter during a wild night at a Mardi Gras bachelorette party launches straight-laced Serena Khan’s carefully constructed life into chaos. After their conversation is cut short, Serena’s need to find Julian, the handsome, mysterious man she can’t get off her mind, is both irresistible and totally irrational. She has officially achieved the safe, stable life most dream of. A man is not part of her plan.
As she desperately combs Seattle for her New Orleans flame, stripping away the perfectly curated life that would have made her mother proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it, and fast, before she destroys the life she always thought she wanted.
The House on Prytania by Karen White
Author Interview with Karen White
Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she’s spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole Cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.
But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan’s long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting—yet firmly unavailable—Beau, wanting justice on those he blames for Sunny’s kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to stall her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backwards. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola’s bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael’s powerful family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information that the police won’t be able to ignore. If only Nola is willing to risk everything for which she’s worked so hard.
Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house—a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake…
Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose
Deadly secrets lie beneath the murky waters of the Louisiana bayou in this pulse-pounding new romantic suspense novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose.
There’s no safe place for a child to hide when danger comes from every direction.
Public prosecutor J.P. “Kaj” Cardozo has only lived in New Orleans for six months, and he’s already working on a high-profile celebrity sexual assault case that’s made headlines all over the country. But when his son becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt as a threat to Kaj, he is desperate to keep him safe and turns to a private investigative firm famous for their protection services.
A veteran Marine, Val Sorensen is glad to have found a new career with Broussard Investigations. Her latest assignment as the bodyguard to ten-year-old Elijah Cardozo reminds her why—Val is a kick-ass guardian with a tender heart. Through her duties, Val grows fond of the boy—and his handsome father.
But when the high-stakes investigation reveals an explosive network of crime through a revived drug gang, lingering deep-seated corruption in the NOPD, and a group of murderers-for-hire targeting Kaj, Elijah, and Kaj's star client, they’re all left scrambling for safety…
Filthy Rich Fae by Geneva Lee
The dark, decadent underworld of New Orleans comes alive when a human unwittingly binds herself to the devious prince of the Unseelie Court. To win her freedom, she must join the Wild Hunt and fight her way through a series of deadly rites -- without losing her head, or her heart, in the process. Don’t miss Filthy Rich Fae, the first in a new romantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Geneva Lee, for fans of A Touch of Darkness and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
The Lafitte Affair:A Bruneau Abellard Novel by Norman Woolworth
When burglars break into Hope Mausoleum and violate Crypt 1083-A, where the remains of the former Girod Street Cemetery are housed, New Orleans property crimes detective Thibodeaux “Bo” Duplessis is confronted with three confounding questions: Who are the burglars? Why did they break into the crypt? What, if anything, did they take?
In need of expertise he does not possess, Bo turns to his childhood friend Bruneau Abellard, a cranky, overweight antiques dealer with exacting epicurean standards and a font of historical knowledge. Affecting annoyance, though privately intrigued, Bruneau agrees to assist with Bo’s case. Together, the friends uncover a secret love affair between a famous antebellum actress, whose remains are contained in the crypt, and the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte.
Set against the singular backdrop of contemporary New Orleans, with glimpses of the city during its “Belle Epoque” of the 1820’s, The Lafitte Affair is populated with characters as eccentric as the city itself: a grand dame of the Garden District; a competitive female puzzler; a slippery con man; a giant hermit with a shrouded past; a pugnacious French bulldog; and a phantom thief who seems always two steps ahead of his pursuers. Looming over them all is the ghostly presence of the pirate Lafitte, a larger than life figure of seemingly endless contradictions.
The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald
Sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.
Embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural. After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling "gift"-the ability to sense and communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.
But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges-the restaurant's new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding and solidarity, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Bolstered by a vibrant ensemble of characters, from restaurant comrades to familiar faces in the neighborhood, Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of the most difficult seasons of her life, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them.
Set against the backdrop of the bustling restaurant scenes of New York City and New Orleans, The Coat Check Girl is a compelling tale weaving together threads of sorrow, redemption, and the enduring power of connection. Join Josie as she discovers that sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.
The Wind on her Tongue by Anita Kopacz
In this lyrical and stirring companion to the “spellbinding” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shallow Waters, Oya—the Yoruban deity of the weather—is brought to life during 1870s America. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Sun.
Born in Cuba after her mother Yemaya’s adventures in the New World, Oya has inherited otherworldly powers from her Yoruba Orisha lineage. While Yemaya is known for her healing abilities, Oya’s influence over the storm proves to be destructive, posing a threat to her mother and the island’s safety.
Sent to New Orleans to study under Marie Laveau, the Queen of Voodoo, Oya begins a journey across the still young America, encountering a myriad of historical figures, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, Jesse James, Lew Hing, and more.
As Oya navigates the landscapes of racism, colorism, and classism, she grapples with her own identity and powers, striving to find her place in a fraught and complex society. A moving, vivid exploration of resilience, heritage, and the enduring spirit of a young woman coming into her own, The Wind on Her Tongue transports you to a world where magic and reality intertwine.
Behind the Waterline by Kionna Walker LeMalle
Author Interview with Kionna Walker LeMalle
When Hurricane Katrina approaches New Orleans, teenaged Eric and his grandmother and many of their neighbors decide to ride out the storm. Kionna Walker LeMalle’s masterful debut novel brings her readers, like the rising water, onto Eric’s street in the Third Ward, where stranded dogs bark for a time, where neighbors are floating on doors, and where Eric and his grandmother must take refuge in his second floor bedroom. After days of heat, dwindling supplies, and relentless rising water, neighbors begin to disappear and Eric’s grandmother, already known as an eccentric, begins to falter. It is then that Eric—in a dream, a hallucination, or something else—discovers a room beyond his closet wall, a place he has never seen. What he discovers inside will send him on a path to discover secrets to survival, bitter progress, and, ultimately, the history of his own people—those he sorely misses and those he never even knew.
Tempest by K. Ibura
After Veronique’s parents died, her grandmother raised her on a farm in rural Louisiana. For sixteen years, it’s just been Veronique, MawMaw, and an ocean of trees. That’s because Veronique has a secret—one MawMaw has warned her she must always keep safe.
Veronique has the power to control the wind.
But when MawMaw falls ill, Veronique is forced to move to New Orleans to live with family she never knew she had. New Orleans is a far cry from her old quiet life, but Veronique finally gets her chance for a normal life—one with school, friends, and even love. But when her new life threatens her ability to control her powers, she quickly learns that the world is bigger and more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. Veronique must uncover what MawMaw was trying to protect her from before it’s too late.
Non-Fiction Books Set In New Orleans
Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum
This book tells the story of New Orleans through the eyes of nine individuals. Dan Baum's insightful reporting and compelling storytelling provide a nuanced and comprehensive portrait of the city.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
This non-fiction book tells the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian-American man who stayed in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Dave Eggers's powerful narrative explores themes of faith, resilience, and the human spirit.
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John M. Barry
This book details the historical events of the 1927 flood and its effects on New Orleans and the surrounding areas. This book is a great read for anyone wanting to understand the history of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.
The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
Although technically a memoir, this book reads like fiction, and is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the impact of place. This book is a story of a house, and a family, and the city of New Orleans. Sarah M. Broom weaves a narrative full of the history of the area, and the impact of poverty and racism on the people who live there.
New Orleans is a city that lingers in the imagination, and these books offer a portal into its heart and soul. Whether you're drawn to the historical fiction, the contemporary dramas, or the insightful non-fiction, you'll find a story that resonates with you. Just as readers explore the world through Books set in NYC, these New Orleans stories offer a unique and compelling literary experience.
