A stake-out at a trafficker way-station ends with Special Agent Jennifer Nash placed on forced leave. Until a government insider offers her a chance at redemption.
All she has to do is accompany an elite Louisiana SWAT team on a takedown mission. But as she's shuttled by boat into the Atchafalaya Basin, she believes some of the unit might be compromised.
The raid ends in disaster. And the police find themselves outnumbered in the middle of a criminal operation, with a connected Cajun community and ruthless cartel members determined to put them down at all costs.
Sean Patrick Bridges is an award-winning screenwriter and film producer. He graduated from Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany. He’s been a Finalist and Semi-Finalist for the Nicholl Fellowship. Had a project invited to the Sundance Institute. He’s produced and directed two documentary short-subjects in the Caribbean.
He’s written novels, screenplays, short stories and produced audiobooks. He’s appeared as some form of Law Enforcement in a few TV episodes and film. And he’s worked on various projects with Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios.
He’s the owner of Audible Parade Productions in the Texas Hill Country. Their latest audio story is TRIPLE SIX, a five-episode presentation. For current information, check out audibleparade.com
Sean Bridges’s On the Bayou is an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed ride that kept me reading well beyond my bedtime. As I read into the night, I realized at times my whole body was clenched, and I was holding my breath as each chapter pulled me into the next.
The thriller is set mainly in the bayous of Louisiana, familiar to me because I grew up on the Southeast Texas side of the Louisiana border. The murky swamps, the remote backwater communities, and the cadence of Cajun accents rang true as the characters attempted a mission gone bad.
With a screenplay-like vibe, Bridges sets his scenes in a stripped-down style. He paints a compelling picture with an economy of words, using sentences and phrases that feel terse and direct. The story unfolds cinematically; the beaches of Florida, the streets of Tallahassee, and the ominous bayous play vividly in the imagination.
For fans of mystery or thrillers, On the Bayou delivers. There was considerable, graphic violence of a twisted, brutal kind that cemented the bad guys firmly in their roles. I must admit, I scanned over much of those scenes, as I’m sensitive to that level of pain and gore. However, for readers who enjoy the genre, it hits the mark; the author does action very well.
I particularly enjoyed that Jennifer was the heroine of the story. Her integrity, ability to call out those around her, courage in extreme circumstances, and ferocity in protecting her team were compelling.
True to its cinematic flavor, the story ends like many action movies do, right after the climactic battle. The abrupt finale left me with several questions: Did Jennifer’s mentor purposely send her into a deadly situation? Will this be another black mark on Jennifer’s record, or will she be lauded and welcomed back into the agency? And who was the little girl who haunted Reese?
Overall, On the Bayou was a little on the nose, with its portrayal of male law enforcement as overtly and aggressively sexist, and the villains edging close to caricature. That, combined with a lack of grammatical editing that pulled me out of the story every so often, brings my review in at four stars. I recommend the book to anyone who likes a gritty mystery.
To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLOntheBayou on your preferred social media platform.
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