Charlsie Russell

Epico Bayou Charlsie Russell First edition

Charlsie Russell's newest novel is a romantic mystery set against the founding of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's premier port city, Gulfport, at the close of the 19th century. In 1897, the grand old man Lionel Augustus dies and, much to the chagrin of his greedy siblings, leaves the bulk of his significant estate to his illegitimate son and beloved step-daughter, with one stipulation: they wed. For reasons of their own, the two agree to marry, sight unseen, but only days after her marriage by proxy to Deputy Sheriff Clay Boudreaux of Galveston County, Texas, Olivia Lee learns her husband has died in a house fire and her extended family intends to contest the will. Exacerbating her situation, a stranger, claiming to be the dead Clay, but who her family warns is Clay's older brother Troy, invades Olivia's opulent home and accuses her of hiring Troy to kill Clay...and yet another henchman to eliminate Clay's killer. Olivia and the invader, whoever he might be, have sound reasons for confusing their roles in the plot to murder Clay Boudreaux, reasons dealing with duty, justice, and survival. Neither is sure of the role the other plays in the Machiavellian plan of Lionel's siblings, nor is it clear that Lionel's brother and sister are the only subversives working to sabotage the terms of Lionel's will. So great is the present danger it overshadows the dark secret driving Lionel's bizarre stipulation that Clay and Olivia wed in the first place. Charlsie Russell's third novel is both a romantic charade and a compelling mystery, pitting the wit and will of one wary lover against the honor and sheer determination of the other, even while the sinister machinations of dangerous foes force them into a grudging alliance. Though the tangled mystery sets this novel apart from her edgy Gothics, The Devil's Bastard and Wolf Dawson, Ms. Russell's Epico Bayou still features those tried and true elements of suspense, sensual romance, and historical setting that characterize her work. Pure escape. Don't miss this journey!