Customer Reviews

Hell Swamp

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Hell Swamp, a police procedural by Susan Whitfield, starts with the gory death of an animal rights activist that has Agent Hunter running full speed into a swamp full of snakes of both kinds, those that slither and those that walk upright. Although tough and well-trained, she's thwarted and attacked in this Carolina Low Country tale of greed and mis-guided deeds. Fasten your seat belts for this fast-paced read.

I had the pleasure of reading the Hell Swamp manuscript just before it went to publication. The action jumps out at you from the first chapter and never lets up. North Carolina's Agent Logan Hunter learns that the people who live around the swamp have their own rules. They are all hunters and kill and string up and gut anything they can eat. While investigating a gruesome murder, Agent Hunter becomes one of the hunted. This is edgy stuff that made me grit my teeth. ~~ Mary Deal, author of River Bones

Hell Swamp, a lovely place for a vacation if you like finding floating skulls, cottonmouths, being pushed into the river, shot at, whacked over the head and finding stately southern plantation homes. Least I forget, the plantation home had an addition that I should probably mention here. An old lady, dressed out like a fresh killed deer, viscera piled on the floor beneath her and hung from the main chandelier in the foyer.

This is the situation that SBI agent Logan Hunter discovered when she was called off of vacation to head up an investigation in rural North Carolina.

The story spins along at an entertaining pace as you follow Logan through her investigation.

Peculiarities abound as you meet the suspects. Whitfield has drawn a cast of characters from 'down by the Black River' that rings delightfully true, scary and injected with just enough humor to make HELL SWAMP stand out from the pack. Read this book. It's a good 'un.

Deep in the mountains of North Carolina, near the Black River, lives a woman who is an avid animal rights activist. She lets the residents of her small town know how disgusted she is of their hunting and that she doesn't care if they're hunting for sport or food! Because of this, all the residents of this small mountain town are angry at her.

The local sheriff is called in when she is found dead in her home, gutted like a deer and left hanging from a garret on her chandelier. Who would do such a despicable thing? The sheriff's office can't figure it out so they call in the S.B.I. A beautiful agent named Logan Hunter is assigned to the case.

Logan decides to talk to some of the residents for leads but is stonewalled. They won't answer her questions but she is determined to solve the grizzly murder and to do that she has to get somebody to talk to her. Slowly, she makes friends with some of the residents and she quickly learns that these people live by their own rules! Along the way, she gathers a lot of information and learns that the list of murder suspects is long.

Soon, small dogs and cats are found dead. Is this somehow related to the murder? Or will Logan find a cult of some kind?

This book is a page turner! Each time Logan Hunter seems to have closed in on the killer, there is a twist and she is pointed in another direction. Believe me; if you like curling up with a good mystery, you'll definitely like this!

This is Ms. Whitfield's third novel in the Logan Hunter series. Her colorful descriptions of the region and the residents put you into the book!

SBI Agent Logan Hunter is sent to investigate a gruesome murder in the costal area of North Carolina. Hunting and fishing is not only a sport in the area, but many of the residents acquire a lot of their food this way. The victim is a middle-aged woman who because of her stance against killing animals, either for sport or food, has made enemies of almost everyone in the area. The supporting characters seem to be drawn from real the real lives of the unique people of the area. As Logan goes about questioning these interesting characters, she is forced to battle poisonous snakes, spiders, and other dangerous wildlife as well as the ever present invisible biting flies. In Hell Swamp one also sees the softer feminine side of Hunter as she contemplates her upcoming marriage to Detective Chase Railey, who will not only become her partner in life, but in the SBI as well. If you enjoyed the first two Logan Hunter Mysteries, you'll want to read Hell Swamp. Though if you're squeamish, maybe you should read it in the day time.

Hell Swamp, by Susan Whitfield, throws the reader straight into the investigation of a truly gruesome murder, but the beautifully described scenery on the journey lightens to the tone. The author's deft hand with conversation brings characters and location to life, with a particularly memorable discussion where local men don't recognize a hoop earring. Agent Hunter proves an able investigator, noting the cloudy water from thawing vegetables, bagging and tagging evidence, and tolerating the missteps of unseasoned country coroners with wise aplomb.

The story slows when Hunter's back-story intervenes, with reminiscences about her past and promises for her future. But beautiful descriptions bring time and place to life, and the present tale is more than able to keep the reader turning pages. Telling details of plants and foliage always come back to research and evidence.

Hell Swamp, up close and personal, soon lives up to its name. And danger, up close and personal, sends the reader on a wild exciting ride to find the killer. All the suspects seem so nice, if oddly named--and cook so well, sweetening the tale with some truly fascinating culinary detours. Red herrings (or catfish) are chased and caught, and the killer's final identity is revealed in a truly surprising conclusion.

A fascinating cast of characters carve a place in the reader's memory in this book, and a pair of lead investigators draws the reader on, promising more of their relationship and more mysteries to come.

SBI agent Logan Hunter is called back from personal leave to investigate a brutal murder along the banks of the Black River in Ivanhoe, North Carolina, where animal rights activist Clara Banoak is found hanging from her chandelier, gutted like a deer. Logan quickly learns that Banoak was outspoken in her views against harming animals and had more enemies than friends in this hunter-infested area. Due to an outbreak of the flu, Logan is initially on her own as she investigates the murder, developing a long list of suspects. When she gets too close, Logan is assaulted and left to die in Hell Swamp. More determined than ever, she doggedly pursues her case, uncovering other heinous crimes, with danger lurking around every corner.

Hell Swamp, book number three in the Logan Hunter Mystery series, is an intriguing thriller. Logan Hunter is an interesting character: a woman with backbone who does not let the threat of peril get in her way; an investigator committed to her case who will not stop until it's closed. Whitfield adds a nice touch of romance with Logan's lover, fellow SBI agent Chase Riley. The plot moves at a fast pace with an abundance of suspense and suspects, offering a mystery readers will be challenged to solve.

When Clara Banoak is murdered in a gruesome manner--the murder victim is strung up on a gambrel used for skinning deer--Agent Logan Hunter, SBI Agent, is brought in to investigate the crime. The victim hated hunters and was an outspoken animal rights activist. Logan must discover whether this crime is a retaliation of the hunters or if they are being made scapegoats. This fast-paced suspenseful novel does not stint on character development. Logan, a tall, attractive woman who suffers from night terrors, is a well-rounded character. She a good daughter and a woman with a conscience. The love of her life is Chase Railey, who also works for SBI. They plan to marry, and he helps her solve the case, but not before Cyrano Blood, who had something to tell Hunter regarding the initial murder, is poisoned. The novel offers many interesting suspects including Hawk Daw whose fingerprint is found on a spotlight used in the crime. He is initially the prime suspect. However, Logan suspects that someone may be out to frame him. The novel offers many twists and turns and will keep the reader guessing. But the most fascinating thing about this novel is the use of local color. The author's sense of North Carolina is authentic; the novel is steeped in atmosphere. Definitely a book worth reading!

Hell Swamp. What a story! Author Susan Whitfield whisks her readers off to the rural south to solve a grisly murder along with female SBI Agent Logan Hunter. Her hard hitting prose leads us through swamps and down dirt roads, into both mansions and shacks, before finally presenting us with a surprisingly evil conclusion.
I always like to see women portrayed as strong and able to solve problems in their own right, not just as creatures to be rescued by some man. Susan Whitfield has managed to create a strong female protagonist who is at the same time feminine and sexy. A good role model for us all!

I've followed SBI Agent Logan Hunter through her internship at Genesis Beach as she solved her first murder. I followed her through the NC Mountains in Just North of Luck as she solved yet another murder. Now I've followed her into the NC backwoods as she tries to survive in Hell Swamp while solving the murder and gutting of Clara Banoak.

Clara is a widow and getting up in age so who would want to murder her as if she was an animal? The answer is everyone. Clara was the most hated person in the whole area around Hell Swamp. She hated hunters and wasn't afraid to tell them or anyone else that would listen. But Clara's death isn't the only mystery. Cats and dogs are starting to become missing. Is there a cult running loose in Hell Swamp? And is this cult possibly connected with the church that allows its members to drink poison and handle rattle snakes?

Whitfield really outdid herself with Hell Swamp. She has created a murder mystery that has a surprising ending while including a little humor along the way that only Whitfield can get by with. This was another enjoyable book in the Logan Hunter series. I can't wait to read her next book "Gator Creek."