A small kindness, a deadly New Orleans chase
One good deed turns EMT Laura Baker into a marked woman, dragging her into the steamy, dangerous heart of New Orleans. When travel writer Archie Gunn stumbles into her chaos, sparks fly and secrets surface—forcing them to race the city’s shadows to survive.
What Others Are Saying
Kindness, Crime, and Cajun Heat
Laura Baker’s job is to save lives—until one act of kindness makes the evening news and paints a target on her back. As a daughter of the Baker’s Dozen with a protective, rule-bending family and a proud ex-cop father, she must dodge mob interest, uncover buried secrets, and keep the people she loves alive. Enter Archie Gunn, a travel writer who came for jazz and jambalaya and instead finds himself entangled in a bayou mystery and inextricably drawn to Laura’s fire.
Worry Beads blends twisty crime and slow-burn romance against an intoxicating New Orleans backdrop—Mardi Gras masks, hidden treasures, and corruption that runs deep. Perfect for readers who crave practical, brave heroines, sizzling chemistry, and a family-first heroine who will fight anyone who threatens her own, this fourth Big Uneasy novel turns kindness into the deadliest risk.
Can Laura and Archie unmask the truth before New Orleans buries them both?
Worry Beads: The Big Uneasy 4 — When One Good Deed Becomes a Target
A deadly spotlight. A travel writer who didn’t expect trouble. A city that hides secrets beneath its masks.
One act of kindness turns EMT Laura Baker’s routine call into a headline that paints a target on her back. In the sultry streets of New Orleans, Laura—part of the Baker’s Dozen—knows how to save lives, but she didn’t sign up for mobs, secrets, and danger that follow a single compassionate choice.
Enter Archie Gunn, a travel writer chasing the promise of jazz and jambalaya who stumbles into a bayou mystery and into Laura’s chaotic world. As mob secrets surface and sparks fly, Laura and Archie must navigate Mardi Gras masks, swampy trails, and simmering chemistry. Worry Beads bubbles with suspense, sizzling romance, and New Orleans swagger—perfect for readers who love twisty mysteries with heart and humor.
Pauline Baird Jones writes layered mysteries that blend southern atmosphere, sharp wit, and emotional stakes. She’s the voice behind the Big Uneasy series, leading readers into the underbelly and the heartbeat of New Orleans with characters who are brave, flawed, and unforgettable.