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Bayou #1
French Quarter
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 to destroy them both. Reprint.
445 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
28 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Stella Cameron
106 books420 followersStella Cameron is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author. With over fourteen million copies of her books in print, Cameron is now turning her pen to mysteries and independently publishing COLD, Introducing Alex Duggins. She draws on her English background for this new, already critically acclaimed mystery series. Atmospheric, deeply character and relationship driven, COLD reveals the power of old secrets to twist the present. Cameron’s reputation for using her backgrounds to add tension and allure to her stories is heightened again.
Cameron is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington with her husband Jerry, her Papillon Millie, black cat Zipper, and a cheeky little tabby named Jack.
Cameron is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington with her husband Jerry, her Papillon Millie, black cat Zipper, and a cheeky little tabby named Jack.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 30, 2019
What an incredibly boring book. How can a book about "murder, high society, politics, the mob, family sagas, adultery, blackmail", rape be this utterly boring is beyond me. (quoting Anna)
It's a totally loose plot, after 20 chapters it still hadn't decided what it wanted to say. It meanders along and the author throws everything and the kitchen sink in it.
There's this paranoid, conspiracy feelings that's not backed by anything or at least seems totally fake.
I wanted a sacrificial blade and 5 minutes with the characters to improve it.
I didn't find any emphaty with the FMC, on the contrary I had quite a few problems with such a scaredy mouse mostly because I couldn't understand why she's so scared.
When I realized that there were other 20 chapters to the end I gave up. I couldn't find it in me to suffer
It's a totally loose plot, after 20 chapters it still hadn't decided what it wanted to say. It meanders along and the author throws everything and the kitchen sink in it.
There's this paranoid, conspiracy feelings that's not backed by anything or at least seems totally fake.
I wanted a sacrificial blade and 5 minutes with the characters to improve it.
I didn't find any emphaty with the FMC, on the contrary I had quite a few problems with such a scaredy mouse mostly because I couldn't understand why she's so scared.
When I realized that there were other 20 chapters to the end I gave up. I couldn't find it in me to suffer
September 29, 2022
Worth more than 5stars
November 23, 2012
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, 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 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.
January 30, 2012
This is my fist book that I have read by this author (Stella Cameron) but it will not be my last. The story line has some twist and turns, some I knew the outcome but then others and I had no clue. It seems that all the character had a secret to tell about either their past or what they knew. The writing style, it had me turning the pages to find out more about each character. I do not want to ruin any of the story plots, so I am keeping this very basic information. I can tell you this story is not a disappointment!!
December 3, 2011
Although it was better than Cypress Nights, it wasn't the most amazing book. The plot wasn't overly hard to follow, although it was complex with a lot of characters involved. I found that all these characters, and their intertwining was just too much, some characters had prior interactions that had no real play on anything. But despite this if one is really bored and in need of a quick, sort of mystery book, with a side of romance, I suppose you could read this.
January 22, 2009
This was a complex book w/ many layers--great, but not fast read. I felt like I got an interesting peek into the New Orleasn culture--something which is completely foreign to my way of life and upbringing. The book has mystery, romance, intrigue, the mob, dirty politicians yet doesn't get too cluttered.
September 24, 2023
(Vine Little Free Library & Pantry Gainesville, FL)
"Things you do once should be memorable."
Grabbed this from a Little Free Library because it was the only thing that seemed interesting - but starting it felt like starting a series in the middle. For some reason it was confusing to get into for me, like I never felt as connected to the characters and I always felt like I was missing something (and not just because it's a murder mystery).
I dunno, maybe that's just me - other readers didn't seem to have that problem. The premise here is interesting, and besides the murder, there's the mystery of the father of Celina's baby, so there's a lot going on to keep it interesting.
"Things you do once should be memorable."
Grabbed this from a Little Free Library because it was the only thing that seemed interesting - but starting it felt like starting a series in the middle. For some reason it was confusing to get into for me, like I never felt as connected to the characters and I always felt like I was missing something (and not just because it's a murder mystery).
I dunno, maybe that's just me - other readers didn't seem to have that problem. The premise here is interesting, and besides the murder, there's the mystery of the father of Celina's baby, so there's a lot going on to keep it interesting.
January 9, 2020
Quotable:
He smelled what he should have smelled before: liquor. He'd brought the remembered scent of gardenias muddled with beer into the house with him, then been vaguely aware of Celina's incongruously innocent lemony fragrance. The pungent odor of bourbon hadn't registered.
He smelled what he should have smelled before: liquor. He'd brought the remembered scent of gardenias muddled with beer into the house with him, then been vaguely aware of Celina's incongruously innocent lemony fragrance. The pungent odor of bourbon hadn't registered.
May 22, 2019
This was okay. I felt it was too rushed at the end, tying up loose ends. Will continue the series at some point.
November 27, 2025
Read this as my first ‘raunchy’ novel and found at a quaint used bookstore in a small town. Turns out…. It was more of a mystery.
November 27, 2012
I'm not much of a romance reader, but I was at the library with little time and desperate for something so I picked up this one. It actually had a decent plot line along with fairly well-developed characters.
I would have liked a little more about New Orleans, the culture, etc., which would have given the novel more mood and feeling of place, but perhaps I am asking too much of a romance novel. There were plenty of interesting characters beyond the two romantic interests.
The ending was a bit disappointing, as the plot line was solved more by serendipity than it was by either protagonist.
Still, the story maintained my interest and I read it through to the end. Most romance novels bore me after thirty pages as they appear to be all alike.
I would have liked a little more about New Orleans, the culture, etc., which would have given the novel more mood and feeling of place, but perhaps I am asking too much of a romance novel. There were plenty of interesting characters beyond the two romantic interests.
The ending was a bit disappointing, as the plot line was solved more by serendipity than it was by either protagonist.
Still, the story maintained my interest and I read it through to the end. Most romance novels bore me after thirty pages as they appear to be all alike.
April 29, 2015
I tried to read this book, but since I have lived my entire 50+ years in New Orleans, I could not get past the first few chapters. People that don't live here can never get the city correctly. Movies and books are usually a disappointment.
I can tell that Stella did not live here because she keeps referring to "ambulance" as an "aide car". I assume that is what it is called in England? That should not be in the book, and I stopped reading it, and probably will not go back to it.
I just finished Folly and enjoyed it, so I thought I would give another book a try, but this has honestly turned me off now. Sorry!
(I marked as "read" even though I did not finish this book. I don't know how to clear it off my shelf any other way.
I can tell that Stella did not live here because she keeps referring to "ambulance" as an "aide car". I assume that is what it is called in England? That should not be in the book, and I stopped reading it, and probably will not go back to it.
I just finished Folly and enjoyed it, so I thought I would give another book a try, but this has honestly turned me off now. Sorry!
(I marked as "read" even though I did not finish this book. I don't know how to clear it off my shelf any other way.
February 17, 2016
I got this book due to the title since we lived in the New Orleans area for years. It kept my interest although I wasn't expecting the sexy passages. There were some characters that were real pieces of work in this tale! There is one part where the author refers to the Lamars as "the most stunning couple in the county" when Louisiana actually has parishes, not counties. She does reference parishes in other places so maybe this was just an oversight?
There is a section early on in the book where a man is telling a lady he's worried about her because there's a murderer on the loose. Her response is great, "In New Orleans, one murderer on the loose would be good news." I laughed out loud!
There is a section early on in the book where a man is telling a lady he's worried about her because there's a murderer on the loose. Her response is great, "In New Orleans, one murderer on the loose would be good news." I laughed out loud!
April 24, 2008
This story explores the boundaries of family loyalty within both a nuclear family and a mafia family and does have a decent twist at its conclusion, but the overall content was weak. The ties to the Mob never fully emerged, the dysfunctional family was just idiotic and not particularly believable, the main character socializing with her rapist was distasteful and also unbelievable, and the sexual content veered toward trashy rather than provocative or romantic. The reader is never really able to connect with either of the main characters. This is not an author I am motivated to seek out again, even though she has written 45 books.
November 4, 2015
Murder in the French Quarter ... and things are not as they seem.
This book has all the elements for an interesting story: murder, high society, politics, the mob, family sagas, adultery, blackmail, a priest who seems to be questioning his vocation, and there's more. The story is so schizophrenic, the writer cannot seem to decide what kind of story she was writing and there are many contradictions in the course of it that are not explained.
In the end, this is a very mediocre story with many pieces that don't really fit together.
This book has all the elements for an interesting story: murder, high society, politics, the mob, family sagas, adultery, blackmail, a priest who seems to be questioning his vocation, and there's more. The story is so schizophrenic, the writer cannot seem to decide what kind of story she was writing and there are many contradictions in the course of it that are not explained.
In the end, this is a very mediocre story with many pieces that don't really fit together.
November 2, 2015
This is a beautiful love story with all the elements I crave - a sexy hero with an intriguing backstory steeped in death and gangster dealings, a strong heroine with controlling parents you just want to strangle, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. There is murder, gangsters and crooked politicians and a love story out of this world, all against the sultry backdrop of New Orleans. This is my second time reading this book actually - a true keeper.
August 29, 2008
I enjoyed this book as much for the setting as the story. Living in New Orleans at the time I was reading it meant I could not only visualize the French Quarter, but actually had it right at hand to wander in the streets and soak in the atmosphere. This book will stay in my library as a way of re-immersing myself in the French Quarter of New Orleans, a place truly like no other.
April 19, 2008
This is a great read from Stella Cameron. It sets in New Orleans during Mardi Gras with suspense and chills to keep you reading.
May 21, 2013
A basic love story. Very sweet.
September 7, 2013
This was an excellent book. Gripping mystery, great characters..Stella's writing has fallen off in later years, at least in my opinion, but this is when she was at the top of her game.
April 25, 2014
Good mystery/romance. Has some twists and turns to it.
May 23, 2015
It was good, but the best part was Amelia and F.P.!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews