A very rough attempt at romantic suspense by popular romance writer Stella Cameron. Errol Petrie, philanthropist and former addict is found murdered in his French Quarter apartment. His employee and former Miss Louisiana, Celina Payne and his partner and who is the son of a murdered gangster find the body. The police don't seem to be doing much investigating, so Celina and Jack try to figure some things out on their own, while Celina fends off unwanted advances from a smarmy senate candidate and Jack tries to get revenge for the murders of his parents which he witnessed when he was 10 years old. Whew! All these storylines are connected, of course, and much is told instead of shown, mostly in a heavyhanded way, like when Celina's mom's eyes kinda remind Jack of how his own mother's eyes looked on the day she was killed. The sexy parts are done well, which is Cameron's strength, but everything else feels a little uneven and frequently forced. The idea is good, and the loose ends are tied up, but the ending is a little anti-climactic and obvious. Points for earnestness. Hopefully, Cameron is able to hit a stride and write more naturally, as there are nine more books in this "Bayou Series" and I'm planning to read them all. ( )

First book that introduces Father Cyrus and the background for the Touissant bayou books.

The story began well, with a nail-biting murder mystery. But the story got cluttered and confusing when more people and plots were introduced. One got the impression that the author got carried away adding to the story but never quite regained control. ( )