Customer Reviews

Fever Moon

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Carolyn Haines has done it again. With her prose that flows as smoothly as the dark waters of the swamps of Louisiana, she plunges the reader into this land of superstition, spirits and mystery. Haines has always been a story teller of the first degree, but she gets better and better. Don't be misled. This is not one of Haines' golden happy girl tales (see the Delta Mystery Series) though they are wonderful in their own right. Fever Moon keeps the reader on the edge of the page, but don't read it without turning on all the lights.

Society has always had an ingrained fear of strangers. In more primitive or rural societies, where attitudes might be governed by legends and/or superstition, people who were ill might be regarded as possessed. False claims and public hysteria could lead to people being executed as in the Salem witch trials.

The present story is set in the rural bayous of Louisiana during the early 1940s. This is Cajun country, with attitudes passed down from the Acadians with origins in France. The wealthiest man in the parish has been brutally killed and a young woman was found near the body. She appears ill and delirious. Rumors arise that she is a werewolf. While being treated by a local herbal specialist, Madam Louiselle, she disappears into the night.

Deputy Sheriff Raymond Thibodeaux is investigating, but must deal with a variety of problems. This was a time when prisoners from the state prison at Angola were leased out to plantation owners to be used as what amounted to slave labor (the ancient practice of selling criminals into slavery). The unsavory victim of the crime, a man not well liked, had been using such laborers, one of whom is believed to have escaped. There are a large number of people who had reasons for wanting the man dead.

Various characters come into play. There is a Catholic priest assigned to the parish (he would have preferred to be in Ireland). There is a local doctor dealing with various illnesses and injuries. There is the Sheriff, who seems more concerned with politicing than police work. There is the sadistic boss of the work crew on the plantation. There is the brother of the missing woman, who lives in the marshes with his dogs. There is the postmistress, a woman who has managed to break into a government job normally reserved for men. And there is a local prostitute who would really rather be a teacher if events in the past had not taken a bad turn.

Raymond, who was discharged from the Army with a disability, must deal with the ghosts from his own past as he tries to head off mob hysteria, find the missing woman, and try to solve the case. It is a dark tale worth reading.

This book was great! It takes place in the 40's with a WWII veteran as the main character. However, this is not a war book. This book emcompasses romance, the supernatural, and really terrific suspense. I have not read anything like it before and I wish the author would write more in this genre.

Fever Moon is one of my most favorite Carolyn Haines novels. If you're a fan of dark and spooky Southern mysteries, check this one out. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Haines' cozy Bones mystery series, but I love it when she takes a spin on the dark side! Just like James Lee Burke and Joe Lansdale, she has a real talent for creating a dark, beautiful saga filled with complex characters.

Whether her books are dark and spooky or cozy and warm, Haines knocks it out of the ballpark every time. Keep `em coming Carolyn!

I read Fever Moon after Carolyn wrote about it in her newsletter. I was expecting "dark" because she intimated it was, but what I didn't expect was to be pulled into the story of the 40's, the Louisiana bayous and swamps. I was captivated and couldn't wait to turn the page. I believe she brought an era and culture to a story as well as the results of war and poverty. I'm glad I read it - I'm glad it has made me think of other times and places, and that good can prevail in the face of evil - no matter what face evil wears.

I was truly captivated by the suspense of this book. It had be believing I was right there in that time with the beliefs of a fearful town. In the day when it seems that Hollywood can't come up with an original thought I certainly think they would benefit from reading this one. I would love to see Fever Moon crafted for the big screen.

I am still reading this book. I think it is well written, but extremely boring. There is too much detail where there doesn't need to be and not enough in other areas.