The Accused

Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance #1

by Jana Deleon

After working as a cop in New Orleans, Carter Trahan is back in Mystere Parish, where his latest assignment seems like a joke: making sure Alaina LeBeau lives in her childhood home for two weeks to comply with her mother's will. But soon the sexy sheriff isn't laughing. Someone or something is stalking the beautiful defense lawyer, turning her once-grand mansion into a house of horrors.

But as he searches for the truth, Carter must face ghosts of his own past lurking in the bayou. Most troubling of all is his unprofessional attraction to the woman he's protecting, as Alaina's allure haunts him as no specter ever could...

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller, Harlequin

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won't find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico that you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water where Jana spent many hours reading books.

Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.

Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.

She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Oh, OH! I don't know why I took so long to start this series, because this book grabbed me from the very first page. Being a retired Probate/Trust Paralegal I just love a good will/estate plot with a wonderful mystery and romance with shades of paranormal. It is just my catnip. I love Jana Deleon and the Miss Fortune cozy-mystery series. This one is a winner for me too. I think I do know why it took so long to start this series - the awful original cover that Harliquinn has put on these books. Just hideous. The new covers are so much better. I try not to judge a book by its cover, but they aren't doing right by their authors with the awful covers. Rant over. One last thing, I'm not happy with the ending, but everything else was great. I hope the next two books end in a more believable way.

Alaina LeBeau has been dissatisfied with her job at the most prestigious law firm in Baton Rouge, LA, for a while and when she is passed over for partner because of the way a case she won turned out, she quits. On the heels of that she is notified that she needs to return to Calais in Mystere Parish and meet some unusual stipulations to receive her inheritance from her mother's estate. Alaina desperately wants to know what happened to her two younger sisters after her mother died when she was seven and her stepfather split them up and sent them away. The will says she has to live in the old mansion in the bayou for two consecutive weeks and that the local sheriff has to verify that she meets this requirement on a daily basis. She is willing to do this, but the creepy old place is not what she expected, nor are the ghostly happenings. But it is the human trespasser that has her scared.

Carter Trahan left his job as a detective in New Orleans completely burned out. He finds the pace as Sheriff in Calais to be a little slow at times, but he knows he is making a difference to the people who live here. When he agrees to babysit the heiress, he figures it will not be that difficult a task. Then he meets the beautiful Alaina and the trouble she is stirring up is no joke. Carter takes very seriously his job to protect and serve and with the way he is drawn to Alaina and protecting her is so much more than a job.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining family listening 🎶😆🎧😮🎵

This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of three

She is a lawyer working at a law firm in Baton Rouge. Her step father dies and the will says she must spend fourteen days at the family estate. The sheriff is checking on her and the fun begins. The house is haunted and someone is trying to kill her. It all comes to a happy ending.

I would recommend this series and author to readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 🎶😎🏠🤔🎵 2024 👒😮

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in the Mystere Parish:Family Inheritance series by Jana Deleon. Alaina LeBeau quits her job and discovers she has an opportunity to inherit her childhood home if she manages to stay in the place for 2 full weeks. Her "babysitter" is Carter Trahan, the local sheriff.

It was a good read but leaves you hanging at the end. Phfttttttttttttttt!

[Elaine]

Finally got around to reading this one after getting book #2 from NetGalley earlier this year!
Yes, this is part of a series and this is book #1!

Alaina is a lawyer in Baton Rouge. She’s just been basically ‘set-up’ to take the fall on a big case… and she’s a lawyer in a big firm that was hoping for a promotion to partner… and instead got this. 😩

So she does what any self-respecting lawyer would do, and quits!

Right after that, she gets a phone call from her Mom’s lawyer. Her Mom passed when she was just a child… but remarried… and when she died, the stepdad sent the three girls away to be adopted! And then stayed in their home for years… becoming the town recluse. He has now died… and her Mom has stipulated in her will that the three girls must stay in the house for two weeks (each) in order to be qualified to get the payout…

So, being as she just gave up her job, she jumps at the chance… and goes to her old home. But when she gets there, she is surprised by an intruder! Only to find it is the sheriff who’s been tasked with checking in on the sisters, when they stay, to make sure they are really there for the whole time.

But then, a REAL intruder comes in next….
And somehow, they keep coming back… and she’s afraid that the case she was set up for might just be following her!
Especially since a young female intern that she works with was accosted, and is now in the hospital!

Oh, and did I mention that the house might be haunted?? Well, keep that in mind, as strange things keep happening!

This was sweet, and a bit scary, and I never guessed what was going on!!

#TheAccused by @JanaDeLeon and narrated nicely by @CarlyRobins.

4 bright, bold, scary, a bit ghostly… stars for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one has already been released, so look 👀 for it on shelves now! Thanks to my local library for the lend!

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alaina, Baton Rouge lawyer, and Sheriff Carter Trahan of Calais, LA head up this suspenseful tale.
The cover is great but I so do not see Alaina dressed like that !

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

I kept debating on how to rank this book. I finally decided 3 stars which might be unfair. I was left with two many questions that guilty party did not seem to fit. Now it is the start to a trilogy so maybe the answers will fit better when all three books are together. I guess I will have to see.

I really like Jana's mudbug series of books so I will want to read the next two books and see if they all fit together better.
Alaina has not been to her family home since she was seven and her mother died. Her stepfather sent her to one relative and her sisters to different relatives. She lost her mom and sisters at one time plus her home.
Alaina got passed over to make partner in her law firm because she won a case. The defendant then went out and murdered a little girl. (I thought defense attorneys were supposed to win) So she quit. That is when she got the letter from a lawyer stating that her stepfather had died and for her to receive the family money and home each of her sisters had to live in the house for two weeks.

Her stepfather never really left the mansion. Their is a care taker who is really old and can't climb the stairs. The estate is not in good condition.

Alaina plans to decide if she wants to continue being a lawyer or what does she want to do now. She wants to see her sisters.

Carter is the Sheriff and he is asked to check on Alaina each day for the two weeks. If she takes off even for one day the count as to start over. Carter thinks he sees someone in one of the upper floors but their is no evidence of anybody. He does not feel right about things at the mansion.

Someone is playing with Alaina and it is getting dangerous for her to stay alone in the house. So Carter plans to stay with her to protect her.
There is plenty of mystery surrounding Alaina and her family home. Lots of enemies who might want her harmed. There is a couple of love scenes that I skimmed over. I would say that this book is not meant to be read by itself but part of a series. There is a ghost.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it in return by Netgalley.
publication: July 23rd 2013 by Harlequin Intrigue 288 pages ISBN:0373747624

Description below taken off of Netgalley

USA TODAY bestselling author Jana DeLeon has a new trilogy-Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance
After working as a cop in New Orleans, Carter Trahan is back in Mystere Parish, where his latest assignment seems like a joke: making sure Alaina LeBeau lives in her childhood home for two weeks to comply with her mother's will. But soon the sexy sheriff isn't laughing. Someone-or something-is stalking the beautiful defense lawyer, turning her once-grand mansion into a house of horrors.

But as he searches for the truth, Carter must face ghosts of his own past lurking in the bayou. Most troubling of all is his unprofessional attraction to the woman he's protecting, as Alaina's allure haunts him as no specter ever could....

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but it just started really slow for me. Even then, the story seemed to drag in places. I will be interested to read the next two installments of this trilogy to see what happens with the other two sisters.

[Katie_la_geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this review and more visit my blog


The Accused was a really good thriller it managed to keep me guessing and at times majorly freak me out, but the romance let it down.

What The Accused does really well is scare the reader. This is not a horror but there were moments that were really tense and I was sitting in on the edge of my seat whilst reading. All of the dark scary moments happen in a spooky house full of hidden passage ways and entrances. It was a clever move from the author because everything felt safe until we were taken to that house then things got a little tense because you knew something was going to happen.

There was a little touch of the paranormal which was ok but not necessarily needed. I didn’t really feel like it added very much but it didn’t ruin the book either. The suspense/thriller aspects were enough to keep me on edge.

What was really great about The Accused was its ability to keep me guessing. I had no idea who the bad guy was until the end and it really managed to surprise me. Normally I am pretty good at guessing who the killer/bad guy is before the end but this time I was nowhere near.

The characters were both nice. Carter was a good guy and I liked the way he protected Alaina without being pushy. Alaina was strong but not stupid. She didn’t place herself in danger because she was stubborn or wanting to prove herself which is a pet peeve of mine.

My one issue with this book was the romance. It was alright and I thought Carter and Aliana were a good match but there was just no real pace or structure to it. The one sex scene was awkward and difficult. It was generic, short and to be honest should have not been in the book in the first place. It added nothing to the story or the romance.

The Accused it a good, spooky thriller that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would.



The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Dotti Elrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this author's "Ghost In-Law" series and I really like her writing style.

This is the first book of the "Family Inheritance" series.

Three sisters who were separated at a very early age by their step-father after their mother's death, now stand to inherit her estate. But before that can happen, all three sisters need to be found and they all have to spend two weeks living in the mansion their mother owned. In the very small town of Calais Louisiana.

The first sister is located and set to spend her two weeks alone in the house. Alaina LeBeau, has just left her job at a law firm in Baton Rouge. She was passed over for a promised promotion, and now she's had enough of the partners and for now law in general. So it's perfect timing that her mother's lawyer has contacted her about her inheritance. She has all the time in the world now to figure out what she wants to do with her career and her life.

Carter Trahan, is the small town sheriff of Calais. He is asked by a family friend to help over see the terms of a will. He needs to stop by the old family mansion of Ophelia LeBeau and make sure that her daughters are in residence every day for their two week stay.

The last thing Carter wants is to spend his time babysitting a city lawyer. But he soon changes his mind when he gets a look at Alaina. And when he finds out that trouble may have followed her from Baton Rouge to Calais. Someone has been hiding in the old house, and determined to see that Alaina does not complete her stay.

I liked the story. Twists and turns around every corner. Lots of red herrings, sending you in different directions. It was well written, and fast paced. I'll be looking for the second sisters story.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tell the story of Alaina who went back to her family home after being contacted by her family lawyer that her deceased mother’s will have left the family money to her and her two sisters. The only catch in the will is that she and her sisters are to stay in the house for two consecutive weeks but not necessary together within a year from the death of her stepfather. Alaina have just left the firm when she lost out her partnership to her colleague after losing a criminal suit case lead by her. The offer comes in on time and she is curious of being back to her family home after being deported by her stepfather at the age of seven to a relative’s home when her mother’s passed away and separated by her other sisters. There is also the prospect of a reunion with her long lost sister. Carter is the sheriff Of Calais town and he was asked to babysit Alaina by his mother during her 2 weeks staying in the house. He reluctantly agreed to it. On the day of her arrival, he thoughts he sees someone in one of the upper floor whom he thought is Alaina. And things start to happened and someone seems to be hiding in the old house and doesn’t want Alaina to fulfil her two weeks stay in the house.

I know that this book is the first book of the Family Inheritance series but there are too many questions leave unanswered. There are no mentions at all about whom the two remaining sisters are and their whereabout. I guess I will have to wait for the subsequent book to have the questions answer. Overall, the story plot is not as straight forward as it is. I like the way the author’s have actually make the reader to question the person behind the attack; i.e. is that someone from her previous case or someone from the town who doesn’t want her to be around?

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Her looks are not the problem."
"So there is a problem."
"The beautiful, cast-off daughter of an heiress turns up decades later after her evil stepfather's death to live in the big mansion of horrors, and you have to ask if there's a problem."

That sums up this book well. Except there are lot of problems. There's also the issue of the ghost that Alaina and the caretaker sees. This is not fully explained or resolved. It is book 1 in a trilogy so hopefully answers are provided in later books. There's also the big issue of Alaina's last case before she left the firm, which led her to lose a chance to be a partner in at her law firm. Finally, the problem of where Alaina's two sisters are. So many questions in a short book.

Romantic suspense books are always hard to grade because 1) you have to believe in the romance 2) the suspense/ mystery has to be satisfying.

The romance: Carter and Alaina are attracted to each other right at the start. I thought they jumped into bed a little quickly. However, I did like that the "I love you's" were not exchanged at the end. That would have felt very rushed. You know for a certain that's where they are heading though.

The suspense: I kinda knew where the trail would lead to but I didn't know all of the twists. Again the ghost was not resolved. Alaina and the caretaker have seen the ghost. What is the ghost doing haunting the house? Is the ghost trying to tell them something?

Although it is a 3 star read/ average book, I will be reading the rest of the trilogy to see how the author resolves the mystery of the ghost/ mansion/ sisters/ inheritance.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

[Alexander Petkovski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Accused is the first book in the Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance trilogy.

Alaina De Leon is one of the three sisters in De Leon family. After the death of her evil stepfather, Alaina must go to her hometown and stay in their bayou for two weeks in order to claim her late mother's inheritance. She goes there and she meets Carter. He is a cop and responsible for Alaina's safety.
An instant affection between them happens. From the start Alaina doesn't feel safe in the house that has many secret passageways. She suspects that she is being followed. The question is the person following her alive of dead?

The story was good and the characters were average. I didn't like Alaina. It felt like she was afraid of her own shadow all the time. Carter was good. My favorite character was Willa, Carter's mother. I liked Carter's and Willa's close relationship.
After all, this book was enjoyable, although very predictable.
Will be checking the next two in the series The Betrayed and The Reunion.

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Deleon’s romantic suspense novel, after years of working as a cop in New Orleans, Carter Trahan chucks the city life and returns to Mystere Parish where he takes on the role of sheriff. His assignment: make sure Alaina LeBeau lives in her childhood home for two consecutive weeks to comply with her mother’s will. To Carter, this is a joke. But it doesn’t take long for his laughter to die as he realizes the currently unemployed attorney has gained a stalker. As the assailant turns Alaina’s family mansion into an unsafe haven, Carter must face his own demons. At the top of that list: his unprofessional attraction to Alaina.

A fast-paced, exceptional debut to the Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance series.

[Jeff Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jana Deleon's Miss Fortune and Shaye Archer mysteries, so was looking forward to reading this new series by a favorite author. The main character, Alaina LeBeau, inherits her mother's estate under the condition that she and her sisters each spend two weeks in the family home, which is a spooky old mansion. This book is 50% romance novel, 30% mystery and 20% ghost story. It is an entertaining read, but I would have preferred more mystery and less romance novel.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced intriguing read. It rates 4.5 stars. While waiting in a doctor's office, I downloaded this book based on the recommendation of someone I met there. First time reading this author (it's always fun to discover someone new). Strange setting (spooky mansion) but quite timely for Halloween. This story kept me guessing until the end. Isn't that the mark of a good mystery?

[Bob Schriever · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy her books but this one seemed rushed at best. There could have been a better build-up to the all too convenient ending. Also, what's with the 2 main characters falling for each other almost immediately? A little too much romance novel, not enough paranormal or character development. She also seems to have a thing for sherrifs named Carter.

[bookbabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several books by this author and enjoyed the vast majority. This one started out with intrigue, but the ending felt rushed. Things were not explained as to how the killer was able to access the house though it was mentioned multiple times that searches failed to reveal any point of entry. The killer was easy to determine halfway through the book.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery

I liked the mysterious storyline although the will was bizarre and I'm not sure legal really, but a good read. Carter and Alaina's relationship sure developed quickly.
I was surprised by the villain but wasn't happy with the ending, it really didn't explain the things that happened at the mansion. Although a very small group I liked the characters.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for all three books in this series: all three books were a fast and enjoyable read. The series plotline was well done, the plot line for each book was a bit contrived at times. All in all a nice series.

[Larae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh

I've read better Jana DeLeon. ...I was disappointed by her use of language in an instance where the character Alaina states she is the "odd man" out. Odd one out would have been better. O And how did Everett know the ins and outs of the house. Not smooth

[Katie Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary

Lots of plot twists and potential bad guys, coupled with a spooky house made this more scary than I like.
I love the Louisiana Long shot series because Ida Belle and Bertie break up the scariness. Time to watch the news for real scariness

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

cant wait to read the others! Ms jana is teaching me patience's. I don't think to can write fast enough for me! lol

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good little mystery.

[Betsy Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and the romance, but the suspense plot had some holes in it.

[TLBL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help but rate Jana Deleon books high. The stories are always good.

[Grace Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing

[charmaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

A really good 👍read,whatcha you from the very first word and doesn't let go until the very end.Can't wait to read the next two books.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 3 out of 5]

x-rated. Cop Carter feels chemistry with defense attorney Alaina, first of 3 sisters to stay 2 weeks required by mother's will, in old mansion haunted by ghosts and vengeful-minded from

[Steff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars

[Dorothy Vandezande · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was easy to figure out and wrapped up so abruptly. 2.5 stars