SURROUNDED BY LIES AND MISPERCEPTIONS...WILL THE TRUTH BE REVEALED? Tucked away in the small town of Lafitte, La., Fleming Cemetery is notorious for its local folklore and legendary ghost stories. Evan "E. R." Cortez, a game warden in Lafitte has been summoned to the Cemetery in the middle of the night by his partner Liam. When he arrives, Liam's not there and E. R. instead finds himself thrust into a web of deceit and misperceptions. He quickly realizes that there may be some truth to the local ghost tales he's been told all his life.
As Hurricane Ida barrels toward the Louisiana coast, E. R., with the help of Griff his grandfather and Charley Ann, a girl Liam was attempting to help when he disappeared, begins to search for Liam. Together they begin to unveil a sinister plot of misguided revenge while racing against time and dangerous conditions. Woefully, E. R. discovers secrets of a tormented past and mistaken identities.
E. R.'s feelings of anxiety of finding his best friend alive collide with his growing attraction and admiration for Charley Ann, the girl he just met and who may be involved with his best friend. Together, they trace Liam's final steps and come in contact with other questionable characters and unwelcoming elements of the local swamps and bayous.
Will E. R. reach Liam before the flood waters or other unknown dangers lurking in the darkness take over?
Loved this! A great story with a ton of twists and turns. It was so much fun trying to figure this whole thing out! The story sucks you in and the characters are people that keep your interest! Such a great story with a great ending!
I really wanted to love this. I root for local authors all the time and enjoy supporting them. I also realize it isn't easy to write a book. In fact I've put off reviewing this because I didn't want to come across as harsh but I also wanted to be honest.
I loved the local aspects of the novel. All of the locations were fun to read about. I also think the author had quite an interesting plot! I continued to read because I genuinely wanted to know what happened!
Unfortunately this fell short for me because of the writing. I feel like overall, the book needed some serious editing. At times, the story reads like an essay instead of an actual entertaining novel. It's written very blunt and factually and lacks emotion. Also, there is a lack of the use of pronouns which makes for a frank reading experience. The story also had a serious flow problem. I feel that mostly stems from the writing, but also from unnecessary details thrown into sentences. It also flowed weirdly because of the way the POV of characters jumped all around. Although I loved the local parts, it also seemed forced at times with over-detailed sentences that non-locals would be perplexed over. The author also needs to consider non-locals being a possible audience as well and give extra information when necessary. For example, non-locals would not understand the significance of finding a truck that was originally in Fleming Cemetery at the Harvey Locks because they don't know how far away that is. Here, more details would be helpful. Overall, the book had a feeling of disconnection.
Full disclosure: the author of this book belongs to my writing group, and I like her very much.
Anything I might add to the description of the plot would probably be a spoiler, so I won't do it, except to mention that there are two alternate endings. I found that to be a creative and original approach, which added to my enjoyment. I'm not sure which ending I prefer.
It's fun to read about areas with which I'm familiar. Having been to Gattuso's, Boutte's, and the Harvey industrial canal, I could easily visualize the settings. This is a rich atmosphere, and one that I wish more authors used as a backdrop. I also liked the fact that the main character was a game warden. (Yes, I have read most of the novels by C.J. Box.)
Misguided Revenge is a book about the search for a young man who disappears just as Hurricane Ida is approaching the Westbank of New Orleans.
The story is heavy on dialog vs. narrative, which made it a "choppy" read for me. I did not feel like I knew much about the characters outside of the specific events in the book. These 2 things made it a little bit difficult for me to finish the book, but the story was interesting enough for me to plow through it.
This is a Must Read - I love how scenery came alive. The book kept me guessing and with each new clue I had a new theory. I love when a read keeps me engaged like this I’ll definitely pick up any other books from this author
The author was so knowledgeable about the area that I actually live in. Love reading local authors. As I read I was able to have the actual picture of the place in my mind and also knowing some of the characters the book came to life for me.
I was totally engaged in this book, I felt emotionally involved with the characters. The details made me feel like I was a part of the story. Definitely a page turner
The title reflects the story line with all the intrigues left from the first novel. It is such a good read that I don’t want the story to end. I can’t wait for the authors next novel to come out.