Her first book brings New Orleans shamus Micky Knight two cases: her 12-year-old friend Patrick Selby's suspicion that the fatal fall of Judy Douglas, a schoolmate of his sister Cissy's, wasn't an accident; and a plea from snooty Karen Holloway, whom Micky seduced and abandoned in the course of her last (unchronicled) case, to help her get back some revealing pictures that a creep named Joey Boudreux has been using to blackmail her. It doesn't take long for Micky to satisfy herself that Judy Douglas's fall really was accidental, but the news doesn't keep Cissy from sinking deeper into withdrawal. Meanwhile, Karen, who still doesn't know that Micky's all but living with her cousin Cordelia James, has led Micky into a dark maze of suspiciously lucrative investments, pleasure clubs, and a particularly vicious child pornography ringwith the inevitable link back to Judy and Cissy. In order to get the goods on Joey, Micky starts to work with him, then as a reluctant undercover agent for the police, then, finally, for a sinister Mr. Big who plans to kill her. Though Redmann doesn't stint the steamy sex, the scenes that develop Micky's ambivalence about her divided loyaltiesscenes crackling with tension even when Micky's the only person aroundare the heart of this uncommonly rich book. Despite formidable problemsa noble female cast victimized by evil men, the characters' tendency to analyze themselves and each other to death, a too-easily spotted killer, and the worst title of the yearRedmann has the makings of a landmark series. (Author tour)