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Celina Payne is plunged into a nightmarish world when her boss, Errol Petrie, dies in a scandalous situation and Petrie's business partner, Jack Charbonnet, is convinced that she is hiding something, and as they search for the truth, passion flares between them and an unimaginable evil threatens toTags
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A very rough attempt at romantic suspense by popular romance writer Stella Cameron. Errol Petrie, philanthropist and former addict is found murdered in his French Quarter apartment. His employee and former Miss Louisiana, Celina Payne and his partner and who is the son of a murdered gangster find the body. The police don't seem to be doing much investigating, so Celina and Jack try to figure some things out on their own, while Celina fends off unwanted advances from a smarmy senate candidate and Jack tries to get revenge for the murders of his parents which he witnessed when he was 10 years old. Whew! All these storylines are connected, of course, and much is told instead of shown, mostly in a heavyhanded way, like when Celina's mom's show more eyes kinda remind Jack of how his own mother's eyes looked on the day she was killed. The sexy parts are done well, which is Cameron's strength, but everything else feels a little uneven and frequently forced. The idea is good, and the loose ends are tied up, but the ending is a little anti-climactic and obvious. Points for earnestness. Hopefully, Cameron is able to hit a stride and write more naturally, as there are nine more books in this "Bayou Series" and I'm planning to read them all. show less
The story began well, with a nail-biting murder mystery. But the story got cluttered and confusing when more people and plots were introduced. One got the impression that the author got carried away adding to the story but never quite regained control.
First book that introduces Father Cyrus and the background for the Touissant bayou books.
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96+ Works 5,368 Members
Stella Cameron was born and raised on the southern coast of England where she met her American husband at a party in London. After their marriage, she left England and went with husband Jerry to Washington State to make a home and raise a family. Like many authors, Stella began her literary career as a reader. As a young girl, Stella was a show more self-professed reading "addict", devouring all types of literature. She learned very early to retreat from the demands of others into a gentler world -- her own. As a child and a young adult, books saved her because they helped free her while they entertained her. Her love of reading always went side-by-side with her love of writing. Nineteenth-century author Jane Austen was a particular favorite, and Stella admits that she particularly enjoys reading and writing books set in the 1800s, as well as contemporary novels. In 1980, Stella decided she wanted to write professionally. She attended writing classes and wrote short literary fiction for a year. It was during this period that Stella discovered how well-written and intense romantic fiction could be. Using her newly acquired writing skills, she began to write contemporary romantic fiction for Harlequin Americans and Intrigues. After several years, she moved up to Harlequin SuperRomances. In 1992, she made the switch to single titles with her first historical, Only By Your Touch. She has also authored a series entitled Rossmara Quartet along with several other romance titles. Stella Cameron sees herself as an entertainer and historian who adds her perspective to contemporary values through writing. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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