A Darker Shade of Midnight (Lashaun Rousselle Mystery, #1) by Lynn Emery

A Darker Shade of Midnight (Lashaun Rousselle Mystery, #1) Reviews

• 
  K.J. Charles

  Urban fantasy in New Orleans area, with Southern gothic aplenty, family secrets, occult, loas, police corruption, and a steam-bath atmosphere.
  
  Enjoyable but suffered from being a series starter, I think: the cast was very large and there's a lot of backstory so it took a while for the main story to kick into gear. I liked the concept (you really can't go wrong with 'woman with bad past returns to isolated home and ghastly family'), and the heroine LaShaun is extremely imperfect and hot-tempered, and thus satisfyingly relatable.
• 
  Beverly

  
  http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Shade-Mi...
  
  In A Darker Shade of Midnight by Lynn Emery, LaShaun Rousselle is returning home to Vermillion Parish, Louisiana because her grandmother is dying. Shortly after crossing the county line, LaShaun finds herself sitting in the sheriff’s station wondering what bogus charges warranted her being detained. Yes, she has a scandalous past that caused her to leave home ten years ago, but that is the past. When the sheriff department finds nothing but a broken taillight, feisty LaShaun cannot help shaking up the sheriff and the department by issuing them a challenge, knowing some fear her voodoo powers. With that settled, LaShaun is looking forward to making peace with her grandmother, Monmon Odette, and catching up with family. Unfortunately, life will be anything but peaceful for LaShaun – greedy relatives, a sadistic ex-lover, an attraction to a deputy, an evil force and murder all come into her life. Fearing that mayhem and evil are a curse she cannot overcome, LaShaun starts to despair that she should not have returned home. Will LaShaun be able to trust her psychic powers, and accept help from unexpected sources, or will the demon win this round for her soul?
  
  A Darker Shade of Midnight is a tale of revenge, deceit, betrayal and political corruption. This combination makes for a juicy murder and the plot serves up several victims. Drama of the family fighting among themselves adds another layer of tension and intrigue to a plot with all kinds of twists. Emery is known for her love of Louisiana, a setting she vividly brings to life in this story. I enjoyed how the paranormal elements were skillfully woven into the storyline with grace and ease, being a natural part of the locale. LaShaun is an alpha female who fights back at the least challenge, but over the course of the story she learns to accept who she is and how to accept genuine help. It is a nice touch to see her interact with the sexy deputy, Chase Broussard, as the attraction between them allows the reader a respite from all of the mayhem in the story. While fans of the author will love visiting with old friends and new readers will be entertained by the characters, they might be slightly confused by references to previously mentioned events.
  
  I recommend this book to readers who enjoy paranormal mysteries and fans of Lynn Emery. A good read for a summer night, as the forces of good and evil battle with each other.
  
  This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
  
  Reviewed by Beverly
  APOOO Literary Book Review
  
• 
  Cindy

  Series that takes place in Beau Chene, Louisiana based around an old Creole family whose matriarc Monmon Odette is dying. LaShaun Rousselle left Beau Chene 10 years ago amid suspensions of murder. LaShaun has inherited psychic powers from her Monmon which has always had her gossiped about. She isnt even in town 5 minutes before being brought in to the sheriffs office. And not long after that she is under suspension of murder again.
  
  I like these kind of stories based in Louisiana and surrounded by the myths of voodoo and the old time Creole beliefs. This was a good start to the series but as this book was first released over 9 years ago all the grammar and editing errors should have been fixed by now. I am a reader that can overlook most of that and am moving on to the next book.
• 
  Cerece Murphy

  Lynn Emery's tale of a woman's journey to reconcile the demons in her past with her hopes for the future is gripping, taut, and absolutely mesmerizing. At times, it's even hilarious. The tone and specificity of each character is what really draws you into this Bayou mystery. I listened to this book on Audible and I've got to say, it made a great book even better. Lynn Emery's words combined with the narrator's southern tongue make this book a mystery you don't want to miss.
  
• 
  Matthew

  I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator did a fine job. The story was solid. I liked the setting and Cajun flair. The paranormal elements were also interesting with the romance being, as always, predictable.
• 
  Kathleen

  A Darker Shade of Midnight Earns 5/5 Charms … Clever Entertainment!
  
  LaShaun Rousselle worries about returning home to Beau Chene, Louisiana, to be with her ailing Monmon Odette, but sitting at the desk of Deputy Chase Broussard for a broken taillight and a bag of weed (“Herbs,” LaShaun corrected mildly.) and being reminded of the serious murder accusation eleven years ago wasn’t the welcome home she expected. It gets more complicated by the reception she receives from family when her grandmother shares she secretly changed her will in favor of LaShaun. But, there’s missing money, lots of it, and the two most vocal about the new will also go missing. It gets serious when one cousin is found missing her tongue, and another is found dead. Is LaShaun again a person of interest since she had a physical altercation with the victims? Only LaShaun and her grandmother know about the “loa” who has been waiting for her return, and when asked if harm has fallen on others because “of” her … response, “For you.”
  
  Wow, what a page turner! Lynn Emery well-written drama entwines the real with the myth to create a fascinating premier book in her LaShaun Rousselle Mystery. Much preceded LaShaun’s returned home that is outside the book’s main focus, yet details are slowly revealed to give some insights into those events and how they shaped the family and LaShaun as well as immediately setting up the animosity, suspicions, and conflicts that ultimately lead to mayhem and murder. I was hooked! The family drama, questions about Odette’s estate, and the mayhem and murder are at the center, but with more down-to-earth motives: political ambition, greed, blackmail, and power struggles. But, the evil that exists complicates the investigation and creates an exciting showdown. I did want a more in-depth view, though, into LaShaun’s past indiscretions, her family’s feud with the St. Julien’s, and the ever present evil for which her granmér took responsibility. All in all, it was an exciting story … just ignore some proofreading lapses.
• 
  Charles

  This is the first book in a mystery/supernatural fantasy series featuring the character LaShaun Rouselle, a Louisiana native with a talent for the occult. In this book, LaShaun returns to Beau Chene, Louisiana to visit her dying grandmother, a powerful practitioner of voodoo. LaShaun had been a suspect in an old local murder but had never been charged with the killing, although many locals still seem to suspect her. Now she finds herself in the middle of a family squabble over her grandmother's inheritance. That squabble turns violent and again LaShaun comes under suspicion for murder. Against her are arrayed the local powers that be, but she has a few unlikely allies, a woman who was once her enemy, and a local cop who falls for her. And behind much of the turmoil there appears to be a powerful supernatural entity who wants LaShaun for itself. LaShaun is challenged on multiple fronts and struggles to meet all the demands placed on her.
  
  An exciting, page turner with interesting characters and a good dose of sexiness.
• 
  Rhonda

  When LaShaun Rouselle decides to return to her Louisiana home town of Beau Chene to make peace with her grandmother Odette, things take a turn for the worse. Accusations and innuendos are flying left and right. The past comes back to cause problems for LaShaun. Things get ugly.
  This story has a strong set of characters with the protagonist, LaShaun Rouselle being attacked on all sides, but her grandmother knows the truth. Odette is a strong role model also and has a plan in place because of her greedy relatives.
  Lynn Emery weaves a murder mystery that had me guessing.
  I received this audiobook for free.
  This is the first time I listened to an audio book. I used the app Authors Direct.
• 
  Dallass

  Short, but gripping.
  
  Ooh, this was a dark and twisty novella. LaShaun is heading home to spend some time with her dying grandmother, but her Monmon is a tricksy sort and has set the cat amongst the pigeons when she reveals the contents of her will to the family.
  
  What follows divids the family, and thanks to LaShaun’s past, she is prime suspect number one when things get all murdery. Chase starts off as a bit of a hard a$$, but he can’t resist acting on his growing feelings which throws a spanner in the investigative works.
  
  Definitely want to continue on. Very atmospheric.
  
  4 stars ⭐️
• 
  Maria Woods

  I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only and enjoyed the story from the minute i picked it up to the very end.
  The way it is written keeps you interested as to what will happen next and the bad guys get karma as the good guys get each other which is always a satisfying ending. I will be telling my friends about this book as a must read for their shelves.
• 
  Courtru

  A pretty interesting story, actually, if a bit rushed. I would have enjoyed it fleshed it out more to slow the pace and sustain more tension among the characters. And whether it was on the copy edit or proof reading end, it needed another sweep. But the setting and characters were fully formed and worked well. I'd read more in the series based on that.
• 
  Cathy

  I liked the premise of the story but the bad editing was distracting. About halfway through the book Uncle Theo was changed to Uncle Leo. It even happened on one page. Probably won't read the next book in the series.
• 
  Ricki

  Great use of paranormal, but could have used a little more mystery. Not something I normally say, but this could have been longer.
• 
  Sherri

  Very interesting story, not a lot of mystery, but still a good read. Noticed that one of the uncles name changed in the last chapters of the book (Theo to Leo).
• 
  Heather (winemakerssister)

  A strange mixture of too much world-building, too little plot, and a quick (almost shorthand) style that whooshed the events by me too quickly to properly assimilate/enjoy them.
• 
  Tina

  This book starts off incredibly strong and entertaining.
  
  LaShaun Rouselle has just come back to her home-town of Beau Chene, Louisiana and already she is in trouble. Hauled into the local sheriff's office because of a busted tail-light and 'suspicious looking weeds' in bags, the locals are on alert, LaShaun is back in town can trouble be far behind?
  
  Apparently LaShaun left town under the suspicion of being an accessory to murder of a prominent local citizen. But her family is an old one with roots deep in the town. And her grandmother is well respected as well as a practitioner of the old ways, Voudon, that she has passed on to LaShaun. Madame Rouselle is very,very sick and LaShaun is back to help her get her affairs in order.
  
  However, the past isn't really in the past. The whispers that chased LaShaun out of town have grown into a loud buzz as another murder close to home occurs soon after she returns. LaShaun and the sexy new-to-town deputy Chase Broussard knows she's innocent they just have to prove it.
  
  This book should have been like catnip to me. It has all the elements that I generally enjoy in a book: Characters who are a little mussed up, a touch of Southern Gothic, family drama and old secrets, romance that felt just bit forbidden, and great secondary characters.
  
  However I can't say that it all completely worked.
  
  The entire time I was reading the book, I felt like I was reading a second book of a series and missed all the background that happened in the first book. There is a lot of back-story and history of LaShaun, her town and the her family. Her involvement with Quentin Trosclair, son of the most prominent family in town and the murder of his grandfather that left him a lot of money is mentioned several times in the book. Yet the story of it is just a tantalizing outline. None of the blanks were filled in. We don't know exactly what happened. How she got involved with Quentin in the first place? How was she even implicated in the murder?
  
  Ditto with the background of her family. Her family is large and they are fighting over her own grandmother's will. It is clear that she is the favored grand-daughter and she has two resentful cousins, but like the other story, we get just the barest outline of what is going on with the family. I would have loved to have gotten some flashbacks, something that goes into the family dynamics a bit more. For instance, there was a scandal with LaShaun's mother and a suitor that spurned her. That story too is hinted around, referred to obliquely, but not really fleshed out.
  
  So I could never shake the feeling that I was missing necessary details and it made for some frustrating reading. The book was chock full of atmosphere, but it needed more to hang onto it. The bones of a great, really interesting story was there, it just needed more flesh.
  
  I did like LaShaun as a character. She was charismatic and likeable. I also enjoyed her interactions with her child-hood nemesis the whip-smart lawyer Savannah (yet another story that needed to be filled in...). Actually I enjoyed Savannah as a great break-out secondary character.
  
  Since I love family drama I enjoyed all the busy, sometimes combative scenes of the large and loud Rousselle family.
  
  The romance was also well integrated into the story. Chase made for a suitably sexy romantic interest for LaShaun.
  
  I was less impressed with the denouement of the story. The voodoo/magical element did not feel like it was woven into the overall story very well. It felt tacked on like it was simply a plot device. Honestly I don't think it added anything to the narrative.
  
  Most of the time when I have an issue with story length it is the feeling that there should have been 50-100 pages less. However this time, where you have a story that included murder, decades old secrets, voodoo, romance, heirs fighting, and police corruption I think it would have greatly benefited from more.
• 
  Elizabeth

  I received a copy of the full book from this author in exchange for an honest review via thelibrarything. I received an actual copy of the paperback version of this book and not an ARC which is important.
  
  Pros and Cons: interesting characters, interesting world though a little underdeveloped, ok plot line though easily resolved in the end.
  
  My major complaint is that even though this is the actual book that is available for purchase I still felt like I was reading the ARC. I found so many grammatical errors, dropped words, extra words. I'm not talking about some of the slang used, I assumed there would be some on purpose because of the setting of the book. However this is not stuff done on purpose to help enhance the setting it was just a lack of a good editor, hell even I who miss a lot in book caught a dozen or a couple dozen problems.
  
  Mostly I enjoyed the book but I think I'd have enjoyed this more if it was expertly edited and the book was expanded. I'll check out the next book because I'm intrigued on where the series is going but I won't make promises to keep reading this series.
• 
  Nita

  At first, I felt not that connected on the first few chapters, just a regular flow story. But, when LaShaun met the hot guy (Deputy Broussard) I am so connected on how each pages grows. I like how their love story, and i can't imagine how the 2 really looks like in person, (Perfect combination!) I love how their love story goes, all hardships and circumstances but yet still full of love and emotions. Though for me it's not started as that interesting, it brings everything at middle chapter when you can't stop reading what's next. I like the half part of the book when LaShaun's grandma Odette stated the last will testament, on how all relatives reacted and else is history. I pictured it out how hard it is for a relationship when other have all the hardships in life and while the one still need to consider the profession, I like how Lynn Emery (the author) describe the court scene, the burial/cemetery scene, the hospital and most big impact the vodoo thing happened in the latter part on how the story ends. I like it and love to share it with other people as well. Hope to experience more of LaShaun's story. Thank you for sharing your good creation!
• 
  Stephenee

  This was my first time reading a book by Lynn Emery, but it won't be my last. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series (after seeing the brief excerpt at the end of this one)! The only downfall to the book was there were still some grammar errors, and spelling errors that needed to be looked over again, sometimes the flow of the sentence stopped abruptly when the wrong tense of the word was used, but overall the book was a speedy read! I love the characters and the dynamics that they had as well as the fact that I could picture some of the things actually happening in real life. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something new and exciting....it's not the same old plot and story line that so many authors have now adapted to. Good Job with this book Lynn!!!
• 
  Brent Soderstrum

  LaShaun Rousselle is back in Louisiana years after running off to LA due to a murder charge that didn't stick. She is back because her grandmother is dying. When family money is given away in unequal shares passionate family anger flows freely. LaShaun, Monmon's favorite, is given the entire estate. Then one cousin is killed and another attacked. Fingers once again point at LaShaun. LaShaun and her new love interest Deputy Chase Broussard are set out to find out who is really responsible.
  
  Interesting story but sloppy editing, an unclear past for LaShaun and a rush to explain all at the end with all the characters facing off at one scene take away from a good idea-feuding relatives over family money. As a result the book is just mediocre. Reads quick though.
• 
  Keke Chanel

  Weird, twisted and highly entertaining! I love a great story with paranormal elements mixed in with supernatural. Lynn Emery scored big time with this story in the Louisiana Bayou, where this type of activity is said to be a birthplace for all things unexplainable. Will LaShaun free herself from the evil Loa spirit or will it continue to turn the town of Beau Chene upside down? I am about to find out in Lynn's next installment of this series called Between Dusk and Dawn. Great story line and character development. Truly a highly recommended read for the fun at heart, who isn't skittish about old tales and urban legends.
• 
  D.K.

  The looming death of LaShaun Rouselle's grandmother, brought her home after spending years away. Because the town's people are still haunted by her suspected involvement in an old murder investigation, LaShaun is immediately greeted into her hometown by being arrested and interrogated.
  
  Things don't get any easier after she's released. LaShaun's return brought back old rivalries and jealousies. When one of her cousins is murdered and another cousin goes missing, LaShaun immediately becomes the prime suspect.
  
  Author Lynn Emery has put together a very entertaining story with many twists and turns. LaShaun Rouselle is a character readers will quickly grow to love.
• 
  Katara Johnson

  This is book 1 of a 3 book series. The main character returns to her home town where she was treated as an outcast . Little does she know that she is more important to that community then everyone thinks
• 
  Sherell Hutcheson

  Bayou mess
  
  Had it not been for all the mistakes in this book it would have been entertaining. Where was the proof reader!?
• 
  Jessica

  Did not finish near the halfway point. The story has a lot of potential, but the copy editing errors and paper thin characters lost me.
• 
  Michelle

  Great read!Can't wait to read the sequels .