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The name Louis Kincaid refers to a series of mystery thriller novels written by P.J. Parish. The books tell the story of a biracial detective who must overcome racial prejudice to combat injustice.
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Order of Louis Kincaid Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark of the Moon | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Dead of Winter | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Paint It Black | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Thicker Than Water | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Island of Bones | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | A Killing Rain | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | An Unquiet Grave | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | A Thousand Bones | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | South of Hell | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Little Death | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Claw Back | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Heart of Ice | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | The Damage Done | 2018 | Description / Buy |
It should be mentioned that P.J. Parish is a pseudonym used by Kelly Nichols and Kristy Montee.
Kelly spent more than a decade in the gaming industry. She also worked for a Casino in Philadelphia before trying and ultimately failing to write her first mystery novel.
Kristy graduated with a degree in education (Eastern Michigan University). She worked as a reporter for the Sun-Sentinel, rising to the position of Assistant managing editor before finally abandoning the profession to write fiction.
Kristy actually wrote and published four romance novels. But the romance genre failed to hold her interest. Eventually, the sisters saw the merit in joining forces to produce the Louis Kincaid story
When the series first kicks things off in Dark of the Moon, the first novel in the series, Louis Kincaid, the protagonist, is a young police officer in Michigan. Louis’ parents were an interracial couple.
The detective left Mississippi as a child because his alcoholic mother wasn’t fit to care for him. He eventually found a couple who raised him in a loving home. Louis had no intention of returning to Mississippi.
But then he learned that his mother was on her deathbed and he decided to see her through her final days.
Louis was fortunate to land a position at the local Sheriff’s office. The man who gave him the job over the phone had no idea that Louis was biracial. And it wasn’t until the detective touched down in Mississippi that he realized the folly of his decision to come home.
First, his new colleagues in law enforcement met him with a cold reception when they finally saw his skin color. Then a lynching drew Louis into an old murder case and the hero realized that the people of his hometown would fight every effort he made to see justice done.
That did not stop Louis Kincaid from leaping into the fray and doing what he thought was right.
The Louis Kincaid series is fascinating. Because they are categorized as mystery thrillers, each installment in the series finds the detective on the trail of a new mystery. Louis is always on the move, with the authors taking him from Michigan to Mississippi and back again, and then to Florida
Louis’ skin color is always a central component of each story primarily because the series takes place in the 1980s, a time when the air of racial discrimination still reigned supreme in the United States.
Louis is sometimes joined on his adventures by Joe Frye, a female detective.
Louis Kincaid Awards
Dead of Winter was an Edgar Award Finalist in 2001. Unquiet Grave won the Thriller, Shamus, and Michigan Notable Awards in 2007. A Thousand Bones won the Anthony Award in 2008.
Thicker Than Water, South of Hell, and Paint it Black received Anthony Award nominations. Paint it Black was also nominated for a Shamus Award.
Heart of Ice won a Shamus Award in 2014.
Best Louis Kincaid Books
These novels have been commended for the tactful manner in which they approach the racial conflicts of the 1980s, with some of the best books in the series including:
Unquiet Grave: The Michigan Woods was once home to a notorious sanitarium and its cemetery. The entire complex lies in ruins now and the bulldozers have finally come to erase it altogether.
Louis Kincaid is summoned when Claudia Olsen’s grave is opened and a stranger who died horribly is discovered within. To solve the victim’s death, Louis must traverse the dark tunnels beneath the asylum.
Heart of Ice: Louis Kincaid is a decent PI but he wants to return to the ranks of law enforcement. As he reconsiders his career path, Louis decides to go back to Michigan. His wants to reconnect with his girlfriend and bond with Lily, the daughter he never knew he had.
When Louis takes the girl to the enchanting Island of Mackinac, he doesn’t expect Lily to come across a pile of bones.
Other Book Series You May Like
You may also like the “Smoky Barrett” Series by Cody McFadyen. Smoky Barrett was the best agent the FBI had. But then a monster murdered her family and scarred her. That should have ended her story. And Smoky truly believed that she had nothing left to live for.
But before she could take her own life, a new monster emerged, one that stirred Smoky’s curiosity.
Another good series is the Virgil Flowers Series by John Sandford. Virgil wandered a bit as a young man. He was in the army, and then he joined the military police. Finally, Lucas Davenport called and Virgil answered. The thrice-divorced fellow is now a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
He goes where Lucas sends him and solves the hard mysteries he is assigned.
What Is The Next Book in The Louis Kincaid Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Louis Kincaid Series. The newest book is The Damage Done and was released on September, 7th 2018.