A Grave Mistake

Bayou #5

by Stella Cameron

Dead: one ordinary man. Just the latest in a string of losers in the wrong place at the worst time. Not the kind of case to yank New Orleans homicide detective Guy Gautreaux back from his leave of absence in Toussaint, Louisiana.

There's someone in Toussaint Guy will do anything to protect. Jilly Gable is desperate to find the love of the family who abandoned her as a child. And when the wife of a powerful New Orleans antiques dealer and loan shark sweeps into town claiming to be her mother, Jilly is all too willing to love and forget.

Slowly and methodically, evil closes in on Jilly, and only the truth and Guy can save her. Connecting the dots between the Big Easy and Toussaint all but cinches his case, but Jilly and Guy are still in danger. They have only each other for protection.

But will that be enough?"

Genres: Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime

544 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Stella 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.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read up to page 114 hoping that it would get better. Regrettably, I found the main character highly unbelievable and whiny. I had hoped the mystery would start to reveal itself but sadly, the author focused on what to seems to be a doomed romance, which detracts from the story to begin with. This book is 515 pages long but reading just the 114 pages that I did makes me wonder how such a horribly written story would have been published at all.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it was just me, but I found the characters of Guy and Jilly…boring. Guy spent the majority of the story complaining that he always said the wrong thing. I didn’t see that anything he said throughout he book…was anything that anyone could construe as “wrong” …and he constantly worried that Jilly was upset or angry with him. I did enjoy the setting of the story and the descriptions of the Louisiana bayou and the mystery aspect was good and well carried through. I was slightly disappointed in the ending. I would rate it a slightly below average but certainly not terrible read.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Grave Mistake came highly recommended to me by a friend. She and I usually agree on books so I was surprised when I couldn't make it past chapter 5.

The back of the book sounds like the type of book I'd normally enjoy with the homicide of an unidentified man, a loan shark who's treatening one of the main characters and finally a confrontation of an unknown foe.

Unfortunately seventy pages in, nothing had happened except for long passages about Jilly Gable's insecurities and some sex scenes. The sex wasn't interesting enough to keep my attention. So I stopped reading not really sure what the book was about except that it takes place in Toussaint, Louisiana.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy this author, but this book just didn't do it for me. The suspense and storyline was fine, but there were too many oddball relationships to keep up with. Also, the dialogue was very awkward and stilted sounding. I'm sure this was because the characters were supposed to be having a hard time communicating, but even the self thought was painful.

[Barb]

Too many characters/sex/mob connection.

Grave Mistake to read this!

[Cheryl Doran-girard · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was almost pornographic, boring book (I had to push myself to finish it) masquerading as a mystery.

[Ayny · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Mufidah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's like watching a DVD that skips scenes.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mystery that I had figured out right from the beginning which is a first for me.
Jilly's mother comes back into her life after she abandoned her when she was a very young child. She is married to a very rich man who is part of the mob. He thinks he is Gods gift to women and he can have any woman he wants, no matter her age or if shes already married. He has is way with his sons wife and lavishes her with expensive gifts and his son doesnt even care, so now dear daddy has his sights set on Jilly. He starts to groom her and buys her expensive gifts witch she turns down. She owns a bakery in town and one day she goes to work and finds a bright pink Hummer with her Bakery name on the sides along with her picture, she is not amused and asks him to get rid of it.

I the mean time Guy is a Homicide detective that is taking time off from being a detective for awhile since his Fiance was murdered. He finds himself attracted to Jilly and he knows that she has feelings for him but he is fighting his feelings. He doesnt want to fall in love again. It hurt him to much when he lost his fiance.

When murders start happening and Jillys mom is almost killed then he starts to use his skills to dig into what is going on.

what I didnt like about this story is there were random characters that were thrown in, they were only mentioned in a paragraph and then never mentioned again. I felt like they didnt have to be mentioned. Other than that it was a good read that kept me interested through out.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to read it but couldn't get into it.

[Joy Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok but lots of strange relationships which was a bit over the top.

[Donna Covell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story line - a lot of characters - unique characters - part love story, part crime story.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice suspense for a few hours of reading. I didn't enjoy it as much as I do this author's other books.

[Happpy Flower · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads more like a soap opera than a detective story.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I got to say this was the best Stella Cameron book I've read so far. The mystery and suspense she writes into her plots are fantastic, her character's are realistic, and in this book she did a wonderful job of drawing me into the book and keeping me there until the end.

What I have learned.......I didn't know this was a series and ended up reading from new to old instead of the other way around in her books. Her earlier works are sooooo much better than recent. You can see her getting more and more ...well not desperate...but seeking ways to sell her books. She's gotton more and more into the perversions as her books come out as if she's run out of ideas and is just picking things at random almost. She would write in about some sexual issue as if it was this huge deal but never really give details or explain it well in her writting.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love hot, daring and sexy romantic suspenses, you'll love this new one set in New Orleans by Stella Cameron. Jilly Gable has a lot to going for her. She's in love with her best friend, Guy Gautreaux, who might return to the NOPD. She's also trying to reconnect with her mother, Edith, who abandoned her, when she was a baby, and trying to fit in with her step-father, her half-sister-in-law and her husband. But little did they know, that a cold case murder, new fresh murders, and the attempts on her life and her mom's are all related into one big mystery. Someone wanted to do harm to her, and it's close to her than she thinks. Before she's become another victim, it's up to Guy to find out who and why, before it's too late. What a good read.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in Toussaint and New Orleans, Louisiana. Jilly Gable is caught up in a murder that takes place at her restaurant. Her mother, who abandoned her as a child, has just moved back into town with a very rich husband. And then there is the very handsome Guy Gautreaux, a police detective on leave from the big city, who is on leave in the sleepy little town. The story gets very complicated with old and new murders and old and new intrigue involving all the characters. The mystery is how they all fit together and why. Nothing is simple in this tale.

[Jhona · Rating 3 out of 5]

.i borrowed this book from a friend..she didn't have time to read this one..so I'm the first to know what the story is all about..at first it was okay..but it contains some scene i really don't like..and I'm the kind of person who will finish what i start reading..i kinda like the last part..when homer admitted that he proposed to charlotte,the part when guy said "i love you,cher.ill always love you..." to Jilly..and the ring guy gave to Jilly..but i hate the ending..

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways there was almost too much story in the book. I'm still feeling very ambivalent about it, but that could be because I just finished it. I almost dnf, but the writing was good enough that I wanted to give it a chance. At times the sheer number of storylines got overwhelming. I might give this author another go because the writing really was quite good, but I'll have to find out if this is the way she always writes.

[Renna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Toussant book -- I love these characters!! The twist isn't too shocking but you want to see how it ends!!! This has a little more romance that some - but the characters that are love interest are soo good --- gotta love it when a woman tames that hard headed man!!!

[Kenneth del Rosario · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books i've ever read. Characters aren't loveable or relatable. Plot makes no sense. Dialogue is redundant and annoying. Half of the book are sex scenes. If there's a zero for the rating, i'd give it that. Waste of time!

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jilly and Guy

So unbelievable. Who is going to fall for everything Jilly fell for? At every turn she is being suckered into something, or putting her life at risk, and doesn't question the motives or players. Bad, bad, bad.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

[Lizpeveto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought I had already this book and was ok. LA bayou setting w/ twisted plot and characters. Just a time filler. Other books by this author are better.

[Adrienne Deel]

it was good. romance and action are my fav books. it kind of ended predictable. but i still enjoyed.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and can't do more than say READ them...hopefully you will fall in love with them too.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting cast of characters. dedcent plot. good love story.

[Shay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many characters that went nowhere and a plot that was weak. Several parts of the storyline were not explained or led nowhere. I'd pass on this one if I had to do it over again.

[Debbie Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It had a bit of romance, a bit of sex, a bit of humor all why following the story line. I was in suspense almost the whole time.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow to start but got interesting. Would've given 4 stars but there were too many characters to keep up with.