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Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mystery #2
Blood on the Bayou: An Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mystery
Things get rough for psychologist Kit Franklyn and Chief Medical Examiner Andy Broussard when they investigate three French Quarter mutilation-murders somehow connected to the rare disease, lycanthropy--werewolfism.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
58 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Donaldson
34 books109 followersD.J. Donaldson also writes under the names Don Donaldson and Don J. Donaldson, as well as David Best.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 14, 2020
A good Broussard/Franklyn entry as they investigate a case of lycanthrophy. Genuinely spooky at times. Don't turn your back on them. Recommended.
May 23, 2018
Enjoyable New Orleans Mystery
This is book #2 in Andy Broussard and Kit Franklyn Mysteries, but it can be read as a stand-alone. This story is interesting and charming, because in the 1990s, our characters must manage without mobile phones, clunky computers, printers probably dot matrix, police use (what seems like) white cloth gloves, and blood work take days to complete as do forensics tests.
The well-plotted story has Louisiana traditions and peculiarities, which I enjoy reading about. The author’s descriptions of the oppressive heat and humidity, dark rainy days, the less-populated countryside, and the danger posed by alligators adds reality to the New Orleans and bayou settings.
More, an interesting romance begins to blossom in this book, and a whiff of the fantastic and/or supernatural is revealed later in this book, which IMO is a good thing.
I loved the Audible version’s narrator—Brian Troxell—who is excellent with the various accents of Louisiana.
This is book #2 in Andy Broussard and Kit Franklyn Mysteries, but it can be read as a stand-alone. This story is interesting and charming, because in the 1990s, our characters must manage without mobile phones, clunky computers, printers probably dot matrix, police use (what seems like) white cloth gloves, and blood work take days to complete as do forensics tests.
The well-plotted story has Louisiana traditions and peculiarities, which I enjoy reading about. The author’s descriptions of the oppressive heat and humidity, dark rainy days, the less-populated countryside, and the danger posed by alligators adds reality to the New Orleans and bayou settings.
More, an interesting romance begins to blossom in this book, and a whiff of the fantastic and/or supernatural is revealed later in this book, which IMO is a good thing.
I loved the Audible version’s narrator—Brian Troxell—who is excellent with the various accents of Louisiana.
August 4, 2015
This was a fun one, much better than the first book in the series!
September 16, 2018
Very well done second entry to the series about Andy Broussard, Orleans Parish medical examiner, and his young, foolishly impulsive suicide investigator, Kit Franklyn.
Andy's old friends in Bayou Coteau figure prominently here, as he and Kit follow a series of murders from New Orleans to the small bayou town. Kit meets a new man too, maybe someone more suited to her than the prestigious, hide- bound, conservative David. Teddy La Biche operates an alligator farm in Bayou Coteau, and Kit prejudges him thinking he won't ever be rich. She's wrong about that, too.
She's also too impulsive and reckless to be a good investigator, but Andy wants her around, so....
Andy's old friends in Bayou Coteau figure prominently here, as he and Kit follow a series of murders from New Orleans to the small bayou town. Kit meets a new man too, maybe someone more suited to her than the prestigious, hide- bound, conservative David. Teddy La Biche operates an alligator farm in Bayou Coteau, and Kit prejudges him thinking he won't ever be rich. She's wrong about that, too.
She's also too impulsive and reckless to be a good investigator, but Andy wants her around, so....
March 30, 2018
MY NEW FAVORITE SERIES!
Set in pre-Katrina New Orleans, its described so well you;ll feel like you're actually there - very exciting story lines, this is the third book in the series I have read - the series is older, pre-cell phone, etc, and was somewhat difficult to find, I ended up buying the series on the secondary market in "real" book form, not kindle... ;-)
I highly suggest that you read the series in order, I am one off, but am back on track now ;-)
VERY enjoyable and exciting, highly recommended!
Set in pre-Katrina New Orleans, its described so well you;ll feel like you're actually there - very exciting story lines, this is the third book in the series I have read - the series is older, pre-cell phone, etc, and was somewhat difficult to find, I ended up buying the series on the secondary market in "real" book form, not kindle... ;-)
I highly suggest that you read the series in order, I am one off, but am back on track now ;-)
VERY enjoyable and exciting, highly recommended!
February 4, 2015
Great book
Don Donaldson has done it again! A breathtaking novel with great characters...Dr Broussard and Kit Franklyn are a great pair...add Detective Gatlin and you have a great story. I admit to reading out of order, so I loved the background in these first books. More, more!
Don Donaldson has done it again! A breathtaking novel with great characters...Dr Broussard and Kit Franklyn are a great pair...add Detective Gatlin and you have a great story. I admit to reading out of order, so I loved the background in these first books. More, more!
February 11, 2015
Loved it!
Born and raised in Louisiana bayou country, and leaving in my teens,I really enjoy reading and thinking Cajun, once in a while, and a good story!
Born and raised in Louisiana bayou country, and leaving in my teens,I really enjoy reading and thinking Cajun, once in a while, and a good story!
January 24, 2017
Donaldson brings Louisiana characters and areas to life in his book while giving good medical information regarding his ongoing mysteries.
January 13, 2019
Another consistent crime/mystery from Donaldson.
December 8, 2022
I feel 3* is a generous rating. This book had all the elements needed for a fun read - a medical examiner who loved food,his protege who is conflicted over her love life, Louisiana swamp setting, but it all failed to pull together. The writing was mediocre and could have benefited from good editing. The characters were not well developed and lacked depth. Lycanthropy could have been an engaging element and there was little groundwork laid for the “who” in “whodunnit.” I’m generally a fast reader, but it was a struggle to finish this book.
January 26, 2026
FFS did this book frustrate me.
PROS:
- Brian Troxell is a spectacular narrator.
- the cast of characters are intriguing and you want to hear more about them.
- the denouement was touching and beautiful.
CONS
- the mystery had a BS ending that had little to do with the facts provided.
- the female heroine was booked poorly.
- the science class portion of the book made the very idea of werewolves seem boring somehow.
I likened this to watching Scooby-Doo…but imagine the entire middle bogged down by a very dry science lecture. Even hearing it from Shaggy and Scoob, as entertaining as they are, and you’re gonna tire of dry an boring science.
This series is free for another 2 weeks on Audible so I’ll give it one more, but the mysteries better get better!
PROS:
- Brian Troxell is a spectacular narrator.
- the cast of characters are intriguing and you want to hear more about them.
- the denouement was touching and beautiful.
CONS
- the mystery had a BS ending that had little to do with the facts provided.
- the female heroine was booked poorly.
- the science class portion of the book made the very idea of werewolves seem boring somehow.
I likened this to watching Scooby-Doo…but imagine the entire middle bogged down by a very dry science lecture. Even hearing it from Shaggy and Scoob, as entertaining as they are, and you’re gonna tire of dry an boring science.
This series is free for another 2 weeks on Audible so I’ll give it one more, but the mysteries better get better!
December 31, 2023
3.5. Not a bad procedural, perhaps a little plodding at times.
June 10, 2025
Another fun romp through a mystery thriller. This one set in Louisiana.
December 21, 2025
A lot of fun. Especially as the audiobook narrator does an excellent job with the different voices. Looking forward to reading the third book. The characters are great and well developed.
November 17, 2014
This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter
Five Things I Liked About Blood on the Bayou:
Andy Broussard is such a great character! He's a heavy set man who likes the comforts of life and good food. He's ridiculously smart.
Donaldson's mysteries are always good. He has always made me question who-dun-it and I typically don't know until he lays it all out.
I can finish one of these books in almost record time.
New Orleans and its surroundings are a fantastic and beautiful setting. I've never been but I feel like I know way more than I'd learn anywhere else. Donaldson clearly has a love for the city.
I never figure out the bad guy. Enjoying a mystery for me is based on if I can/can't figure out the ending. Donaldson is pretty good at keeping me in the dark.
Five Things I Wasn't Crazy About in Blood on the Bayou:
One day when eating lunch I completely lost my appetite while reading. Lunch was ruined and a description of a dead thing had something to do with it.
Alligators. Eck! I don't know about you but alligators make my skin crawl. Blood on the Bayou is chockful of them.
Kit is forever doing something stupid and needing to be rescued. As the only main female lead, this is somewhat annoying. It's as if Donaldson is showing that women will always be rescued by the men in her life.
Blood on the Bayou hinges on the murderer having
This has nothing to do with anything but the book was printed in the early 90's and it shows. ;) I hope that if Donaldson's first three books are reprinted they get an awesome modern cover.
Five Things I Liked About Blood on the Bayou:
Andy Broussard is such a great character! He's a heavy set man who likes the comforts of life and good food. He's ridiculously smart.
Donaldson's mysteries are always good. He has always made me question who-dun-it and I typically don't know until he lays it all out.
I can finish one of these books in almost record time.
New Orleans and its surroundings are a fantastic and beautiful setting. I've never been but I feel like I know way more than I'd learn anywhere else. Donaldson clearly has a love for the city.
I never figure out the bad guy. Enjoying a mystery for me is based on if I can/can't figure out the ending. Donaldson is pretty good at keeping me in the dark.
Five Things I Wasn't Crazy About in Blood on the Bayou:
One day when eating lunch I completely lost my appetite while reading. Lunch was ruined and a description of a dead thing had something to do with it.
Alligators. Eck! I don't know about you but alligators make my skin crawl. Blood on the Bayou is chockful of them.
Kit is forever doing something stupid and needing to be rescued. As the only main female lead, this is somewhat annoying. It's as if Donaldson is showing that women will always be rescued by the men in her life.
Blood on the Bayou hinges on the murderer having
This has nothing to do with anything but the book was printed in the early 90's and it shows. ;) I hope that if Donaldson's first three books are reprinted they get an awesome modern cover.
May 27, 2015
The story starts with Andy Broussard getting an early morning call from the police. A body has been found. It looks like the throat has been ripped out. To find the killer, Andy ends up returning to his hometown. Kit Franklyn has been kicking around the idea of quitting and moving to be with her boyfriend. When she meets Teddy she starts to reconsider moving.
It seems that someone is suffering from lycanthropy, being a werewolf. That they are tearing out the throats of their victims. Now Andy and Kit are on a race of time to try and stop the killer before the body count adds up.
I love DJ Donaldson’s Andy Broussard and Kit Franklyn mysteries. I have read several books in the series but not in order. It was a nice treat to see how Kit meets Teddy, he’s one of the characters that I think just adds that little bit to the story. Of course how can you not like Andy? He is obsessed with food, which is shown in his size, and he is almost like Sherlock Holmes when it comes to deduction.
The story is really good and, like with all of the books I have read in this series, I didn’t know who the killer was until at the end. My only complaint would be Kit. She gets herself into trouble with her bad decisions. Although she is Andy’s counter part and smart in her own sense, she just seems to keep falling into situations that she needs to be rescued from. I do get frustrated with her.
If you like mysteries, be sure to check out Blood on the Bayou or the other books in this series.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It seems that someone is suffering from lycanthropy, being a werewolf. That they are tearing out the throats of their victims. Now Andy and Kit are on a race of time to try and stop the killer before the body count adds up.
I love DJ Donaldson’s Andy Broussard and Kit Franklyn mysteries. I have read several books in the series but not in order. It was a nice treat to see how Kit meets Teddy, he’s one of the characters that I think just adds that little bit to the story. Of course how can you not like Andy? He is obsessed with food, which is shown in his size, and he is almost like Sherlock Holmes when it comes to deduction.
The story is really good and, like with all of the books I have read in this series, I didn’t know who the killer was until at the end. My only complaint would be Kit. She gets herself into trouble with her bad decisions. Although she is Andy’s counter part and smart in her own sense, she just seems to keep falling into situations that she needs to be rescued from. I do get frustrated with her.
If you like mysteries, be sure to check out Blood on the Bayou or the other books in this series.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2015
This second Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn mystery includes a series of deaths in New Orleans that appear to be done by a werewolf. The case takes Andy back to the town where he grew up and has him interacting with his two boyhood best friends. Kit is debating leaving New Orleans and moving to Shreveport to be with her boyfriend - until she meets a new man.
Strong points of this book are the setting in New Orleans and the town where Andy and Kit go to investigate. The heat, humidity, and rain are almost like characters. The setting is so well described that I felt like I was there in the swamps. Teddy, Kit's new love interest, is an alligator farmer and we get lots of information about that career and about alligators too.
This book was written in 1991 and is being re-issued by Astor + Blue. It is easy to tell that it isn't contemporary. No cell phones. Andy uses Polaroids to take pictures as he is doing his autopsy. The computers being used by the meteorologists that Kit consults as she is building her theory about when the killer will kill again. All of these place the story firmly in the past.
The story was interesting and fast-paced. I stayed up well past my bedtime because I had to know who the murderer was and how the story played out. Fans of atmospheric mysteries will enjoy this one. I'll be looking for more of Andy and Kit's adventures.
Strong points of this book are the setting in New Orleans and the town where Andy and Kit go to investigate. The heat, humidity, and rain are almost like characters. The setting is so well described that I felt like I was there in the swamps. Teddy, Kit's new love interest, is an alligator farmer and we get lots of information about that career and about alligators too.
This book was written in 1991 and is being re-issued by Astor + Blue. It is easy to tell that it isn't contemporary. No cell phones. Andy uses Polaroids to take pictures as he is doing his autopsy. The computers being used by the meteorologists that Kit consults as she is building her theory about when the killer will kill again. All of these place the story firmly in the past.
The story was interesting and fast-paced. I stayed up well past my bedtime because I had to know who the murderer was and how the story played out. Fans of atmospheric mysteries will enjoy this one. I'll be looking for more of Andy and Kit's adventures.
January 25, 2019
This was a really great story. I enjoyed the Louisiana settings and found them to be accurate and therefore believable.
I am not from Louisiana, but moved here years ago and have enjoyed the people and culture here to this day.
I enjoy a book that educates me in some way. In this story I learned about lycanthropes, an interesting phenomenon of which I had never been aware.
I also enjoy nitty-gritty detail in stories, and you will get it here. We can only see what an author describes to us, unlike in visual media, so to me, detail is very important in reading and writing.
In this story, you can spend time in New Orleans, out on the bayou, and on a working gator farm.
Again, all of the information and description is detailed and very real, right down to the old hidden graveyard in the swamp and the gators in the wild.
If you do a little boating or horseback riding in the back country here, you are bound to encounter all of these scenes and many more.
The author has written other books placed in Louisiana, and I will read them over time.
I recommend this book for a good story and a look at some of Louisiana's local culture.
I am not from Louisiana, but moved here years ago and have enjoyed the people and culture here to this day.
I enjoy a book that educates me in some way. In this story I learned about lycanthropes, an interesting phenomenon of which I had never been aware.
I also enjoy nitty-gritty detail in stories, and you will get it here. We can only see what an author describes to us, unlike in visual media, so to me, detail is very important in reading and writing.
In this story, you can spend time in New Orleans, out on the bayou, and on a working gator farm.
Again, all of the information and description is detailed and very real, right down to the old hidden graveyard in the swamp and the gators in the wild.
If you do a little boating or horseback riding in the back country here, you are bound to encounter all of these scenes and many more.
The author has written other books placed in Louisiana, and I will read them over time.
I recommend this book for a good story and a look at some of Louisiana's local culture.
January 24, 2017
How could a Louisianan reader pass up a book dealing with New Orleans and werewolves? The book provided believable characters and featured a murderer with an actual medical condition of a werewolf (but not as the Hollywood variety). There was also interesting data concerning alligator farming. Traditions and superstitions were explored but not in great depth. The customs and descriptions of the area were what one would find today in the cities named. It was an entertaining book -- good for a stormy night's read.
January 16, 2020
I just really, really enjoy these books. I used to live just outside of New Orleans years ago & my brother has since moved there because of my love of the south and well to be honest the food! I have been on and off for years for a Louisianna/ New Orleans mystery series I could sink my teeth into that would have the characters I love and read the way I want it to and thankfully this is it...:)
September 12, 2011
Andy Broussard is chef medical examiner in New Orleans. His character reminded me a lot of Nero Wolfe (whom I strongly dislike); grossly overweight, lots of descriptions of food, grouchy. The strory was too gory and graphic for me. About a serial killer who suffers from lycanthropy. No thanks.
April 30, 2015
3.5 stars
copy received for review
Sigh. These are such a yes and no for me. I like Andy... Kit less so. Sick of the cliches, but the mysteries are interesting.
This one still felt a little "first novel" ish, but that's bound to get better, right?
copy received for review
Sigh. These are such a yes and no for me. I like Andy... Kit less so. Sick of the cliches, but the mysteries are interesting.
This one still felt a little "first novel" ish, but that's bound to get better, right?
April 28, 2019
Great atmosphere and characters
This series grows on you steadily. There's a bit of coincidence and deus ex machina, but the characters and the setting shine through some of the less polished bits
This series grows on you steadily. There's a bit of coincidence and deus ex machina, but the characters and the setting shine through some of the less polished bits
December 3, 2019
Another good mix
This is turning into a pretty good series. Likable characters, interesting plots, and a nice bit of working old superstitions into a modern setting. The author's obvious appreciation for New Orleans makes for a good setting to the story.
This is turning into a pretty good series. Likable characters, interesting plots, and a nice bit of working old superstitions into a modern setting. The author's obvious appreciation for New Orleans makes for a good setting to the story.
November 9, 2015
Really 3.5 stars. I was sure I knew the answer -- I did not.
July 31, 2018
Another great book
I love these books. I am finally at the end of the series as currently comprised. I eagerly await the next.
I love these books. I am finally at the end of the series as currently comprised. I eagerly await the next.
December 31, 2019
Well written and interesting. Does stretch the imagination at points, but a good read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews