A murder investigation uncovers sordid secrets and haunting mistakes
The Darkwater Inn stands tall and proud in the French Quarter, the hub of New Orleans. Bourbon Street is bustling, and General Manager Adelaide Fountaine has her hands full with a hotel at capacity. She, along with everyone else, is shocked when a body is found: a hotel guest stabbed with a kitchen knife.
Detective Beau Savoie, Adelaide’s childhood friend, is on the case. As Beau digs into the victim’s past, he unearths a shocking connection between Adelaide and the murdered guest. Beau is hurt that his friend—the woman he’s quietly loved for years—kept the truth from him. To make matters worse, the stress of the investigation has sent Adelaide right into the comforting arms of her coworker Dimitri. But Beau can’t press Adelaide too hard . . . he’s keeping secrets of his own.
Can Adelaide and Beau afford to hide from the truth with a killer on the loose?
Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage — two aspects Robin weaves into each of her 30 published novels.
When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty+ years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home — in the South, where else?
She serves the writing community as Executive Director/Conference Director for ACFW.
Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, Bookseller’s Best, and Book of the Year.
On her faith, Robin says, “I love Jesus and will follow Him wherever He leads me.”
An avid reader herself, Robin loves hearing from and chatting with other readers. Although her favorite genre to read is mystery/suspense, of course, she’ll read just about any good story. Except historicals! To learn more about this author of deep South mysteries of suspense to inspire your heart, visit Robin’s website at http://www.robincaroll.com.
My Impressions:
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to visit. Nothing beats the sultry atmosphere of the city that has seen its share of colorful citizens, historic events, and renewed hope after tragedy. Robin Caroll has set her newest series right in the heart of the French Quarter, and the first book, Darkwater Secrets, captures all the sights, smells, and tastes of New Orleans. The novel is a wonderful combo of mystery and suspense, romance and drama as good as a seafood gumbo. I give this book a recommended rating.
While the setting is so very satisfying — carnival season with scenes at the St. Louis cemetery, Cafe du Monde, and St. Louis Cathedral — I really, really liked the characters. At the center of the novel is Adelaide Fountaine, general manager of the historic (but fictional) Darkwater Inn. She along with junior hotel owner Dimitri Pampalon and Detective Beau Savoie fuel the story. Along with a murder, there are secrets galore — everyone seems to be hiding something. Add to the mix some voodoo and real life struggles, and you have an intriguing plot. The novel has a definite Christian worldview, yet only one character really lives out his faith. I found this very realistic. Within the faith thread is the complex issues of justice and revenge. At the heart is the question of whether real justice can be achieved and whether people can take that into their own hands when the system fails. I thought the author handled the argument expertly. The story certainly made me think.
Darkwater Secrets was a page turner. Don’t be surprised if you look at the clock to discover you’ve stayed up way too late! 😉 I think for those groups who enjoy intrigue and mystery, it is an excellent choice for a book club. Twisting and turning with plenty to discuss. The mystery is solved at the end of the novel, but there is plenty more to come. I am eagerly awaiting book 2. And for those of you who find themselves wishing for some of Dimitri’s delicious dishes, there is Recipes from The Darkwater Inn — free for Kindle. Yum!
Recommended.
Great for Book Clubs.
Audience: adults.
To purchase, click HERE.
(Thanks to Gilead Publishing and JustRead Book Tours for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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