I recently finished reading, and reviewing, The Sound of Building Coffins, by Louis Maistros, a New Orleans record-store owner and first-time novelist.

Not sure what the general reaction will be, but I found the book to be one of the most fascinating that I’ve read in a long while. It’s a tale of turn-of-the-century New Orleans that has the author taking readers deep inside the heads of a cast of remarkable characters.

Its twisting, hypnotic story of voodoo and jazz — and birth, death and rebirth — is marked by some singularly strange passages.

But anyone who has spent much time in New Orleans, and has a feel for the musical and artistic creativity that seems to flow from that patch of Mississippi River-fed earth, will get the vibe, I think.

And even those who don’t know what I mean by all that may well be captured by Maistros’ vivid, gripping storytelling.

I’ll post a link to the review once it’s published.

For now, you can find out more about the novel by visiting the remarkable web site that Maistros (and/or his web guy) has created to accompany the book.

Just click on the ghost of Buddy Bolden, and you’re in.