In a city overwhelmed with murder and mayhem, the last homicide before a Category 5  hurricane wipes out New Orleans is quickly forgotten and remains unsolved.  Until now.

Calling to mind Chinatown’s Jake Gittes or Chandler’s Philip Marlowe comes a new kind of private detective—a mixed-martial arts coach and bare-knuckled former cop who investigates a curious missing persons/murder case.  The cold trail quickly heats up, propelling him into a battle of wits and brawn with the deadliest killers operating in the apocalyptic, post-hurricane ruins of New Orleans.

With no forensic evidence, a destroyed crime scene, and no corpse, Cliff St. James, who’s practically homeless and on the verge of bankruptcy, tenaciously navigates the gritty aftermath of a city that’s barely functioning.  The more layers of deceit he peels away surrounding the case, the grander is the conspiracy that comes into focus, placing him squarely in the cross-hairs of those who specialize in remaining unknown.

"A fast-paced, gritty novel in which no one is to be trusted and nothing is as it seems.... his noir take on the thriller will hook readers." - Associated Press

"Powerful as a Category Five hurricane, Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs is a riveting journey into murder, politics, and greed.  Kovacs writes like a master, bringing to exciting life colorful and cosmopolitan New Orleans.  In the aftermath of Katrina, brand-new private investigator Cliff St. James is thrown into a cauldron of lies, felonies, and violence just as Mardi Gras begins.  This is a spicy, thrilling story as unforgettable as an excellent gumbo." - Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Spies

"Hard-edge.  Frenetic.  This tale is fluid, dark, and compelling.  Ed Kovacs is a vivid addition to the thriller genre."- Steve Berry, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Emperor’s Tomb

"Ed Kovacs comes out of the gate with a bang.  STORM DAMAGE is ultra fast-paced, moving, and nicely devious.  Highly recommended."  --Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE KING OF PLAGUES and DEAD OF NIGHT

“With a penchant for descriptive accuracy, Ed Kovacs provides page-turning excitement in this New Orleans centered murder mystery. In fact, if you allow yourself to become immersed, you’ll probably be able to hear the jazz playing in the background—it’s that intense.” -- John B. Alexander, Ph.D.  author of Future War, and UFOs: Myths, Conspiracies, and Realities

ED KOVACS has worked for many years as a private security contractor deploying to challenging locations worldwide.  He is a member of the Association for Intelligence Officers, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.  When not on a contract, he splits his time between his home in Southeast Asia and his aircraft hangar home at a Southern California airport.