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Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Secret of Cypriere Bayou by Jana DeLeon (Harlequin Intrigue #1265)

                                       
                                                                            
Back of the Book Blurb:                                                                    
A MANSION OF HORRORS DEEP IN THE LOUISIANA BAYOUS...

For Olivia Markham, laMalediction is the ideal setting in which to complete her work. But something is sending a chill up the usually fearless author's spine. There are the unearthly noises, the sliding panels, the hidden passageways...and John Landry, the sexy caretaker who seems less than welcoming.

John has work of his own to do and he doesn't need the distraction of a mysterious beauty claiming the old mansion is cursed. But he can't ignore the fact that someone is doing everything to scare Olivia away - permanently. Working together to uncover laMalediction's alarming secrets and root out the evil stalking them, John finds Olivia impossible to resist, and he knows it's only a matter of time before something unexpected - and undeniable - happens between them..


Review:
Here's a new technique - I an writing reviews in reverse!  The Secret of Cypriere Bayou is the (March 2011) prequel to Bayou Bodyguard, reviewed below.  I enjoyed Bayou Bodyguard so much I bought the prequel for my Nook and read it last night.  Both books are set in the remote swamps of Louisiana, at a hulking, antiques-filled mansion called laMalediction.  Believed to be haunted and cursed by the locals, laMalediction has been the site of madness, murder and voodoo since it was built just before the Civil War.

When Olivia leases the mansion, believing it to be the perfect location from which to write her latest ghost novel, she gets the shock of her life after she arrives and realizes laMalediction is the house that has been haunting her nightmares since she was a toddler.  Although she has been searching for the house for years, actually seeing it and feeling its presence is a terrifying experience.  But Olivia is no shrinking violet, and she has two missions to complete:  write her latest book before her deadline, and solve the mystery of how she knows this house.  Complicating matters is the presence of a hunky new caretaker, who has ulterior motives of his own.  John is an off-duty police detective, searching for his missing sister, who disappeared the week before while en-route to laMalediction.  Shortly after she arrives, Olivia begins hearing strange sounds and an old photo appears of the original, murdered owner, who looks just like Olivia.  John and Olivia begin to investigate together, and the heightened tension and danger parallels their increasing sexual attraction and respect for one another.
As with Bayou Bodyguard, the hero and heroine are frequently trapped at the remote house by sudden violent storms, impassable roads, and no telephone lines or cell coverage.  As a technique for heightening the tension it is very effective, but it begins to feel overused here, as these storms seem to pop up every few hours.  However, that is a small thing to complain about, since the rest of the book is well-written, with nicely developed characters, a beautifully evoked sense of place, and a building feeling of menace.  The mystery is just right for the length of the book, and very well-crafted.  The list of suspects was believable, and I was not sure who the bad guy was until the end - love that!  Add in a lovely romance with a touch of realistic, steamy sex, and you have a great, fast read that is absolutely perfect for the beach or reading late into the night while snug in bed.
I'm now an official fan of Jana Deleon, and will review more of her books in the near future.  Meanwhile, you should check her out at janadeleon.net



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