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Skip Langdon #4
Death Before Facebook
ASIN B008DP2B56 moved to the most recent edition
Murder most viral!
In 1994, when Mark Zuckerberg was ten and this book was first published, the Internet was the fresh new face in town--who knew how dangerous it could be?
Twenty-year-old Geoff Kavanagh should never have posted about seeing his father murdered…because way too many people on the TOWN, a sort of Facebook-of-the nineties, knew things about his family he didn’t even suspect. Decades-old skeletons start falling out of closets after Geoff’s untimely death, thanks to New Orleans Detective Skip Langdon. Langdon finds Geoff’s gorgeous mom suspiciously uninterested in her son’s fatal fall. But Mom’s apparently the only one. It seems the post has gone viral. Suddenly all the TOWNSpeople have theories—and ambition as cyber-detectives. What’s a murderer to do but kill his way out?
Formerly titled "New Orleans Beat."
Murder most viral!
In 1994, when Mark Zuckerberg was ten and this book was first published, the Internet was the fresh new face in town--who knew how dangerous it could be?
Twenty-year-old Geoff Kavanagh should never have posted about seeing his father murdered…because way too many people on the TOWN, a sort of Facebook-of-the nineties, knew things about his family he didn’t even suspect. Decades-old skeletons start falling out of closets after Geoff’s untimely death, thanks to New Orleans Detective Skip Langdon. Langdon finds Geoff’s gorgeous mom suspiciously uninterested in her son’s fatal fall. But Mom’s apparently the only one. It seems the post has gone viral. Suddenly all the TOWNSpeople have theories—and ambition as cyber-detectives. What’s a murderer to do but kill his way out?
Formerly titled "New Orleans Beat."
368 pages, ebook
First published June 14, 1994
264 people are currently reading
959 people want to read
About the author
Julie Smith
263 books404 followersAuthor of 20 mystery novels and a YA paranormal adventure called BAD GIRL SCHOOL (formerly CURSEBUSTERS!). Nine of the mysteries are about a female New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, five about a San Francisco lawyer named Rebecca Schwartz,two about a struggling mystery writer named Paul Mcdonald (whose fate no one should suffer) and four teaming up Talba Wallis, a private eye with many names, a poetic license, and a smoking computer, with veteran P.I. Eddie Valentino.
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 25, 2020
While I won't say the Skip Langdon mystery series is one of my top ten mysteries, the stories by Julie Smith are always different and entertaining. New Orleans Beat is the 4th book in the series and maybe one of the best so far.
In this latest story, New Orleans police detective, Skip Langdon, is called to the scene of a death (murder?) of a young man, Geoff Kavanagh, who lived at the home of his mother. He is found at the bottom of a ladder, a death initially called an accident. As the story progresses, Skip begins to suspect that Geoff's death was, in fact, a murder.
The story will involve many people, many damaged people, as Skip gets more into the investigation. As well, Skip is dealing with the frustrations of a long-distance relationship and with helping her best friend Dee-Dee raise his 'adopted' children, a teenage girl and younger brother. It makes for a messy, packed story.
I admit that, mainly because I have 4 or 5 stories on the go at one time, I sometimes had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who, but that is my issue, not yours. There is so much going on that it makes for a fascinating tale. Aspects that particularly interested me. The story was published in '94 and I liked reading about the online group, The Town. It reminded me of the impact of my first online communities. There is also 'witchcraft', a group of woman supporting each other. Is it a factor in the murder(s)?
Part of the story struck a chord with me as well, especially considering what is going on in America today. There is an ongoing theme about the appropriateness of blacks and whites dating. Skip, dealing with her relationship problems, finds herself attracted to a black man. I don't know if Smith is criticizing this issue (meaning she feels it's not an issue) or just commenting on it as a fact of American life at that particular time. As an aside I do recall being on course in Oakland in the '90s and finding it strange when one of my white American classmates said she thought it was disgusting when we saw a black man with a white woman (but if I recall, not if it were the other way). Anyway, not here to debate the issue, but just found it interesting and somewhat unsettling.
So, all in all, a rich, layered story with a somewhat untidy, but interesting, mystery and ending. Ultimately satisfying. (4 stars)
In this latest story, New Orleans police detective, Skip Langdon, is called to the scene of a death (murder?) of a young man, Geoff Kavanagh, who lived at the home of his mother. He is found at the bottom of a ladder, a death initially called an accident. As the story progresses, Skip begins to suspect that Geoff's death was, in fact, a murder.
The story will involve many people, many damaged people, as Skip gets more into the investigation. As well, Skip is dealing with the frustrations of a long-distance relationship and with helping her best friend Dee-Dee raise his 'adopted' children, a teenage girl and younger brother. It makes for a messy, packed story.
I admit that, mainly because I have 4 or 5 stories on the go at one time, I sometimes had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who, but that is my issue, not yours. There is so much going on that it makes for a fascinating tale. Aspects that particularly interested me. The story was published in '94 and I liked reading about the online group, The Town. It reminded me of the impact of my first online communities. There is also 'witchcraft', a group of woman supporting each other. Is it a factor in the murder(s)?
Part of the story struck a chord with me as well, especially considering what is going on in America today. There is an ongoing theme about the appropriateness of blacks and whites dating. Skip, dealing with her relationship problems, finds herself attracted to a black man. I don't know if Smith is criticizing this issue (meaning she feels it's not an issue) or just commenting on it as a fact of American life at that particular time. As an aside I do recall being on course in Oakland in the '90s and finding it strange when one of my white American classmates said she thought it was disgusting when we saw a black man with a white woman (but if I recall, not if it were the other way). Anyway, not here to debate the issue, but just found it interesting and somewhat unsettling.
So, all in all, a rich, layered story with a somewhat untidy, but interesting, mystery and ending. Ultimately satisfying. (4 stars)
June 16, 2018
I've read Julie Smith before and really enjoy her, but it's been a while. She has a HUGE cast of characters that I assume show up in her books regularly, but this was like reading Tolstoy without the depth and literary style. I didn't get familiar enough with the characters to follow the story until near the end of the book and there were still gaping holes and big questions when I was done. It just didn't hang together like other things (House of Jazz, I recall) that I have read. Confusing. Fragmented. Hard to follow.
September 18, 2024
Books set in New Orleans are just fun to read. There are deaths, possibly by murder, talk of voodoo and witchcraft, music and beignets.
November 29, 2014
Confusing is what Julie Smith's novel Death Before Facebook was for me. I had trouble following the story and all the characters in it. I just can not recommend this book to anyone. I've never read a book by this author and most likely will not so again.
December 9, 2014
Did not read. Language was foul in the first couple of pages. Don't think much of an author that can't write without that.
October 30, 2023
Another enjoyable Skip Langdon mystery with her delightfully quirky friends and suspects.
November 30, 2014
I was drawn to this mystery by its setting (New Orleans) and its provocative title. It was interesting as a bit of a period piece: set in 1994, we are in a world that still used floppy disks, and where interacting via online bulletin board communities was perceived as a fascinating and intriguing new experience. A shy and lonely misfit, an adult who lives with his parents and escapes into such an online community called the TOWN, appears to have died accidently while rescuing his cat. Policewoman Skip Langdon, however, suspects more is going on, and uncovers evidence not only about this death and a few more to follow, but also a cold case perhaps connected in some way, from 27 years earlier.
It was hard to keep interested in this novel. Lots of shallow characters are pulled in with rather careless abandon. The protagonist is inconsistent and sometimes rather selfish, and I was more interested in several secondary characters in her personal life much more than in her. Occasionally it is clear--like when she thinks to herself about works of literature she enjoys or furniture she'd get if she redid her interior design--she is channeling the author directly, but to no real useful purpose for the plot advancement or character believability. Sometimes we get detailed descriptions of everyone's outfits and menu selections that are also unnecessary. A coven is uncovered and tracked, which does make it more exciting for awhile, but only a while.
It was hard to keep interested in this novel. Lots of shallow characters are pulled in with rather careless abandon. The protagonist is inconsistent and sometimes rather selfish, and I was more interested in several secondary characters in her personal life much more than in her. Occasionally it is clear--like when she thinks to herself about works of literature she enjoys or furniture she'd get if she redid her interior design--she is channeling the author directly, but to no real useful purpose for the plot advancement or character believability. Sometimes we get detailed descriptions of everyone's outfits and menu selections that are also unnecessary. A coven is uncovered and tracked, which does make it more exciting for awhile, but only a while.
February 6, 2018
This is an old book - in the digital age - but being an old man I can recall coupling up to the Information Super Highway via modem. Holy Cow. I was never involved, much, in any bulletin board groups though, and nothing like the TOWN.
Our book circle had as theme; bookface. I supposed they meant facebook. I was wrong, but by then I'd found this book and the free sample was a bit interesting and it was cheap on Mighty River Mall so I bought it and then had to read it.
New Orleans in the winter. I've read a few New Orleans set books, mainly James Lee Burke, which I enjoyed. But other than learning it is cold in large houses without central heating there was not that much local atmosphere. Bars and houses and the cop station could have been anywhere.
There were many characters and as I read sporadically I tended to forget them. Messed up families and relationships and a defiant teenager left me cold. The murderer surprised me but the thrilling climax is among the worst thrilling climaxes I have ever read, just silly.
Our book circle had as theme; bookface. I supposed they meant facebook. I was wrong, but by then I'd found this book and the free sample was a bit interesting and it was cheap on Mighty River Mall so I bought it and then had to read it.
New Orleans in the winter. I've read a few New Orleans set books, mainly James Lee Burke, which I enjoyed. But other than learning it is cold in large houses without central heating there was not that much local atmosphere. Bars and houses and the cop station could have been anywhere.
There were many characters and as I read sporadically I tended to forget them. Messed up families and relationships and a defiant teenager left me cold. The murderer surprised me but the thrilling climax is among the worst thrilling climaxes I have ever read, just silly.
February 1, 2015
Skip is a detective and is investigating a murder that is linked to a social media site. The victim has been posting at the site concerning memories he seems to be having regarding the night is father was killed.
I enjoy the books by Julie Smith. This is the first of this series that I have read but it will not be the last. It is a revised version of an earlier work by Ms. Smith. I thought the subject matter was very current given the surge of people sharing their lives through the Social Media sites. I enjoyed the characters and found them a little quirky and the main character is a smart cop but experiencing the ups and downs of the regular person. The flow was good but not being much of a computer nerd I was a little lost at a couple of places in the story. Very enjoyable!
I enjoy the books by Julie Smith. This is the first of this series that I have read but it will not be the last. It is a revised version of an earlier work by Ms. Smith. I thought the subject matter was very current given the surge of people sharing their lives through the Social Media sites. I enjoyed the characters and found them a little quirky and the main character is a smart cop but experiencing the ups and downs of the regular person. The flow was good but not being much of a computer nerd I was a little lost at a couple of places in the story. Very enjoyable!
November 30, 2014
I must have read this before because I've read all of Julie Smith's New Orleans books. And I was a bit disappointed when I got this one and found it was a revised version of an earlier book. But I'm read it long enough ago that I enjoyed it all over again. As others have said, there are a lot of characters. But it wasn't hard to keep the main ones straight. And the plot flowed along quite nicely.
BBS's, and early Internet, was actually a bit more intimate than Facebook because everyone on it was a geek of some sorts. And yes, just this sort of sharing did go on. So having the sort of close knit community was very plausible.
BBS's, and early Internet, was actually a bit more intimate than Facebook because everyone on it was a geek of some sorts. And yes, just this sort of sharing did go on. So having the sort of close knit community was very plausible.
October 16, 2015
The main reason I didn't like this novel was its overall bleak and tired feeling. I kind of liked the protagonist, a policewoman with history in New Orleans, but I didn't like the author's manipulating her into dropping her long distance boyfriend and his kind of contradictory reactions to her. The mystery was ok, but it was hard to sympathize or identify with anyone in it. Also, the author added a bit of explicit sensuality where it wasn't needed. The book also includes lots of objectionable language.
June 16, 2017
The worst written I've ever seen from this author. Disappointed me because I really expected better--often tend towards thriller but always pretty clean writing and consistent. The inconsistencies here really bugged me. 2.5 star. Being generous because I suspect disappointment is big piece of urge to give lower. Author says this is partial rewrite from original published version. I suspect it wasn't cleaned and edited properly after rewrite and inconsistencies stem from missed bits when reworking some scenes....
September 25, 2008
NEW ORLEANS BEAT - Poor
Smith, Julie - 4th in Skip Langdon series
Skip investigates the mysterious death of a computer genius who frequented the TOWN, a computer network of some 10,000 faceless voices. In this extraordinary community, strangers achieve an odd intimacy, sharing the darkest of secrets. Skip learns that the victim had confessed his own deep secret--and the TOWN believes it was murder.
Loved the setting but not the book. I just couldn't get into it.
Smith, Julie - 4th in Skip Langdon series
Skip investigates the mysterious death of a computer genius who frequented the TOWN, a computer network of some 10,000 faceless voices. In this extraordinary community, strangers achieve an odd intimacy, sharing the darkest of secrets. Skip learns that the victim had confessed his own deep secret--and the TOWN believes it was murder.
Loved the setting but not the book. I just couldn't get into it.
February 16, 2015
I don't like to do negative reviews, but I found this to be a very irritating book - you need a flow chart to keep the characters straight, and the plot was unnecessarily complicated. This was an early book in Julie Smith's writing career, and based on her current popularity, I can only hope that she's developed a crisper writing style.
June 24, 2013
I bought this book at a library sale; thus, #4 in the series.
However, I wasn't impressed with the writing which dragged on and on.
Not a fan of an insecure protagonist. I would say that I could write a better mystery; but, that's not true!!!! haha
However, I wasn't impressed with the writing which dragged on and on.
Not a fan of an insecure protagonist. I would say that I could write a better mystery; but, that's not true!!!! haha
December 30, 2014
Pretty good
I really enjoyed this. I have been reading these series in chronological order. It's like watching a good movie. I would like to see if skip gets back with Steve in the next series.
I really enjoyed this. I have been reading these series in chronological order. It's like watching a good movie. I would like to see if skip gets back with Steve in the next series.
February 1, 2015
Good read-a little complex
Maybe it was me, but the relationships were a little confusing to remember when I went a day or two with no time to read. Binge reading it would be great. Skip is the type one is pulling for and the New Orleans setting is spot on.
Maybe it was me, but the relationships were a little confusing to remember when I went a day or two with no time to read. Binge reading it would be great. Skip is the type one is pulling for and the New Orleans setting is spot on.
November 11, 2014
Difficult to keep the characters straight
Enough story to keep reading
but barely that
You may want to quit early
but good luck finding the finale
Enough story to keep reading
but barely that
You may want to quit early
but good luck finding the finale
January 18, 2015
Yuck
I found this book to be a chore to read. I hNnNad trouble keeping the characters straight. Not my cup of tea.
I found this book to be a chore to read. I hNnNad trouble keeping the characters straight. Not my cup of tea.
December 28, 2021
This is so much a product of the early 90s. This helps this mystery in one way and kills it in another. Let me explain.
Skip Langdon is one of those kick-ass women who get their own mystery series in the 90s. She’s got the usual woman cop problems — sexism and lack of support for her investigations. But she acts just as Clint Eastwood as the guys so she earns some respect as she muscles her way through the story. She also has one of those lame little long distance relationships. So it’s of the period in a big way.
In one way — that really helps. You see, this is that unique period when the Internet was imminent but not quite there. Instead there were ListServs and bulletin boards and AoL and Compuserve. There was this whole little nerd culture around them. And this, at least to start, is the universe of the mystery. It’s fascinating by accident, as this culture went pffft pretty quick when the www thing got going.
But one other feature is a killer. In the 90s, a book wasn’t a proper beach read if it wasn’t plump like a Perdue chicken. So instead of a lean Gold Medal paperback, we get a lot of filler and tedious interviews going nowhere and a bunch of zzzzz nonsense about witchcraft. We also get too many characters in the murder who, truth be told, are hard to tell apart. It was bad enough that I didn’t just miss who done it, I really didn’t remember much about who and where this guy fit in.
I liked parts but ultimately, it wasn’t worth it. Also, for a New Orleans book, the atmosphere is missing. 2.5 stars that gets three because I round up.
Skip Langdon is one of those kick-ass women who get their own mystery series in the 90s. She’s got the usual woman cop problems — sexism and lack of support for her investigations. But she acts just as Clint Eastwood as the guys so she earns some respect as she muscles her way through the story. She also has one of those lame little long distance relationships. So it’s of the period in a big way.
In one way — that really helps. You see, this is that unique period when the Internet was imminent but not quite there. Instead there were ListServs and bulletin boards and AoL and Compuserve. There was this whole little nerd culture around them. And this, at least to start, is the universe of the mystery. It’s fascinating by accident, as this culture went pffft pretty quick when the www thing got going.
But one other feature is a killer. In the 90s, a book wasn’t a proper beach read if it wasn’t plump like a Perdue chicken. So instead of a lean Gold Medal paperback, we get a lot of filler and tedious interviews going nowhere and a bunch of zzzzz nonsense about witchcraft. We also get too many characters in the murder who, truth be told, are hard to tell apart. It was bad enough that I didn’t just miss who done it, I really didn’t remember much about who and where this guy fit in.
I liked parts but ultimately, it wasn’t worth it. Also, for a New Orleans book, the atmosphere is missing. 2.5 stars that gets three because I round up.
August 23, 2018
This mystery was published in 1994. It is set among a group of people involved with an online community (pre-facebook prominence).
Though living in Canada, I enrolled in at least three bulletin board-type programs: Prodigy, CompuServe, and America On-line. Everything is so much easier now. Then we had dial-up speeds and long distance charges depending on whether these American programs had Canadian hubs - they usually didn't. A different time, for sure. It cost a lot more and we got a lot less than today, but we were truly addicted to these early virtual towns.
It's a decent mystery that captured the lure of the bulletin board communities. A recommendation especially for those of us who experienced on-line communities before Facebook.
Though living in Canada, I enrolled in at least three bulletin board-type programs: Prodigy, CompuServe, and America On-line. Everything is so much easier now. Then we had dial-up speeds and long distance charges depending on whether these American programs had Canadian hubs - they usually didn't. A different time, for sure. It cost a lot more and we got a lot less than today, but we were truly addicted to these early virtual towns.
It's a decent mystery that captured the lure of the bulletin board communities. A recommendation especially for those of us who experienced on-line communities before Facebook.
December 15, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by this used book store find. I bought it because the back of the book description featured one of my favorite things - '90s books talking about modern technology. In this case it was a murder investigation that hinged on an online community called The TOWN.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the series detective named on the cover - Skip Langdon - is a woman.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I'm considering picking up some more in this series. Skip was great. The murder mystery was tangled and had a great payoff. Worth whatever few bucks I spent on it, for sure.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the series detective named on the cover - Skip Langdon - is a woman.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I'm considering picking up some more in this series. Skip was great. The murder mystery was tangled and had a great payoff. Worth whatever few bucks I spent on it, for sure.
January 24, 2019
Thus far, this is my least favorite of the Skip Langdon series (I accidently read out of order, with one more to go). Overall, I enjoyed the book, getting to know Skip, the city of New Orleans, and learning about some very unusal topics. My only criticism is that even though in the Author’s Notes, Smith states this revised e-book edition more streamlined, I still found it too bogged down with many disconnected details. By the time they all fit together I had forgotten that some of them were even mentioned. I also found myself skimming through the seemingly endless posts in the chat rooms and bulletin boards. I am hooked and looking forward to reading Smith’s other series.
February 10, 2017
Skip Langdon is involved in the mysterious death (accident or Murder?) of a father reclusive young man who "lived" on the internet in various groups. Besides dealing with the case Skip is trying to deal with her California friend and a mutual seeming ambivalence about their future. More twisted New Orleans families and relationships keep her trying to get a solution to the case.
September 14, 2017
Just outstanding. A page turner. And I didn't figure it out at all. In fact I was reading and feeling disappointed that the guilty party was made so obvious to the reader, though not to Skip who didn't have some of the asides, and was thinking that it was too bad since I really liked every thing else about the book when I was hit with an entirely different culprit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2018
Interesting
I was kind of confused about the time period of this book, and some parts of felt like it was from the 40s and in others it felt like it was 70 years. I just never really clear. I also found some of the characters to be limited and the overall plot to be quite confusing. But the ending is good and it is a very interesting read over all.
I was kind of confused about the time period of this book, and some parts of felt like it was from the 40s and in others it felt like it was 70 years. I just never really clear. I also found some of the characters to be limited and the overall plot to be quite confusing. But the ending is good and it is a very interesting read over all.
September 24, 2018
Policewoman Skip Langdon goes all out, whether on the job or elsewhere in the Big Easy, when an apparent accident sheds light on an older crime. A dizzying array of suspects leads to a novel solution, but an increasing lack of interest for this reader as we don’t get to know anyone but Skip very well.
May 19, 2019
I love a good New Orleans Mystery
I am a big fan of Julie Smith mysteries and I believe this completes the Skip Langdon series. The story is rich and complex like all Julie Smith mysteries. A great plot to keep you guessing right to the end.
It would be great to see a new Skip Langdon or Talba Wallis mystery.
I am a big fan of Julie Smith mysteries and I believe this completes the Skip Langdon series. The story is rich and complex like all Julie Smith mysteries. A great plot to keep you guessing right to the end.
It would be great to see a new Skip Langdon or Talba Wallis mystery.
April 29, 2022
Early Skip
I enjoy the Skip Langdon series. This one was no exception. Interesting topics - Wicca (after a fashion), dysfunctional relationships and murder. A bit too many pages plumbing the depths of the dysfunction. Still, Smith writes well enough to carry you to the excitement-filled conclusion.
I enjoy the Skip Langdon series. This one was no exception. Interesting topics - Wicca (after a fashion), dysfunctional relationships and murder. A bit too many pages plumbing the depths of the dysfunction. Still, Smith writes well enough to carry you to the excitement-filled conclusion.
May 27, 2017
Skip really grows on you.
Fitting in, or not, is something we all question. Who we are and how we fit in matters. And as a part of a mystery and a complex life, Skip's story just gets better and better.
Fitting in, or not, is something we all question. Who we are and how we fit in matters. And as a part of a mystery and a complex life, Skip's story just gets better and better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews