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A man undercover must reveal the truth in the swamps in the continuation of USA TODAY bestselling author Jana DeLeon's Mystere Family Inheritance. 

One day on the job and contractor Zach Sargent is ready to believe the dilapidated old LeBeau mansion is haunted. Some intruder—earthly or not—is threatening the youngest LeBeau sister, back to claim her inheritance. And though Danae keeps her distance from the sexy hired hand, he falls for her in a heartbeat. 

Like Danae, Zach has come back to Calais in need of answers to troubling questions about the LeBeau family past. But Danae must never know who he really is and he can't let his attraction to her stop his search…or else a decades-old evil will claim a new victim.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

342 people are currently reading
448 people want to read

About the author

Jana Deleon

102 books4,228 followers
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.

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5 stars
865 (59%)
4 stars
387 (26%)
3 stars
176 (12%)
2 stars
23 (1%)
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5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Anita.
2,647 reviews218 followers
July 9, 2023
Derelict old mansions always give off a gothic vibe, to me at least. Toss in a rumored ghost and you get a spooky element too. Our hero, Zach Sargent, is searching for the reason his father rambled on uneasily about the LeBeau mansion before his death. The heroine, Danae, came to town under a false ID and is actually the youngest of the three missing daughters who are heir to the LeBeau mansion and fortune. Someone is trying to stop Danae from finding the answers she seeks as to why her stepfather separated the girls and sent them away after the death of their mother.

Good plot and good resolution to this particular issue of the story arc. But not all questions were answered because one of the daughters has yet to be found and the total story has yet to be told.
6,726 reviews5 followers
October 25, 2024
Entertaining relationship listening

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book two of three

It turns out the new waitress is one of the missing sisters. She moves into the estate. The lawyer has hired a repair man. They develop a relationship. The sheriff finds all kinds of information leading to the truth and a happy ending 😆.

I would recommend this series and author to readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 2024 👒🎎
Profile Image for Debbie Heaton.
Author 4 books20 followers
September 18, 2013
In DeLeon’s romantic suspense novel, contractor Zach Sargent is ready to declare ghosts exist after just one day on the job restoring the old LeBeau mansion. An intruder is threatening Danae LeBeau who has returned to claim her inheritance while other unexplained incidents happen around them as well. Danae is determined to stick out the required two weeks on the estate while investigating her mother’s death when she was only two-years-old. Zach is secretly investigating his father’s connection to the LeBeau family after a death bed declaration of, “I’m sorry.” To find the answers they both seek, they must put their secrets aside or allow a decades-old evil to claim another innocent victim.

Fast-paced, action-packed, awesome addition to the Mystere Parish: Family Inheritance series.


Profile Image for Dorel.
4,340 reviews38 followers
August 30, 2024
This is the 2nd book I read by Jana Deleon. This book's storyline was okay. I liked the hot 🔥 steamy scenes. I liked Danae's character. Zach's character was okay. I liked the ending.
Profile Image for Marcella.
368 reviews3 followers
December 6, 2015
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.
Profile Image for Heather Cluskey.
22 reviews3 followers
January 9, 2014
Was fairly annoyed that Itunes had book 1 and 3 of this series, but not this book. Found it on Amazon.
79 reviews
July 31, 2021
This one was so much better than book #1 The accused! On to #3!
Profile Image for Susan.
4,806 reviews125 followers
July 15, 2024
Good continuation of the series. In this book, it is the youngest daughter's turn to claim her inheritance by staying on the mansion's property for two weeks. Everyone hopes that the problems in book one (The Accused) have been resolved and that it will be uneventful. Alas, that is not the case. This book is full of secrets - some will be exposed, and others will not.

Danae got the short end of the stick when her stepfather gave her to a relative to raise. The woman was a drunk and an addict, and Danae's childhood was miserable. When her foster mother died, Danae was only fifteen and spent the next several years on the streets. That experience made it difficult for her to trust anyone. She came to Calais to learn more about her family but did so under an assumed name. After she received an anonymous note saying someone knew who she was, Danae revealed her identity to Alaina and the lawyer and began her claim. But strange happenings make it clear that someone doesn't want their secrets exposed.

Zach was hired to do some renovations on the mansion. No one knows that he has personal reasons for being there. A deathbed semi-confession by Zach's father has him searching for the connection between the two families.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Danae and Zach. Danae is wary and slow to trust most people, but something about Zach says she can trust him. While she cherishes her independence, she also appreciates his help. Zach is attracted to Danae but tries to resist because of his secret. But he can't deny his need to protect her when she is in danger. I liked watching them grow closer as they worked together to find answers. Ultimately, the secrets were less important than their feelings for each other.

The suspense was excellent. I was almost as invested in Danae's search as she was, curious to discover the truth about the mysterious payments. The deeper into the search she got, the more it became apparent that someone was determined to stop her. I was on the edge of my seat during the final confrontation, which had a twist that shocked everyone. The epilogue was a good wrap-up to this book and lead-in to the next with a surprise request.
324 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2025
Gotta Love Every DeLeon Novel

Jana DeLeon has a knack for writing the very best stories! I haven't read one that wasn't outstanding. In this novel the second LeBeau sister has completed the mandatory two week stay on the LeBeau estate that is required by their late mother's will in order for them to inherit. Denae LeBeau, the youngest of the three siblings, was only two when her mother died and her stepfather shipped her off to live with a relative she knew nothing about. Trenton Purcell, Danae's stepfather, made sure each of the three sisters went somewhere different and allowed no contact so they couldn't find each other. However, it turned out Ophelia LeBeau had an ironclad will and Purcell couldn't inherit. Grab this novel to discover the why's and wherefore's and see what happens when Danea is supposed to start her two week stay. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Melinda.
650 reviews11 followers
February 10, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised by the second book of this series. I found that in this book more mysteries and questions are answered compared to book one. Especially when we find out more about the step-father and his mysterious past, plus we are this much closer to finding out why the girls' mother appears every now and then.

Danae has had a rough childhood. It is due to this that she is very secretive and protective of herself, but she definitely feels a connection with her older sister. Zach is in town posing as a contractor for his own reasons, yet he cannot help but feel a chemistry with Danae. Everyone has their secrets, but can they uncover enough secrets to keep from something bad happening to another of the LeBeau sisters?
591 reviews
May 29, 2024
Never Try to Hide Your Secrets

Danae and Zach both had secrets they wanted to hide, Zach from what his father may have done, and Danae the past of the woman that raised her until 15yr old. Something kept drawing her back to Louisanna never really knowing that was home. Dance had to raise herself on the streets from the age of fifteen and so had become proficient in reading people. Once the two met up and spent time together the magnetic pull between them was too strong to ignore. The evil havoc thier stepfather continued even after his death. Excellent story progression and developement making this a worthy five star
941 reviews8 followers
August 25, 2021
What a Mystery

We find out a whole lot more about the evil step dad. Danae is the youngest sister to spend 2 weeks at the property. She meets Zach. Two sisters down; one more to go. Some mysteries appear solved but questions remain. Love Jana DeLeon's writing. This series is a lot more serious than the last series I read with the ex-CIA officer and the 2 older ladies. Highly recommend those books, too. Enjoy the creative concept and the creative writing.
1,221 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2025
Sister #2 is "found" and begins to take her place in the story. Danae meets Zach - a contractor to work on the house - and the supernatural and human threats noted in Book 1 continue. Additional information about both their mother and stepfather are unveiled as both Danae and Alaina (book 1 fmc) with their partners continue to search for reasons behind their mother's death and the overall estate. There are still a few mysteries to solve and sister #3 to locate.
50 reviews
January 22, 2023
Another Great Mystery from Jane DeLeon

This was another great little mystery from Jana. It kept me busy turning the pages and trying to figure out the mystery.

I was so surprised she used a couple of names which were in the Miss Fortune series. Maybe I need to read Book 1 of Mystery Parish series!
Profile Image for Tia Lappe.
172 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2021
Yes! Finally a really good book to break my streak of awful books. Loved the characters and the plot. This story had me guessing till the end. Definitely looking forward to the next one in the story. The only negative is how quickly the romance went from meeting each other to "I love yous".
Profile Image for Sandra Mason.
37 reviews
November 12, 2021
The mystery continues!

Good read! Mystery, action, thriller with the added bonus of romance! Looking forward to the next book! I love deep thrillers, but sometimes it's nice to slow down just a little!
663 reviews
January 25, 2022
Great series. This second book focused on the youngest sister who was only 2 when the mother died and has a lot of questions and was looking for memories. This book started answering questions and slowing doling out information to help fill in the pieces. Can’t wait to grab book 3.
Profile Image for Mary Rowe.
2,618 reviews8 followers
November 25, 2024
the saga continues

A second sister-heir emerges, as the mystery of their mother, their late stepfather, and the curious matter of ghosts, secret passages and family secrets are explored.
1,833 reviews4 followers
March 23, 2019
Great 👍Read

This story was just as good as the first one.Mystery,suspense and thrills,along with a whole lot of action.I'm ready to start reading the last book in this series.
475 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2019
MIDDLE!!!

Like many trilogies, the middle book was not as suspenseful as the first one. It was a good story, but not up to her usual standards.
4 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2019
Loved it as I do all of Jana's books

Love Jana's books. They are all great reads. You can't go wrong with any of her series. You won't be able to out it down.
7 reviews
October 26, 2021
Great Suspense, Mystery

Good characters, leaves you in suspense of the bad character until the end...
Brings the unexpected character to the rescue.
Profile Image for ROBBIE GORUM.
10 reviews
November 9, 2021
Not your norm

Held my attention, a different storyline, twists and turns. Draws you into it, making you want to holler at the players.
Profile Image for Tina.
780 reviews1 follower
December 23, 2021
really good book and series... started The Reunion right after finishing The Betrayed.
57 reviews3 followers
December 7, 2022
Absolutely Wonderful Book!

This is book 2 in this series. These books just keep getting better. I could not put this book down.
Profile Image for Janet Epperson.
522 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2023
Wow this book was awesome. Great mystery taking place in a spooky house. Romance . Great characters kept me guessing till the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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