John Ed Bradley is a writer of great power and intensity whose earlynovels were ecstatically received by critics. It has been six yearssince Bradley has published a novel, and he has used that time to crafta noir tour de force that breathes new life into the Southern gothictradition.

My Juliet tells the story of a struggling artist, Sonny LaMott,and his obsessive love for Juliet Beauvais, who is Thanatos and Eros allballed up into one nasty, irresistible package. Juliet returns to NewOrleans after her years as an "actress" in California, thinking that hermother is about to die and that she will inherit the family mansion. ButJuliet discovers she's been tricked by her mother, so this most fataleof femmes seeks out the damaged Sonny, who still can't resist herfifteen years after she crushed his heart. With ease, Juliet seduces himanew, nefarious purposes in mind.

Juliet is an unforgettable character, and the prose and dialogue dripwith New Orleans atmosphere. The gothic elements -- graveyards, kinkydebauchery, decay, melodrama -- are superbly rendered, yet the author'srich sense of humor and pity for his characters make it all vibrant andoriginal. Bradley excels at stretching out an impending sense of doomthat hovers over all the players, creating a delicious tension out ofour expectation of the worst yet to come.

With My Juliet John Ed Bradley returns, triumphantly, to theliterary scene.