Bayou Series by Stella Cameron

Celina Payne is plunged into a nightmarish world when her boss, Errol Petrie, dies in a scandalous situation and Petrie's business partner, Jack Charbonnet, is convinced that she is hiding something, and as they search for the truth, passion flares between them and an unimaginable evil threatens to

As darkly sensuous and dangerous as its southern setting, COLD DAY IN JULY showcases the talents of New York Times bestselling author Stella Cameron for penning electrifying novels of romantic suspense. Toussaint, Louisiana, is a sleepy bayou town where people know their neighbors and everyone feels safe--until the shattered body of a young woman is found at the base of St. Cecil's belfry stairs... moreAs darkly sensuous and dangerous as its southern setting, COLD DAY IN JULY showcases the talents of New York Times bestselling author Stella Cameron for penning electrifying novels of romantic suspense. Toussaint, Louisiana, is a sleepy bayou town where people know their neighbors and everyone feels safe--until the shattered body of a young woman is found at the base of St. Cecil's belfry stairs. But is she the victim of a tragic accident or something more sinister? Marc Girard doesn't believe in accidents. What he does believe is that the dead woman may be his missing sister. Now, he's coming home to Toussaint--where his wealthy family still casts a powerful shadow--in order to find the truth, no matter where it leads him...or to whom. Medical examiner Reb O'Brien remembers the day Marc left her behind, just as she remembers the mysterious murders of two other women a year earlier--crimes with eerie echoes of this one. With no one to trust but each other, Marc and Reb find themselves slipping down deep into the shadows of the Big Easy, where a town's darkest secrets lie waiting, and a killer is ready to strike another deadly blow. PRAISE FOR THE STELLA CAMERON AND COLD DAY IN JULY: "If you love Tami Hoag and Linda Howard, you'll love Stella Cameron." --Susan Elizabeth Phillips. "If you haven't read Stella Cameron, you haven't read romantic suspense!" --Elizabeth Lowell. "The sounds, smells and feel of this small town come vividly alive, making the sense of danger and passion all the more riveting." --Romantic Times less

a significant expansion of the story originally published as COLD DAY IN JULY Louisiana lush, bayou bad...DEAD END brings Father Cyrus (FRENCH QUARTER) into his own intense story. With the victim's brother, maverick architect Marc Girard and medical examiner Reb O'Brien stirring the waters of intrigue and murder...and stirring their own unfinished business. DEAD END is a page-turning race to find and stop a killer, and unearth a secret buried too deep for too long.

When Vivian Patin inherits Rosebanks, a family estate that has seen better days, she's determined to turn it into a successful hotel. When her lawyer tells her he has great news--news that will give Vivian and her mother financial security--she awaits his arrival in expectation. What she discovers is his body, with a lipstick mark and to recover the information her lawyer was delivering to her. But someone else is searching for the files--someone who will not stop at just one murder.

Two years ago Ellie Byron was the only witness to the brutal murder of a young woman. Charles Penn, a hard-eyed man with a history of violence, was convicted of the crime. Now he's escaped --- and another woman is dead. Ellie fears she may be next and turns to the only person she trusts: attorney Joe Gable. Joe would give his life to protect Ellie, but neither of them knows just how deadly an enemy they face --- or how close he is... moreTwo years ago Ellie Byron was the only witness to the brutal murder of a young woman. Charles Penn, a hard-eyed man with a history of violence, was convicted of the crime. Now he's escaped --- and another woman is dead. Ellie fears she may be next and turns to the only person she trusts: attorney Joe Gable. Joe would give his life to protect Ellie, but neither of them knows just how deadly an enemy they face --- or how close he is. Then the police discover that both crimes mirror events in a bestselling mystery series. And when the third book in the series is released, Joe and Ellie realize that time has run out. Because in this book the killer eliminates the only threat to his freedom. The last death is the death of the witness. less

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... moreDead: 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? less

Body of Evidence (A Kay Scarpetta Novel)

Once accusedWhen Max Savage opens his practice in a remote, seductively beautiful bayou town, he hopes it's the start of a new life. He's got his reputation as a skilled surgeon, his two brothers by his side and a fresh chance. But soon Max discovers he can't escape a past riddled with accusations of murder...or the faces of two dead women. Especially since another woman is missing, and he was the last to see her alive... moreOnce accusedWhen Max Savage opens his practice in a remote, seductively beautiful bayou town, he hopes it's the start of a new life. He's got his reputation as a skilled surgeon, his two brothers by his side and a fresh chance. But soon Max discovers he can't escape a past riddled with accusations of murder...or the faces of two dead women. Especially since another woman is missing, and he was the last to see her alive. Always suspected Annie Duhon knows all about nightmares that shatter life's dreams and the need to escape the past. But her fascination with Max grows, even when disturbing rumors start to surface and her darkest visions seem to play out in living color. Can she trust Max with her secrets and her deepest desires? Or is he the specter she sees when she sleeps--a killer stalking women with his cleansing fire? Is she about to become his next victim? less

Nearly two decades ago a charismatic man called Colin controlled an isolated community hidden in foothills north of San Francisco in what was supposed to be a life free of materialism. Instead, Colin turned The Refuge into a mass grave as he completed a sinister plan to exterminate his followers--all except three children, who slipped through his fingers and escaped with his secrets... moreNearly two decades ago a charismatic man called Colin controlled an isolated community hidden in foothills north of San Francisco in what was supposed to be a life free of materialism. Instead, Colin turned The Refuge into a mass grave as he completed a sinister plan to exterminate his followers--all except three children, who slipped through his fingers and escaped with his secrets. Today, Nick Board and the two beautiful sisters, Sarah and Aurelie, who escaped with him, are living quietly under the radar in the little bayou town of Point Judah, Louisiana. But when the bodies at The Refuge are uncovered, the nightmare of the past forces the friends out into the open. To survive, they must stay one step ahead of the man who has been waiting for them to surface. Driven by greed and anger, he intends them to take his secrets to their graves. less

'Tis the season to be wary... Christmas is coming and all is far from calm in Pointe Judah, Louisiana. Newcomer Christian DeAngelo--Angel to his friends--is at his wit's end trying to manage Sonny, the hotheaded nineteen-year-old everyone believes is his nephew. In fact, Sonny is the orphaned son of a notorious mob boss, a protected witness...and Angel's responsibility... more'Tis the season to be wary... Christmas is coming and all is far from calm in Pointe Judah, Louisiana. Newcomer Christian DeAngelo--Angel to his friends--is at his wit's end trying to manage Sonny, the hotheaded nineteen-year-old everyone believes is his nephew. In fact, Sonny is the orphaned son of a notorious mob boss, a protected witness...and Angel's responsibility. Angel has been commiserating with Eileen Moggeridge, whose lonely son Aaron has latched on to Sonny and gotten into deeper trouble than ever. But nothing could prepare Angel and Eileen for the boys' latest crisis: as they are horsing around in the swamp one afternoon, a shot rings out. Aaron is hit, but was the bullet meant for Sonny? Suddenly, goodwill toward men is in short supply and Angel doesn't know who's more dangerous: the hoodoo mystic with an eerie hold over the boys, the hit man roaming the bayou or Eileen's volatile ex-husband, Chuck. less

Roche Savage is a dedicated, talented psychiatrist with a life-shattering secret: his sexuality isn't just vibrant, it's over-the-top. He's always avoided gentle, reserved women because he knows that if he lets himself get out of control he could frighten them--or worse. Unfortunately, he can't seem to stop thinking about Bleu Labeau, a reticent teacher who has come to Toussaint to start a new school in St. Cecil's parish... moreRoche Savage is a dedicated, talented psychiatrist with a life-shattering secret: his sexuality isn't just vibrant, it's over-the-top. He's always avoided gentle, reserved women because he knows that if he lets himself get out of control he could frighten them--or worse. Unfortunately, he can't seem to stop thinking about Bleu Labeau, a reticent teacher who has come to Toussaint to start a new school in St. Cecil's parish. Bleu suffers the psychological consequences of being the widow of a man who taught her that sex was dirty, wrong and best performed in the dark.Father Cyrus Payne, the priest at St. Cecil's, is busy with his new school project, but still can't keep his assistant Madge Pollard off his mind. He has decided to push her into dating other men. The results only deepen Father Cyrus's struggle to choose between the church and the woman he loves. The new school project has also brought to Toussaint an evil, violent presence. When a man is killed in St. Cecil's church, panic spreads. More murders follow, and the victims are all significant contributors to the church's new school. With little help from the FBI, the local sheriffand the townspeople are left to fend for themselves. Taking the lead, Roche Savage and Bleu Labeau race to unravel the mystery before another person is forced to have the school pamphlet as their last meal. But when it is revealed that all the victims are former patients of Roche, Bleu and the rest of the town realize that they may not be looking for a stranger...but one of their very own. less