Wild Man's Curse by Susannah Sandlin

Wild Man's Curse (Wilds of the Bayou, #1)

by Susannah Sandlin

The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.

While on an early morning patrol in the swamps of Whiskey Bayou, Louisiana wildlife agent Gentry Broussard spots a man leaving the home of elderly Eva Savoie—a man who bears a startling resemblance to his brother, whom Gentry thought he had killed during a drug raid three years earlier. Shaken, the agent enters Eva’s cabin and makes a bloody discovery: the old woman has been brutally murdered.

With no jurisdiction over the case, he’s forced to leave the investigation to the local sheriff, until Eva’s beautiful heir, Celestine, receives a series of gruesome threats. As Gentry’s involvement deepens and more victims turn up, can he untangle the secrets behind Eva’s murder and protect Celestine from the same fate? Or will an old family curse finally have its way?

From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes the first book in the Wilds of the Bayou series.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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Five reasons to grab Wild Man’s Curse

  • If you have a thing for books set in Louisiana, Sandlin’s familiarity with the region is evident from her characters to the incredible scenes she describes. I love books set in the area, and loved the authentic feel from the language to the voodoo.

  • The murder-mystery was multi-faceted and tightly woven. I loved how Sandlin threaded the pieces together ensnaring the characters and reader within her tale. She has respect for law enforcement procedure and it's evident she does her research. Unlike many books set in the south, she does not go for stereotypes. Secondary characters were developed and local law intelligent and through.

  • Sandlin's characters are fully developed and original. Gentry Broussard a local wildlife agent looking for poachers when he spots a man leaving Eva Savoie’s cabin. The man shares a striking resemblance to his dead brother. A brother, Gentry shot and killed during a drug raid in NOLA three years earlier. Celestine returns home and has questions regarding her Aunt’s murder. As these two talk, a spark ignites that we watch slowly develop into more. The danger is far from over as the killer will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Secondary characters were unique and developed breathing life into this rural community. I am anxious to learn more about them from Paul, a local officer to Gentry’s partner.

  • The romance was slow burning, with some punches of heat. Typically, in the romantic suspense genre, you get instalove driven by the suspense angle, but Sandlin likes to develop her romances, slowly fanning the flames. It felt genuine and sweet making me hope for happily ever after.

  • Voodoo, old curses, mysterious facts and danger for our hero and heroine had me flipping the pages of Wild Man’s Curse. The story is well-balanced, with interesting tidbits about the past that bring us closer to solving the current case and capturing a desperate killer. The murders were dark, revealing a disturbed mind. Sandlin gives us just enough detail to provide chills without inducing nightmares. Sandlin delivered a realistic tale while weaving in the uniqueness of Louisiana.



Copy provided by publisher, This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 March, 2016: Finished reading
  • 26 March, 2016: Reviewed