Mambo Reina Dumond is a Haitian-American Vodou priestess based in New Orleans. She has had the gift of water magic since she was a child, and uses her talents to heal. Then her long-time friend and client Ms. Vangie finds a mysterious large deposit in the checking account she shares with her husband Arthur. So she turns to Mambo Reina for some amateur sleuthing. But as she follows the money trail, she finds a body – and the victim shows signs of death by ritual magic. And as she digs a bit deeper, she begins to uncover a scheme that spans years and even continents. The Foreign Exchange by Veronica G. Henry is the second installment in the Mambo Reina series in which the Vodou priestess uncovers a trail of corruption while tracking down an untrained vodouisant practitioner. 

The first installment in the Mambo Reina series is The Quarter Storm, which I haven’t read. But I could easily follow along with The Foreign Exchange, so readers rest assured. Nevertheless, Mambo Reina is freshly confident in her amateur sleuthing abilities due to her success in solving a previous crime and exonerating her Vodou community. What gives her the upper hand is her gift, granted to her by benevolent patron gods. Through her rituals, she is able to uncover clues and connect dots that elude the professionals – including her boyfriend Detective Roman Frost. 

When she stumbles upon a body that’s somehow connected to Arthur Stiles’ network of shady business in flipping houses, with evidence of ritual magic as the murder weapon, the details pull Mambo Reina in a completely different direction. Plus, she’s starting to distrust her longtime friend and client. She’s not sure if Ms. Vangie is telling the truth or hiding her involvement in her husband’s con. Mambo Reina continues along the dangerous path following leads. She discovers that some highly-visible names and organizations are involved, as well as vulnerable youth. She is determined to get to the bottom of it all. But she must also delicately balance her friendships, and especially her relationship with Roman. 

The Foreign Exchange’s premise was definitely new for me. However, the tie to magical realism reminded me of another book I read last year, so it wasn’t difficult for me to get into it. I love the New Orleans setting. Henry sets the vibe and draws readers in with the classic Louisiana sights, sounds, and smells. She also weaves in stories of the post-Katrina community and significance of strong family connections. The characters are relatable. Although certainly flawed, Mambo Reina was probably one of the most realistic characters I’ve come across in a while. Her confidence causes some mistakes, and she doesn’t always learn from them. But that’s what makes her so real and endearing. 

However, as Mambo Reina gets pulled in different directions, so does the reader. The story was hard to follow at times. While Henry incorporates the larger vodouisant picture among this story’s crime, she runs the risk of losing the reader along the way. Additionally, with our amateur sleuth being a Vodou priestess, The Foreign Exchange doesn’t necessarily fit into one genre. These factors weren’t deal breakers, but they were a little distracting. In the end, the book is entertaining and sure to appeal to lovers of murder mysteries, magical realism, and urban fantasy. 

Veronica G. Henry joins us for a Cantina Conversation on The Nerd Cantina Show podcast. She discusses the biggest challenges of developing the story and how this experience differs from her previous work. Keep an ear out for the interview in an upcoming episode and preorder The Foreign Exchange, available February 28.