C.L. Bevill

Veiled Eyes C.L. Bevill – An atmospheric, wonderful tale

Louisiana is, in her heart, a mystical, magical land. In the bayous, where government and politics hold little sway, the real beating heart of the land resides. Here, the songs of her blood sing out in the voices of the birds, the roar of an alligator, the sound of the wind in the leaves. Her skin is this land of water and warm air, her hair the Spanish moss, growing lushly from the limbs of cypress trees rising full and strong from show more the bayous. She breathes the scent of water and growth, flowers and fecundity. And in this land of age and history, even the people of the lands are strange and wonderful in their own way – and some are frightening beyond all reason. For bad reasons, but for what they consider good ones too. Frightening.

Anna St. Thais knows nothing of this land, or its people. Abandoned on the doorsteps of a church in El Paso when only a few weeks old, Anna is alone her whole life, battered from pillar to post, from orphanage to foster home. Life has never been easy, and her luck has never been good. However, she has always had a ‘little friend’ living in the back of her head, helping her to make decisions, warning her of danger. And a voice in her head that visits her on occasion, sneaking into her dreams and touching her heart.

When we first meet Anna, she is hitchhiking across the country, trying to reach New Orleans where her foster home friend, Jane, has offered her a new job and a new home. It’s tough to keep your job as a car mechanic when the bosses jerk-off son drops a car hood on your hand to try to take your job away and give it to his just as jerk-off friend. And, with her usual string of bad luck in full force, she is mugged, robbed, had her car taken – and she hasn’t even made it all the way across Texas yet. Forced into hitchhiking, her ‘little friend’ in her head, that usually protects her from making bad choices when it comes to trust, checks out and leaves here alone. Alone, to accept a ride from a psychotic.

Terrified, drugged and in pain, the presence is back with a vengeance, determined to rescue Anna, whether she believes the presence exists or not. What follows is a story of mysticism and history, of stories and family. This is a beautifully written story, blending the voice of the Lake with French Cajun patois, with a smoothness and depth that draws in the reader and soothes the soul.

This is a fantasy, but it is much more. It is a tale of history and belief, of stories and hope. The people Anna comes to know, her unknown family, are a family in truth – a group of people bound by blood and belief, and by an incredible talent that turns their face from the world.

You can’t love every person in a tale, but as a whole, these people I truly loved. They are close and caring, determined to protect their family and their way of life. The story is complex and richly written, and draws in the discerning reader immediately. There were some issues that were a bit confusing, when it came to the italics used for mind-to-mind communications, however, I am not sure that those problems weren’t due to formatting for Kindle. I have seen that sort of thing often. Otherwise? I fell into the book to the point that I could nearly feel the breeze off the bayou against my skin. It was wonderful, lush and rich as a bite of pecan praline.

Highly recommended. show less

The Bubba Snoddy books thus far have been a romp and this is no exception. There's a murder mystery festival and bodies are dropping left and right. Fortunately all but one (maybe, unless he was playing dead) are for the visitors all to solve (check out the terrible punny names the "dead" people have). But this book's focus is on an old note that Bubba finds in a truck part box. Of course, a gentleman must heed this cry for help, even if the unfortunate soul is probably long ago dead.

I show more laughed throughout this silliness. The mystery is good, but the characters are why I read this series. I think the series can be summed up by Willodean's words in this novel: “Things happen to Bubba. We should put that on the sign into the county. Things happen to Bubba, the county’s motto. ‘Visit Pegram County Where Stuff Happens to Bubba.’”

If you like your mysteries with a dose of humor, this series is for you. show less

Bubba and Willodean's wedding day is finally here and everyone is invited! The wedding planner is running the show, the guests are arriving at the Snoddy Mansion for a lavish breakfast - with mimosas - and all is on track. Bubba is excited, but worried. His luck has been pretty bad lately, especially when it comes to discovering dead bodies. Considering they are only hours away from the nuptials a dead body is almost guaranteed to show up.

Determined to make this day the best possible for show more Willodean, Bubba is going to use the power of positive thinking. He's not going to say, or even think the words dead body. No self-fulfilling prophesies here, no sir! So imagine his dismay when the phones stop working, the tv/cable service goes out, and everyone seems to be acting like they're hiding something.

This book is a riot! Hands down the funniest of the series since Bubba and the Twelve Deadly Days of Christmas! I loved every minute of it! These books are perfect for those times when I need a laugh or want a small town story with zany characters. I absolutely adore Ms. Bevill's comedic style and the Southern inflection adds just the right amount of redneck flair without going overboard. The characters grow on you like good neighbors. Even the meddling ones have their hearts in the right place. If it were possible, I would add a visit to Pegramville and digging for gold at the Snoddy Estate to my Bucket List!

If you've never heard of this series, but love cozy mysteries, definitely check out these books. show less

Ah...I so enjoy this series. I found Ms. Bevill's work a few years back while still in my Indie reading phase. She's one of several Indie authors I still follow as she captured my attention with her stories. Death Twitches is the fourth...and very eagerly awaited...installment of the Lake People Series. While [b:Disembodied Bones|21646575|Disembodied Bones|C.L. Bevill|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415237915s/21646575.jpg|14313340] remains my favorite to date, I enjoyed meeting new members show more of La Famille and seeing what trouble they were into this time.

There are plenty of characters here that you'll love to hate, but the secondary character that stood out to me is actually a good guy. Joey was a riot. Regardless of where we were in the story, he put a smile on my face!

Mila, our heroine, is a strong and independent young woman, yet very likable. You won't find a TSTL heroine in a Bevill book - at least I haven't yet. Mila's mother has a severe drug addiction, so it's up to our young heroine to support the family (which includes a younger brother). She does this by using her psychic gift and playing poker. Of course, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Enter Rousseau, one of the Lake People from Unknown, Louisiana. He's a likable guy who is fresh out of college and still not quite sure what he plans to do with his future. He's "heard" Mila for years, but when the volume suddenly cranks up, it's time to find her. Mila's life depends on it.

This series isn't your typical paranormal mystery with vampires or zombies, which is just one reason I'm drawn to it. The supernatural elements are more subtle. They don't dominate the story or the characters, but compliment them. I also really enjoy how Ms. Bevill weaves events from previous stories into this plot. You don't have to read those books first to understand this one and this book won't ruin those stories for you; however, if you're up to date on the series you'll get an extra punch of enjoyment. I personally loved it! Especially considering two of my favorite couples make appearances.

The pacing was good and there is always a sense of urgency. The book really takes off fast and when I reached the peak, I was flying through my virtual e-pages like a mad woman. I have to say, when it comes to creating places for her big scenes, Bevill's mind is a wicked scary place. You'll just have to read the book on that one. Personally, I still have nightmares about the house in Part I of Disembodied Bones. She knows her stuff and can write thrilling suspense scenes with the best of them! There are a few typos here and there, but I really didn't care since I'm invested in the series. It's hard enough to self-publish without the grammar police on your case.

I highly recommend giving this series a try! show less