In City of Masks, the first Cree Black novel, parapsychologist Cree and her partner take a case in New Orleans's Garden District that leaves them fearing for their own lives. The 150-year-old Beauforte House has long stood empty, until Lila Beauforte resumes residence and starts to see some of the house's secrets literally come to life. Tormented by an insidious and violent presence, Lila finds herself trapped in a life increasingly filled with childhood terrors. It takes Cree's unconventional take on psychology and her powerful natural empathy with Lila to navigate the dangerous worlds of spirit and memory, as they clash in a terrifying tale of mistaken identity and murder.
City of Masks: Cree Black Series, Book 1
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If it's New Orleans and the novel's main characters have been dead for years but are still walking around terrorizing people, it must be an Anne Rice adventure. But it isn't--it's the first in a new series starring a fascinating heroine, Seattle parapsychologist Cree Black, whose own murky past and special gifts make her the perfect choice to investigate a haunted house in the Garden District and the family that's slowly being scared to death. Lila Beauforte has moved back into her ancestral home, now inhabited by ghosts who seem bent on driving her out. Cree, her senses more attuned to the presence of revenants than flesh-and-blood bad guys, shakes enough closets in Beauforte House to bring the skeletons out, solve mysteries of the past as well as the present, and fall in love with an equally appealing if more traditional investigator of the unconscious who may be able to help her free herself from her own emotional prison. She's a smart, vulnerable, and attractive character in an unearthly and unusual thriller that starts off a promising new series with a howl and presages a long run on the bestseller list. --Jane Adams
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Hecht's New Age ghost story introduces Cree Black, a psychologist of renown transformed years ago into a hyper-empathic ghostbuster by a spectral visit from her beloved husband. Lured from her upscale Seattle offices to a spirit-infested mansion in the heart of decadent New Orleans, she immediately identifies with the haunted socialite Lila Beauforte. This allows reader Fields to showcase her skills, as Cree's somewhat brusque, unaccented speech subtly shifts into a quavering southern drawl. The actress also uses an impressive variety of bayou accents to distinguish the other New Orleanians-from the good ol' boy gruffness of Lila's worried husband to the cultured, iron magnolia locutions of her aristocratic mother. The novel has its share of spooky suspense-courtesy of anthropomorphic furniture, disappearing snakes and a pig-faced man-ghost with rape on its mind-and is filled with enough scientific rationale to make these sinister shades seem surprisingly credible. But the source of the ghosts isn't difficult to discern, and the many repeat analyses of the case elements will lead restless listeners to agree with Cree's assistant Joyce Wu when she complains (in Fields's amusingly on-target Long Island accent), "The metaphysics he-ah are a complete no-brain-ah, and I'm sick 'a goin' over it and over it."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This is one of the greatest I ever read for a long while.
The writing style along with the beauitful setting,
this is more then a normal ghost story but with romance,
supense and humanlity. It's such a wonderful book
that you will cherish for a long time! It's a classic!
I am going to read the "land of Echoes" next.
The writing style along with the beauitful setting,
this is more then a normal ghost story but with romance,
supense and humanlity. It's such a wonderful book
that you will cherish for a long time! It's a classic!
I am going to read the "land of Echoes" next.
By Serene
Format:Audio Cassette
Freud look out! City of Masks is the story of Cree Black, troubled parapsychologists who uses her empathic talent to commune with ghosts and banish them. Unfortunately, her talent is emotionally dangerous and risky, and when she is called by a wealthy client to investigate a haunted house in New Orleans, she is soon sucked into an almost soap-operatic level of drama, deceit and betrayal.
I listened to the unabridged audio version of City of Masks narrated by Anna Fields. I must say, that Anna Fields is not my favorite narrator. She has sort of a drowsy emotionless voice which /really/ grates on my nerves. She does female characters well. But the male characters sound drunk and crude. Not the best choice of narrators.
The story? At first I liked Cree Black. But I felt she had way too much baggage. Everyone has issues. The nurse, the doctor, her partner, the family. Enough already. I wanted to read about the ghosts and the paranormal stuff... Instead we have to hear about Cree's problems. Her whining, psychoanalysis hand wringing, guilt, psychobabble just got old. If anyone needs a psychiatrist, its Cree Black! The heroine was dysfunctional and unprofessional. Tiresome.
Also? It kind of icked me out that Cree was having a romance right in the middle of a case which should have required her full attention. Also, that the love interest was another shrink boyfriend who was constantly analyzing her, LIED to her, and then spends half the book thinking she's crazy. Not romantic. Not even close.
Finally, I got the impression that the author was trying too hard with the 'dynasty-style' southern family. Perhaps its different in the south, but I found the attitudes expressed by Lila and her mother and Ro-Ro antiquated and difficult to relate too.
I give City of Masks 3 stars. I didn't like Cree's lack of professionalism, or her relationship to the psychiatrist which seemed unhealthy and tedious.
By D. Heater
Format:Paperback
super interesting. a bit of new orleans mystery - a good read or listen if you like ghosts - paranormal stories. Cree and her associates are wonderful, Joyce and Edgar - and her new interest Paul!
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3.9 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
MiddleSchoolLevel
I will never pick up a book by this author again. If one can typify a 'female' writing style, it would be Hecht (although the author purports to be male). Read more
Published on May 26 2004 by goldengrain
4.0 out of 5 stars
a great read, not just for haunted house lovers
i'm very impressed. :-)
hecht writes well (great rhythmic flow, not surprising considering he's also an accomplished musician), plots well (reminded me a bit of the magus in... Read more
Published on Feb 28 2004 by Richard Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Family Spirit
I bought 'City of Masks' based on a new release description expecting a standard fare ghost story (which I like), read the inside cover and thought it was a ghost romance story... Read more
Published on Feb 12 2004 by Marc Ruby™
4.0 out of 5 stars
Empathic ghost buster opens new series
Parapsychologist Cree Black is a ghost buster - an empath who gets to know her ghosts and thereby frees them from earthly bondage. It's a dangerous empathy though. Read more
Published on April 14 2003 by Lynn Harnett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Foray into the Supernatural
As a History major with a concentration in New Orleans history, I approached this book with some skepticism as many authors stereotype the city. Read more
Published on Mar 31 2003 by talonedge
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond fabulous--truly a supernatural delight!
© 2003 by Diana Guerrero (allianceofwriters.com)
"Ghost Buster" and detective Cree Black is facing mysterious and sometimes terrifying forces in the beautiful and haunting... Read more
"Ghost Buster" and detective Cree Black is facing mysterious and sometimes terrifying forces in the beautiful and haunting... Read more
Published on Mar 30 2003 by Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero)
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read!!
Daniel Hecht has certainly done his homework with this wonderfully written book. He describes the city of New Orleans very accurately, and all of the characters fit into the... Read more
Published on Feb 4 2003 by "juliegon"
5.0 out of 5 stars
A new direction
Daniel Hecht isn't capable of writing a bad book or of writing badly. With an imagination as fertile as his, and with superior writing/narrative skill, whatever he tackles is never... Read more
Published on Jan 25 2003 by Charlotte Vale-Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars
City of Masks
Daniel Hecht has created a complex and sympathetic protagonist in Cree Black and put her up against mysterious and sometimes terrifying antagonists in the lush and often dark... Read more
Published on Jan 21 2003 by Sharon V Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is excellent!
"City of Masks" is a wonderful read. It's beautifully written, and the concept is exciting and inventive. Read more
Published on Jan 10 2003 by Maria Sanchez
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