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As a big fan of Carolyn Haines's cozy Bones series, I was eager for the chance to read her forays into the darker territories of the literary thriller. Even in her lighter and more humorous books, Haines has a voice that sings the South, and the gripping suspense and foreboding setting of her newest book does nothing to diminish the strength of that voice. 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. Raymond's character is drawn as an inherently good man haunted by his own demons, inhibited not by his fears but by his physical – and emotional – limitations. Because of the war injury that brought him home, as well as the loss of his brother during a harrowing confrontation in battle, Raymond shuts out everyone who once loved him, believing his self-sustained guilt renders him unworthy of their devotion. He alienates his mother, his sister and his former lover though they refuse to give up on him. Over the course of the story, in his determination to help Adele, Raymond unwittingly allows her to help him in return, learning to let go of his past and look toward a future where he can rebuild his life and restore his own faltering sense of self-worth. Every page of FEVER MOON is alive with the power of Haines's striking, evocative prose. From the opening sentence, her story is gripping. She captures the terror bred of superstition that seizes the collective small-town mindset of New Iberia with stunning realism, but balances the darkness with a poignant depiction of how the events shape the lives of the townspeople. One scene in particular stands out, when a young girl goes missing, and her frantic parents fear the 'loup-garou' has taken her and are convinced they will find her dead. Haines describes the search efforts and their outcome with such compelling tension it's hard to remember that the events are playing out on a written page. Such is the case with the entire book, and the startling conclusion adds an even more satisfying intensity to an already breathtaking story.
Reviewed by J. B. Thompson, August 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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