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Hellfire & Holy Water: The Seven Deadly Sins
Hell Fire & Holy Water is a Southern Gothic psychological crime thriller that explores the aftermath of a brutal attack on friends left for dead and bound by violence, silence, and betrayal. Years later, one remembers everything—the other—nothing.
Baby is rage, raw and righteous. She’s never forgotten what was done to them and has quietly plotted revenge. Sister, on the other hand, has buried the past so deeply she’s convinced herself it never happened. She’s tried to move on—but nothing about her has ever been normal, not since that night.
When the body of a young teen, Mia Ward, is found in the rust-dark waters of L’eau Rouge Bayou, retired British intelligence officer–turned–small-town sheriff Alister McTavish calls in his old team. Mia is the youngest victim yet, and her death rips open old wounds in the town of Baptiste. When one of their own goes missing, the stakes are raised—and so is the need for someone who understands how predators think—that someone is Sister.
Having abandoned her old life, the former holy Sister swore she’d never return to Louisiana. Now working as a private contractor, she returns to face a killer who’s been hunting for far too long. But things get complicated when Baby comes home too—and she’s bringing hellfire with her. Baby wants blood. She wants revenge for the murders that started in 1998. And she’s not afraid of adding to the body count.
As a new string of killings mirrors the violence of their past, both women are pulled into the investigation—one seeking answers, the other seeking vengeance. In a landscape of decaying churches, corrupt lawmen, and generational rot, they’ll confront the truth about who hurt them… and who they’ve become since.
Baby is rage, raw and righteous. She’s never forgotten what was done to them and has quietly plotted revenge. Sister, on the other hand, has buried the past so deeply she’s convinced herself it never happened. She’s tried to move on—but nothing about her has ever been normal, not since that night.
When the body of a young teen, Mia Ward, is found in the rust-dark waters of L’eau Rouge Bayou, retired British intelligence officer–turned–small-town sheriff Alister McTavish calls in his old team. Mia is the youngest victim yet, and her death rips open old wounds in the town of Baptiste. When one of their own goes missing, the stakes are raised—and so is the need for someone who understands how predators think—that someone is Sister.
Having abandoned her old life, the former holy Sister swore she’d never return to Louisiana. Now working as a private contractor, she returns to face a killer who’s been hunting for far too long. But things get complicated when Baby comes home too—and she’s bringing hellfire with her. Baby wants blood. She wants revenge for the murders that started in 1998. And she’s not afraid of adding to the body count.
As a new string of killings mirrors the violence of their past, both women are pulled into the investigation—one seeking answers, the other seeking vengeance. In a landscape of decaying churches, corrupt lawmen, and generational rot, they’ll confront the truth about who hurt them… and who they’ve become since.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 22, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 27, 2026
I will start this review off by saying please check your trigger warnings before starting this book. This is a souther gothic psychological thriller that will have you in so many emotions from start to finish. A brutal attack that leaves friends for dead. One remembers nothing and one remembers everything. When the body of another young girl turns up, the search is on to find out who is responsible and there’s really only one person that can help solve this case, sister. Sister swore she would never return to the town that left so much trauma on her mind, body, and soul but here she is to face the killer that left her for dead. Things get tricky though because Baby comes back as well, she wants revenge from all those years ago and she’s not against adding to the amount of dead bodies that have been left behind. This book will rock you to your core and make you question whether or not you will be one seeking answers or seeking revenge right along with them.
December 5, 2025
Hell Fire or Holy Water. Which would you be to get your vengeance So good! Love this book!
February 9, 2026
WOW!!!
Jonie Nikole's Hellfire & Holy
Water is a Southern Gothic
masterpiece. I love the dual timeline and the fact that there are two compelling protagonists…one a rage-filled survivor and, two a traumatized former nun. This is gripping story of revenge, secrets, and a killer in the Louisiana Bayou. The ending…just wow…a huge knockout that leaves you desperately wanting more!
Jonie Nikole's Hellfire & Holy
Water is a Southern Gothic
masterpiece. I love the dual timeline and the fact that there are two compelling protagonists…one a rage-filled survivor and, two a traumatized former nun. This is gripping story of revenge, secrets, and a killer in the Louisiana Bayou. The ending…just wow…a huge knockout that leaves you desperately wanting more!
August 3, 2025
Good book
Good book...love how the last chapters bring it all together...but keeps you wanting more. Can't wait for the next book!!
Good book...love how the last chapters bring it all together...but keeps you wanting more. Can't wait for the next book!!
February 24, 2026
I just finished Hellfire & Holy Water and was hooked from the very beginning. From the first chapters, I felt pulled into the lives of Baby and Sister and the complicated history that ties them together. There’s an undercurrent of tension that runs through the entire story, especially as the past begins to surface and a tragedy in the bayou forces old wounds back into the light.
What I appreciated most was how invested I became in the characters. They feel layered and real, shaped by trauma, loyalty, anger, and love in ways that aren’t simple or predictable. I found myself wanting to understand not just what happened, but how it shaped who they are now.
This is the second book I’ve read by Jonie Nikole, and she truly has a gift for telling intense, emotionally compelling stories without losing the heart at the center of them. She writes in a way that keeps you turning pages, but also makes you pause and sit with what you’ve read. I’m already looking forward to whatever she writes next.
What I appreciated most was how invested I became in the characters. They feel layered and real, shaped by trauma, loyalty, anger, and love in ways that aren’t simple or predictable. I found myself wanting to understand not just what happened, but how it shaped who they are now.
This is the second book I’ve read by Jonie Nikole, and she truly has a gift for telling intense, emotionally compelling stories without losing the heart at the center of them. She writes in a way that keeps you turning pages, but also makes you pause and sit with what you’ve read. I’m already looking forward to whatever she writes next.
March 16, 2026
Hell Fire & Holy Water pulled me into a dark, haunting world from the very first chapter. The Southern Gothic atmosphere is vivid, and the tension surrounding Baby and Sister kept me completely invested. I loved how the story explores trauma, memory, and revenge while slowly revealing the truth behind the brutal attack that shaped their lives. The mystery surrounding Mia Ward’s death and the twisted secrets of Baptiste made the plot even more gripping. The characters feel complex and real, especially the contrast between Baby’s rage and Sister’s buried past. Readers reviewing this book should mention the suspenseful plot, the emotional depth of the characters, and the eerie small‑town setting.
January 23, 2026
Great read. Keeps you thinking. Everything comes together at the end. Can't wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews