Search - Cold Day in July (Bayou, Bk 2)

Architect Marc Girard returns to his Toussaint, Louisiana roots to determine if a recently deceased single is actually his estranged sister, Amy. Enter town doctor Reb O'Brien. She rolls into town on her Harley and recaptures Marc's heart.

The two investigate whether or not Bonnie is Amy (and whether she is the third victim of the "rubber killer"), but Amy is actually being held captive by the wife of her former lover, Chauncey. Chauncey and wife Precious get the idea to do away with Amy and trade bodies in the cemetery. However, the husband and wife duo don't trust each other, and through lots of dirty dealings, the body goes missing.

The story is chock-filled with eclectic residents, including a sherrif named "Spike," a priest with an obvious crush on the church secretary, a bakery aptly named "All Tarted Up," and even a bumbling hit man who could not even kill time.

The story is interesting and captures your attention. You almost want to have these zany characters as neighbors. The only thing I did not like about the story was the conclusion. Or should I say what conclusion? With only two pages to go, I kept thinking, what about Amy? There are just too many loose ends, resulting in a disappointing ending.

A book full of angry and stupid characters set in a rural Louisiana town. Beware - stereo-types are everywhere in this stinker. Come on Stella you could do better than this!