Edwardian Murder Mysteries
historical mystery
Series · mystery
Talba Wallis
The Talba Wallis series by Julie Smith has 4 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Louisiana Hotshot (2001).
- Books
- 4 books
- First published
- 2001
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: Louisiana Hotshot (2001) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Louisiana Hotshot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Louisiana Hotshot - Book 2:
Louisiana Bigshot
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Louisiana Bigshot - Book 3:
Louisiana Lament
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Louisiana Lament - Book 4:
P.I. on a Hot Tin Roof
Alternative text for cover: Cover of P.I. on a Hot Tin Roof
About the Talba Wallis series
Talba Wallis is a New Orleans poet -- performing under the name Baroness de Pontalba -- who becomes a licensed private investigator working for the Eddie Valentino agency across four novels by Julie Smith, spun off from Talba's supporting-character debut in the Skip Langdon novel 82 Desire (1998). Louisiana Hotshot (2001) opens the series proper with Talba newly hired at Eddie's agency and immediately dropped into a case blending her old life in poetry and activism with new investigative work; Louisiana Bigshot (2002) and Louisiana Lament (2004) keep her working New Orleans cases that draw on the city's Black community, arts scene and class divides in ways Smith's Skip Langdon books -- narrated from a white, old-money perspective -- don't reach. Smith, a former newspaper reporter, gives Talba the same journalist's eye for institutional and neighborhood detail that defines the Skip Langdon series, but filtered through a distinctly different character and social vantage point. The series closed with P.I. on a Hot Tin Roof (2005), its fourth and final entry, after which Smith returned her attention to Skip Langdon and other projects rather than continuing Talba's own series further.
Frequently asked questions
How many Talba Wallis books are there?
Four: Louisiana Hotshot (2001), Louisiana Bigshot (2002), Louisiana Lament (2004) and P.I. on a Hot Tin Roof (2005).
Who is Talba Wallis?
A New Orleans poet turned private investigator, first introduced as a supporting character in Julie Smith's Skip Langdon novel 82 Desire (1998) before headlining her own four-book series.
Do I need to read Skip Langdon before Talba Wallis?
No -- though Talba first appears in the Skip Langdon novel 82 Desire, her own series stands on its own.
What order should I read the Talba Wallis books in?
Publication order, starting with Louisiana Hotshot.
Is the Talba Wallis series finished?
Yes -- it ran four books between 2001 and 2005 and Smith has not continued it since.
If you like the Talba Wallis series
Reading order last verified .