During the 1920s, Beatrice Corbin just wants to keep her general store afloat and keep an eye on her younger, newly married sister, Agnes, in the small town of Azoma, Louisiana. Until she is approached by the Devil, Frank Charbonneau, and learns that her sister will be murdered. At first, she doesn't believe Frank until one of his predictions comes true. To save her sister, she makes a bet with him, staking her soul on the wager that she can find her sister's would-be killer in seven weeks. Meanwhile, Agnes is hiding her own secret, and Beatrice ignores her growing feelings for a Black blues musician, with whom Frank has also made a deal.
Unbeknownst to Beatrice, the true target is someone in her own family. As her time runs out, Beatrice becomes desperate and unknowingly pushes Agnes toward her inevitable fate. And everyone knows that the Devil doesn't play fair...but in this case, is he?
In the 1920s in a small southern town where racism runs rampant and the KKK has taken a foothold, there are two things that Beatrice cares about. Her only priorities are making sure her sister Agnes is safe, and keeping her general store in business. When it is predicted that Agnes will be murdered, there is nothing Beatrice won't do to find and stop the would-be killer, even if she has to make a deal with the devil himself.
The devil, recently released from a trap, is more than happy to oblige. For Beatrice, it's a race against the clock. She has 7 weeks to find out who will kill her sister or she will not only lose her, but herself as well.
Atmospheric and dark, the writing style pulled me in from page one. It wasn't long before I began to worry for Agnes as much as Beatrice did. This gothic, historical fiction spins a tale of hot southern nights when moonshine, magic, and blues music fill the humid evening air, and the devil appears in human form seeking a good time. It's a tale of grief and loneliness with a bit of romance and forbidden love in a time and place when Anti-miscegenation laws could lead to imprisonment or being murdered for "consorting" with someone outside of your race. The author envisions a devil who is as charming as you've ever been warned about, with a passion for music and vulnerable to human emotion.
4 out of 5 stars
My thanks to the author for the paperback copy.
No comments:
Post a Comment