WALKER, La. — Walker authors H. Truax and L. Craig released The Last Masquerade, the second novel in The October Girls Mysteries, on Friday, October 9, 2026. The mother-and-son writing team returns to the Louisiana friends introduced in The Happiest Place to Die.
The new novel follows Gayle LeBlanc, Lynn Thibodeaux, and Carol Boudreaux as they leave New Orleans on their annual October girls' trip, this time aboard a Caribbean cruise. Their plans for sunshine, cocktails, and a masquerade ball unravel when a passenger is found dead. A tropical storm closes the port, trapping them aboard a ship where conflicting stories and hidden motives make familiar faces harder to trust.
The Last Masquerade will be available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions, and through Kindle Unlimited, beginning October 9. Paperback copies will also be available in store at Sugarcane Market in Walker and online at SugarcaneMarket.com. Paperback preorders are open through the store's website.
The series began with The Happiest Place to Die, released July 15, 2026. Book 1 is available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions and through Kindle Unlimited. Readers can also purchase signed paperback copies through Sugarcane Market. Truax owns and operates Sugarcane Market in Walker, and Craig is retired from the local school district. Their mysteries draw on Louisiana culture and lifelong friendships while blending humor with suspense.
The authors will host a book signing on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sugarcane Market Boutique & Voodoo Snowballs, 10610 Florida Blvd., Walker, LA 70785. Readers may bring their own copies or purchase books at the store to have signed by both authors.
For book information, ordering links, bonus content, and series updates, visit SugarcaneMarket.com/ october-girls-mysteries.
