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Fever Moon
With the acclaimed novel Penumbra, Carolyn Haines branched out from the cozy Southern mysteries that made her name and moved into more ominous, more literary territory. She continues that exploration of the darker side of the South with Fever Moon .
Set in New Iberia, Louisiana, during World War II, Fever Moon begins when Deputy Raymond Thibodeaux discovers Adele Hebert covered in blood and hovering over the brutally eviscerated body of Henri Bastion, a wealthy plantation owner. In the aftermath of the murder, Adele claims to be the loup-garou, a legendary Cajun shape-shifter that traditionally takes the shape of a wolf, and panic ensues in this small town that already has been living under the pressures of wartime rationing and poverty. Raymond is determined to restore order, but to do so he'll have to prove that Adele isn't a murderer or a monster.
In this dark and swirling literary thriller, Carolyn Haines tells the story of a town that is caught up in the frenzy of a murder and a killer who feeds its terror to suit his own purposes.
Set in New Iberia, Louisiana, during World War II, Fever Moon begins when Deputy Raymond Thibodeaux discovers Adele Hebert covered in blood and hovering over the brutally eviscerated body of Henri Bastion, a wealthy plantation owner. In the aftermath of the murder, Adele claims to be the loup-garou, a legendary Cajun shape-shifter that traditionally takes the shape of a wolf, and panic ensues in this small town that already has been living under the pressures of wartime rationing and poverty. Raymond is determined to restore order, but to do so he'll have to prove that Adele isn't a murderer or a monster.
In this dark and swirling literary thriller, Carolyn Haines tells the story of a town that is caught up in the frenzy of a murder and a killer who feeds its terror to suit his own purposes.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2007
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473 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Haines
116 books1,582 followersCarolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 9, 2015
It's the 1940s, and rural Louisiana is suffering deprivations connected with the country's involvement in WWII. One night Deputy Raymond Thibodeaux of the New Iberia PD comes across the brutally murdered body of the richest man in town, local plantation owner Henri Bastion. Standing over the disemboweled corpse, covered in blood, is the strange outcast figure of Adele Hebert. She believes she killed Bastion, having been taken over by the loup-garou. Thibodeaux, however, believes her to be innocent and decides to find out who really killed Bastion -- an effort hampered by threats from the terrified townspeople to mount a lynch mob to exact summary "justice" . . .
For some reason I took the longest time getting into this book; more than once, as I plowed through its first half, I was tempted to abandon it. And then, midway, it suddenly picked me up and galloped away with me; for me, the second half was a white-knuckle ride, and I'm now much tempted to get hold of Haines's earlier Penumbra (2006) as well as any others she might have written in this vein. (I have no interest in her frothy cozies, I'm afraid.)
Anyone who enjoys the work of James Lee Burke is bound to get a lot out of this, but there's the added dimension of the historical setting. Recommended -- although I'd hope you wouldn't find the book as slow to take off as I did. And, if you do, I'd say it's well worth persevering.
For some reason I took the longest time getting into this book; more than once, as I plowed through its first half, I was tempted to abandon it. And then, midway, it suddenly picked me up and galloped away with me; for me, the second half was a white-knuckle ride, and I'm now much tempted to get hold of Haines's earlier Penumbra (2006) as well as any others she might have written in this vein. (I have no interest in her frothy cozies, I'm afraid.)
Anyone who enjoys the work of James Lee Burke is bound to get a lot out of this, but there's the added dimension of the historical setting. Recommended -- although I'd hope you wouldn't find the book as slow to take off as I did. And, if you do, I'd say it's well worth persevering.
May 1, 2012
The study of the duality of humanity makes this tale “doable.” Jung saw this as “The Shadow Side,” St. Paul saw it as “that which I don’t wish to do is what I end up doing” and it is the heart of what makes “monster stories” so scary. Everyone is as capable of unbelievable generosity and gracious behavior as we are of indescribable evil and destruction. Imagining that “dark part” of the Self being unleashed, free to do what it wants to do is enticing and frightening. This book uses that tension as the engine that moves this otherwise typical murder mystery into the possibility of becoming a modern classic. The book’s cover would lead one to expect it would contain a “new” look at a much worn horror theme. That expectation would have been supported had one read only the first pages and not proceeded to discover that Ms. Haines has taken the vast literature of classic horror as a platform upon which she built a mystery.
Set in 1943 New Iberia, Louisiana, this “Who Done It” takes the reader deep into the swamps of Southern Louisiana. That area is mysterious by history and experience – dark, dangerous, full of strange sounds – where people, at least during the time setting of this novel, are born, live long lives and die never having been known to the world outside the Bayou. To those who live in that environment, an individual “going into the swamp and never heard from again” is not uncommon nor particularly something to spend time being concerned over. Legends created by the various cultures which make up the Cajun People live within these swamps and it is one such myth, the French “Loup Garou,” that causes this mystery to come alive.
Raymond Thibodeaux returns from fighting in Europe injured and deeply scared, he signs on as a deputy with the parish sheriff’s department where his guilt over being a talented as a killer, need for isolation and desire for redemption can be assuaged. His determination in finding the killer of the Parish’s most powerful (and widely hated) man and clearing Adele, the innocent girl who was found over the body covered in blood acting like a wild animal. As the body count increases, Adele is becoming less “available” and seems to be guiltier with each discovery.
There are a host of characters populating this novel, at times there are too many names citing too many flat and easily forgotten characters; the main characters are well defined and engaging. There are graphic descriptions of the murder victims that are bloody, the swamp so well described that I felt both the humidity and a bit claustrophobic and enough red herrings that I did not have the mystery solved until the final pages. The climax as almost too tidily done but does not detract from the book. There are situations contained in the telling of this tale that may not be suitable for younger readers.
After reading this book, I have no desire to spend extended time in the swamps of Southern Louisiana. The snakes, gators, mosquitos and the possibility of meeting Monsieur Loup Garou are sufficient to keep me only as close as the written word to this area.
Set in 1943 New Iberia, Louisiana, this “Who Done It” takes the reader deep into the swamps of Southern Louisiana. That area is mysterious by history and experience – dark, dangerous, full of strange sounds – where people, at least during the time setting of this novel, are born, live long lives and die never having been known to the world outside the Bayou. To those who live in that environment, an individual “going into the swamp and never heard from again” is not uncommon nor particularly something to spend time being concerned over. Legends created by the various cultures which make up the Cajun People live within these swamps and it is one such myth, the French “Loup Garou,” that causes this mystery to come alive.
Raymond Thibodeaux returns from fighting in Europe injured and deeply scared, he signs on as a deputy with the parish sheriff’s department where his guilt over being a talented as a killer, need for isolation and desire for redemption can be assuaged. His determination in finding the killer of the Parish’s most powerful (and widely hated) man and clearing Adele, the innocent girl who was found over the body covered in blood acting like a wild animal. As the body count increases, Adele is becoming less “available” and seems to be guiltier with each discovery.
There are a host of characters populating this novel, at times there are too many names citing too many flat and easily forgotten characters; the main characters are well defined and engaging. There are graphic descriptions of the murder victims that are bloody, the swamp so well described that I felt both the humidity and a bit claustrophobic and enough red herrings that I did not have the mystery solved until the final pages. The climax as almost too tidily done but does not detract from the book. There are situations contained in the telling of this tale that may not be suitable for younger readers.
After reading this book, I have no desire to spend extended time in the swamps of Southern Louisiana. The snakes, gators, mosquitos and the possibility of meeting Monsieur Loup Garou are sufficient to keep me only as close as the written word to this area.
December 13, 2011
Well I had low expectations when I first picked this book up but I wrong - this was a great read. The character development was good and I ended up caring about the people in the town.
July 19, 2012
Southern Gothic thriller to the nth degree. Carolyn Haines has one of my favorite series in the amateur sleuth world, Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries. They are a joy to read. And now I am a fan of her thrillers.
FEVER MOON is set during WWII in Louisiana. The setting is dark and threatening. The rumor of a loup garou in the woods attacking men. The town is ready to hunt down the loup garou and kill.
Deputy Raymond Thibedoux wants to help the woman found covered in blood over the body of the first victim, a man not well-loved or liked in New Iberia. Now the town is scared.
No one is as they seem, the reader discovers the secrets of the town and the townspeople.
Hard to put down and I can't wait to read more of Carolyn's thrillers.
FEVER MOON is set during WWII in Louisiana. The setting is dark and threatening. The rumor of a loup garou in the woods attacking men. The town is ready to hunt down the loup garou and kill.
Deputy Raymond Thibedoux wants to help the woman found covered in blood over the body of the first victim, a man not well-loved or liked in New Iberia. Now the town is scared.
No one is as they seem, the reader discovers the secrets of the town and the townspeople.
Hard to put down and I can't wait to read more of Carolyn's thrillers.
April 25, 2019
There were bits of the story, as well as a few of the minor characters, I would have like to have seen fleshed out more, but as a whole, I enjoyed the story. I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.
August 3, 2012
Suspenseful, good read with a surprise twist at the end.
June 14, 2017
A great read
I grew up on Southern Gothic stories and loved the atmosphere that they evoke as I read them. This novel is filled with atmosphere . I thoroughly enjoyed it and was drawn in right from the beginning .
The book is set in rural Louisiana during the second world war and the characters all seem to just step off the pages. I grew up in a rural Southern town and these characters seemed very familiar and I suspect the town was very much like the one I grew up in.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical that I would like this book because it was a free book and at times I've gotten some real stinkers . This one is not one of those. You will not be disappointed.
I grew up on Southern Gothic stories and loved the atmosphere that they evoke as I read them. This novel is filled with atmosphere . I thoroughly enjoyed it and was drawn in right from the beginning .
The book is set in rural Louisiana during the second world war and the characters all seem to just step off the pages. I grew up in a rural Southern town and these characters seemed very familiar and I suspect the town was very much like the one I grew up in.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical that I would like this book because it was a free book and at times I've gotten some real stinkers . This one is not one of those. You will not be disappointed.
May 1, 2018
3.5. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this! The cast of characters got a little bewildering at times but I was appropriately attached to the characters I was supposed to be attached to, especially Florence and Chula. Maybe unsurprisingly, Haines does a great job at writing women to be real, individual people, even if most of them do get romantic counterparts in the end.
It's not a masterful mystery, and Raymond was incredibly melodramatic to the point of frustration, but it was really fun.
It's not a masterful mystery, and Raymond was incredibly melodramatic to the point of frustration, but it was really fun.
January 8, 2017
Like a previous reviewer, I had so so expectations. But I really enjoyed this book. It had great atmosphere and interesting characters and the war time line was a good choice. Most of all it was not too predictable. I hope this writer continues with this genre.
September 20, 2017
Fun, very readable. Actually true to its location. Fun read.
November 25, 2021
Kinda boring and a little predictable but paints Louisiana and southern culture beautifully!
July 22, 2024
Really did not like this book. The beginning chapter was ok but then it just got repetitive and just annoying and boring. I finished it but it was just eh.
August 14, 2024
Fever Moon
Well written. Once learning the different characters, kept my interest to continue reading. Interesting southern folklore. Would recommend this book.
Well written. Once learning the different characters, kept my interest to continue reading. Interesting southern folklore. Would recommend this book.
August 24, 2024
Simple Kurzgeschichte, die durch Nebenhandlungen und Wiederholungen gestreckt wurde. Leider kein Highlight.
January 9, 2022
A murder has just occurred in Iberia Parish, and folks are convinced one of their own, Adele, has turned into the Loup-Garou (or werewolf.) Only one person, Deputy Raymond Thibodeaux believes that someone else is responsible. He believes Adele is being made to think she's the loup-garou by the real murderer.
I've had this book on my to-read shelf for far too long. It's a slow drawl of a story, much like the part of Louisiana where it takes place. It's easy to get caught up in the vividness of the storytelling, and the folklore that the local Iberia Parish people believe. It's a good story. Very interesting characters and storylines. I'm glad I took the time to read it.
I've had this book on my to-read shelf for far too long. It's a slow drawl of a story, much like the part of Louisiana where it takes place. It's easy to get caught up in the vividness of the storytelling, and the folklore that the local Iberia Parish people believe. It's a good story. Very interesting characters and storylines. I'm glad I took the time to read it.
February 21, 2024
Fantastic mystery set in New Iberia, Louisiana, and involving an old Cajun legend, the loup garou, a French werewolf. It's the detective Raymond Thibodeaux fresh from the front lines of World War II who makes the book, a man determined to not let superstition threaten the suspect in a grisly murder. Haines has done her Louisiana homework and the colorful setting and culture add to the book's alure.
April 8, 2012
When I was a 22 year-old journalist looking for a new job, I was offered the position of managing editor at a newspaper in Houma, Louisiana. I turned it down for two reasons. First, I believed I was too young and inexperienced to be managing editor of any newspaper, anywhere. Second, I thought the Louisiana bayou was just too exotic for this Jersey boy. Admittedly, all I knew of southern Louisiana was a history of political corruption, swamps and rednecks, Dr. John's gris-gris music, jazz, and great food. Did I make a mistake? Who knows. Not long afterward, I decided I wanted out of journalism. What would I have done with myself down in Houma?
I made my decision about 30 years after the events of Carolyn Haines' novel, "Fever Moon" took place. Haines employs all the bayou stereotypes that gave me the willies back in 1973, as well as other southern types that populate southern literature: the tortured protagonist scarred in war, the girl he left behind, and the whore who loves him; the nouveau-riche redneck who controls the local economy and his well-bred wife, but reared a withdrawn daughter and two boys who think they can get away with anything; a local healer in conflict with the local doctor; a Catholic priest who doubts his faith; a sadistic plantation overseer who works prisoners from Angola near to - and sometimes to - death; and the crazy swamp family, including a hunter trapper with a mean set of hounds, a sister who hanged herself after experiencing stigmata, a second sister who is believed to be a loup-garou (werewolf), and a third sister who hates everyone else in her pathetic family.
The book shouldn't work, but it does, very well. Why? The semi-gothic plot, revolving around the murder of a plantation owner by some sort of animal, flows smoothly like water through a river channel, never straying long from its source and finding its way to the end with relative efficiency. The characters are generally complex and well-drawn, though the bad guys are less nuanced than others. The author works well with her geography, painting a lovely, yet, forbidding picture of the swamp and the town it abuts, and she is excellent at creating physical and psychological mood.
Most significant, Haines writes with a softness that I recognized from my four years living in Richmond, Virginia. This is not a gentle story. There is quite a lot of pain, violence, racism, and general ugliness in this tale of southern Louisiana during World War II. I don't buy the notion that the '40s were a gentler time. Jim Crow was alive and very well, thank you. There was the extreme brutality of chain gangs rented out to landowners. There was rural poverty and exaggerated class-consciousness. People with mental illness were treated with a mix of wonderment and revulsion. And there was a wealth of superstition - gris-gris, voodoo, loup-garou, muddled with the equally superstitious Catholic church. But Haines writes of these horrors with a gentle touch, a lightness and liquidity that makes everything work. I love her style, and I really liked this book.
I made my decision about 30 years after the events of Carolyn Haines' novel, "Fever Moon" took place. Haines employs all the bayou stereotypes that gave me the willies back in 1973, as well as other southern types that populate southern literature: the tortured protagonist scarred in war, the girl he left behind, and the whore who loves him; the nouveau-riche redneck who controls the local economy and his well-bred wife, but reared a withdrawn daughter and two boys who think they can get away with anything; a local healer in conflict with the local doctor; a Catholic priest who doubts his faith; a sadistic plantation overseer who works prisoners from Angola near to - and sometimes to - death; and the crazy swamp family, including a hunter trapper with a mean set of hounds, a sister who hanged herself after experiencing stigmata, a second sister who is believed to be a loup-garou (werewolf), and a third sister who hates everyone else in her pathetic family.
The book shouldn't work, but it does, very well. Why? The semi-gothic plot, revolving around the murder of a plantation owner by some sort of animal, flows smoothly like water through a river channel, never straying long from its source and finding its way to the end with relative efficiency. The characters are generally complex and well-drawn, though the bad guys are less nuanced than others. The author works well with her geography, painting a lovely, yet, forbidding picture of the swamp and the town it abuts, and she is excellent at creating physical and psychological mood.
Most significant, Haines writes with a softness that I recognized from my four years living in Richmond, Virginia. This is not a gentle story. There is quite a lot of pain, violence, racism, and general ugliness in this tale of southern Louisiana during World War II. I don't buy the notion that the '40s were a gentler time. Jim Crow was alive and very well, thank you. There was the extreme brutality of chain gangs rented out to landowners. There was rural poverty and exaggerated class-consciousness. People with mental illness were treated with a mix of wonderment and revulsion. And there was a wealth of superstition - gris-gris, voodoo, loup-garou, muddled with the equally superstitious Catholic church. But Haines writes of these horrors with a gentle touch, a lightness and liquidity that makes everything work. I love her style, and I really liked this book.
October 15, 2011
Legend has it the loup-garou, a shape-shifting fiend with a human body and the head of a wolf, prowls the swamps of Louisiana looking for its next meal.
Sure, the concept of a flesh-eating Cajun werewolf may seem far-fetched, but for the people of New Iberia parish, the legend is something to be feared.
The story begins when Deputy Ramond Thibodeaux stumbles upon the gruesome scene of Adele Herbert, the town outcast, crouching over the ravaged body of Henry Bastian, a wealthy plantation owner.
In all the horrors he witnessed while fighting in the war, he’d never seen anything that chilled him so deeply.
Find the full review at Chick Lit Cafe: http://loonachicklit.wordpress.com/
Sure, the concept of a flesh-eating Cajun werewolf may seem far-fetched, but for the people of New Iberia parish, the legend is something to be feared.
The story begins when Deputy Ramond Thibodeaux stumbles upon the gruesome scene of Adele Herbert, the town outcast, crouching over the ravaged body of Henry Bastian, a wealthy plantation owner.
In all the horrors he witnessed while fighting in the war, he’d never seen anything that chilled him so deeply.
Find the full review at Chick Lit Cafe: http://loonachicklit.wordpress.com/
March 31, 2012
I'm a sucker for books whose locales I'm familiar with. New Iberia, where Fever Moon is set, is one of them. I ran small crew boats all around New Iberia for about five years back in the early 80s and developed a fondness for the swamps and the Teche. Fever Moon has a startling beginning and carries it through to the last page. While I was put off for a minute with the introduction of the theme of the loup-garou, (werewolf) I thought the book might devolve into something really strange with werewolves attacking people left and right and possibly vampires and zombies would come in somewhere. Thankfully nothing silly like that happened.
A good story well told.
A good story well told.
March 31, 2012
This was a Free Friday selection on Barnes & Noble. If is it free, I always download it; I have read some great new authors this way. The main character, Raymond Thibideaux, is a tortured WWII vet with shrapnel in his back and the death of his brother, Antoine, on his conscience. All the clues to a gruesome death lead to Adele Hebert, a wraith of a woman who has just lost her infant twin sons to the fever. However, Raymond is positive there is more at stake, and he is right. The bayou and swamps of New Iberia contribute significantly to the tension and mood of this story. Not an award-winning novel, but an interesting, page-turning short read.
November 7, 2012
Haines does well to grasp the attention of the audience by hitting the ground running and enveloping the protagonist with a dire sense of urgency from the get go. Continuing on with the plotline, the author then excercises great restraint to develop each of the individual characters and underly the importance of their individual struggles as it pertains to the outcome of the story. A detached and cynical war veteran, learns to fight for something again as a deputy of a small town while attempting to protect a seemingly crazed young woman accused of committing an unthinkable crime. Enjoyable, well-paced and engaging enough, this book is worth a read if it ever falls onto your lap.
August 25, 2012
While the title smacks of supernatural thriller and the first few pages may lead you to think Haines has gone that route, don't be fooled. This is a true murder mystery. Haines changes her from the usual setting of her enjoyable "Bones" series, moving slightly west into Louisiana, plus back in time to the 1940s. I admit to being hooked on her by sampling free Kindle offerings, but will be willing to pay for her books in the future. Fun read.
April 2, 2012
Fever Moon was another of the dark side of Carolyn Haines. Each "dark" book she writes is different not only in time, but in content. This one was very different than any I've read. Certainly took a turn for the better. Loved it. It would be nice to have a sequel just to find out how everyone's lives turned out...of course I have my own ideas.
January 21, 2012
I've enjoyed the author's "lighter" mysteries and wanted to give one of her books from the dark side a try. I wasn't disappointed with her writing..it was definitely a classis "page-turner"....but I'll pick another of her softer/gentler ones next time.
April 19, 2012
Wonderfully atmospheric. Poetry, magic and voodoo combined to make an excellent read with a tie to that southern state that draws one's imagination to things so different from the north. I loved the author's style of writing and the story line itself.
May 4, 2013
I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was outside of what I normally read, but the story kept me reading nonstop. The characters connected so well, and I loved the closeness of the little town. The ending wasn't very predictable either, and it kept me guessing!
July 27, 2007
A great writer, good atmosphere and suspense. Kept me guessing.
July 21, 2008
Compelling story, great writing.
March 14, 2011
The 2nd book I've read by Carolyn Haines. Well done. I love the State side World War II setting. And it has a good mystery to boot.
May 8, 2011
Folklore turns people in this Louisiana bayou town frantic when tallk of a loup-garou (werewolf or shape-changer) on the loose spreads.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews