Book Review: BAYOU WHISPERS by R. B. Wood

BAYOU WHISPERS by R. B. Wood (Crystal Lake Publishing - April 29, 2021) Kindle Edition, 199 pages. ASIN # B092JQXK9R 

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .

Bayou Whispers, the latest thriller from horror writer R.B. Wood, is the story of no-nonsense New Orleans native, Jeannine LaRue, the sole survivor of her family after the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the storm, she believed she'd been saved, but soon found herself held hostage and sexually exploited, rescued months later by sheriff’s deputy Curtis Jones.

Twelve years after Katrina, Jeannine is a new attorney who returns to New Orleans to save her old friend Curtis Jones—now a local thief and trafficker of stolen goods—after he is arrested for the murder of Jeannine’s captors, whose bodies have recently been found. But Jeannine discovers more than she bargained for when she uncovers a family history of dark voodoo magic and an unholy alliance with an ancient evil Haitian god. 

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     Trying to capture the essence of this novel in a quick "elevator pitch" by checking off genres, I wanted to categorize BAYOU WHISPERS as a "mythological thriller". But that doesn't do it justice. Scrolling down through all the Goodreads shelves I chose, I realized that this is a unique novel that touches upon many well-loved bases/genres and just can't be pigeon-holed so easily. 

     It's crime. It's action-adventure. It's horror. It's voodoo lore. It's zombies/undead, golems, ghosts, and spirits - even a ghost ship. 

     More importantly, it's a captivating read and highly entertaining. That is due not to all the boxes checked off, but to the rich descriptions of New Orleans life and culture post-Katrina and the fine job Wood does with fleshing out the complex characters, of which there are many.

     No one's had a rougher life than main character Jeannine and disgraced cop Curtis, her protector and the closest thing she has to a remaining family. 

     Just read the thing. You won't regret it. 

     I received an advance coy for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.