Jennifer Moorhead debuts a bestselling thriller, Broken Bayou.
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Broken Bayou
In this debut thriller, a troubled child psychologist returns to a small Louisiana town to protect her secrets but winds up having to protect her life.
Dr. Willa Watters is a prominent child psychologist at the height of her career. But when a viral video of a disastrous television interview puts her reputation on the line, Willa retreats to Broken Bayou, the town where she spent most of her childhood summers. There she visits her aunts’ old house and discovers some of her unstable mother’s belongings still languishing in the attic—dusty mementos harboring secrets of her harrowing past.
Willa’s hopes for a respite are quickly crushed, not only by what she finds in that attic but also by what’s been found in the bayou.
With waters dropping due to drought, mysterious barrels containing human remains have surfaced, alongside something else from Willa’s past, something she never thought she’d see again. Divers, police, and media flood the area, including a news reporter gunning for Willa and Travis Arceneaux—a local deputy and old flame.
Willa’s fate seems eerily tied to the murders. And with no one to trust, she must use her wits to stay above water and make it out alive.
To purchase your copy of Broken Bayou, click either of the following links: Amazon and Interabang Books
Click on this link to read my interview with Jennifer Moorhead
My Thoughts on Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead
A dynamite debut that will have readers clamoring for Moorhead’s next book.
Jennifer Moorhead is a terrific storyteller. Broken Bayou may be her debut novel, but she’s already skilled at building tension and creating twists that readers won’t expect. Each time I thought I had a handle on the guilty party, I was wrong.
Like all good domestic thrillers, the environment works well to augment the suspense. The swamp becomes another character who both hides and reveals secrets stretching back to Willa’s childhood. “The water in that bayou is going to continue to evaporate, and the more it does, the more likely it is something else will surface.”
Dr. Willa Watters left Broken Bayou behind years ago, so the return to her aunts’ house and their small town is not what she expects. Willa arrives to find the house she loved filled with “dollhouse rooms, separate and boxed in and much smaller than I remember.”
Nothing about Willa fits into the close-knit community, not her clothes, her work, or her success, except … her success recently took a very public beating, so she returns with only part of her emotional armor in place. She might dress like someone who has made it, but her confidence is shot from a recent event, so neither her clothes nor her persona feel natural to her anymore.
Moorhead deftly taps into the insecurities of her main character. Insecurities many of us can relate to, guilt over not protecting family members, guilt over choices made, and the need to explain misconceptions to everyone whose opinion matters to us, and even to those who don’t.
Returning to a community after years away can be fraught with danger. We can feel like we know old acquaintances, but people aren’t frozen in amber. Not only do people change, they may not be who we thought they were to begin with. In the midst of all this, Willa becomes embroiled in cases of missing and murdered women. Events from the past and the present combine to keep Willa off-guard and guessing who to trust and what’s the truth, and readers will be right there with her.
Anyone who works to escape their past, longs to renew old ties, or fights to separate from the legacy of their family will recognize themself in Willa Watters.
This is a dynamite debut that will have readers clamoring for Moorhead’s next book.
Jennifer Moorhead — Author of Broken Bayou
Jennifer graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Geaux Tigers!
She has written and produced three indie short films that each made top 20 at the Louisiana Film Prize and were awarded at festivals around the world.
She lives in Louisiana with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, one cat, and plenty of horses, mini ponies, and mini donkeys in a place where swamps and winding trails are the norm.
When she’s not writing, she’s on a tennis court laughing and providing job security for her coach.
Find out more about Jennifer by clicking either link: Instagram & Facebook
Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor
Header image from Pixabay
