RIVER OF WRATH – St. Benedict, Book 2 – by Alexandria Weis & Lucas Astor

An Excerpt Taken From Alexandrea Weis’ Author Note:

‘Since writing about a psychotic young man and the depraved acts he commits on young women, I’m often asked how I could help pen such a violent and abusive storyline. It’s a good question, but in a culture saturated with the #MeToo movement and pro-women agendas, we must realize that no matter how much we think we’re progressing, we haven’t accomplished a whole hell of a lot where violence against women is concerned.’

‘Leslie Moore is struggling to get through her last semester at St. Benedict High. Even her relationship with her boyfriend Derek is falling apart. But after receding floodwaters from the Bogue Falaya River expose the bones of a woman, Leslie becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer.’

Having read Book Two before Book One, going into the latter—the weight of the depravity within lingers large—no doubt—knowing the bittersweet conclusion is a touch more palatable, that is until you reach the mysterious specter in the macabre cliffhanger—the lead up to Book Three, RIVER OF GHOSTS.

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Vesuvian Books, for providing me with an eBook of RIVER OF WRATH at the request of an honest review.

First and foremost I just have to say the covers on the books in this series are gorgeous. Probably the most appealing cover on a book I can recall. Kudos to whoever designed them.

River of Wrath is the second in a series following a group of high school kids in the small town in Louisiana. The story begins with a set of remains being discovered on the banks of a river and the mystery unfolds from there. There are small town secrets revealed, scandals, drama, and murder which I really liked. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the first book yet so I went into this one blind. However, I’m intrigued after reading the second book and will be going back to read River of Ash. I’d like to add that I really appreciate the character development.

There was a lot going on in River of Wrath. As soon as one major event in the book happened I was swept into the next with little time to absorb the prior storyline. I think this would present a great opportunity to make the writing blend a little more smoothly together in future novels. Also, I am not completely sure what the plot line was. Maybe the book was just a continuation of the first. I was left with a cliffhanger so I’ll be looking out for the next one because I am invested!

Many thanks to the authors, Netgalley, and Vesuvian Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a dark thriller, such a great book. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. Finished it in one day!

I loved River of Ashes so much, so I knew this one would not disappoint me. The intensity of the plot in this book was just as page turning as the previous. I really enjoyed the mix of getting some questions answered while also adding many more new ones. The twists and turns mixed perfectly in the flow of the plot so as to make it engaging and smooth story telling. I can't wait to read the third book in this series. I highly recommend this book!!


Thank you NetGalley and Vesuvian Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This book started where Book1 ended on a cliffhanger.

I love this book's cover even more than Book1, and felt this book was even better - darker, more intense, more disturbing; with more secrets unearthed, and a bone chilling paranormal twist... This book ended on a cliffhanger too, and I cannot wait for Book3!

Please read the trigger warnings before you start reading this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. Once I started this book I was intrigued about what was happening. After I was 10% into it I realized that the confusing was due to me confusing the first book in this series with another one that has a similar plot. I attempted to read the first one to give this one a fair chance but I quickly lost interest. I think that if you enjoyed the first one, you are most likely to enjoy this book, unfortunately I did not found it intriguing enough to continue.

If you like a dark, twisted, and messed up tale, grab this series immediately. The St. Benedict series is addictively appalling and gloriously gruesome. River of Wrath continues down the sadistic path started by book 1, River of Ashes, but this time we delve even deeper into the psychology, motivations, and the dichotomy of our "heroes" and "villains."

Sir Walter Scott's famous line, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive" echoed through my head throughout River of Wrath.

If you are dark and twisty, I can't recommend these enough. Just look at the cover!

To start off, I'll say that I didn't realize that this was a sequel when I requested it. The first one is necessary for the plot and the context of the messages within this book, so I had to backtrack and find a copy of the first one before I could adequately take in this book. The book was...fine? I'm not a huge fan of the way it was structure time-wise, and I found the characters in desperate need of development. The dueling plot lines detracted from the reading experience for me, and I wish one or the other would have been chosen to be developed more fully.

I absolutely loved it and loved twists and turns. It takes deep in the roots of the bogue Falaya River and Devereaux Family. The characters were so interesting and loved the gothic and mysterious vibe of book. The ending was completely unexpected though I wished it didn’t end. Waiting for the next book.

Having read - and absolutely ADORED/been completely horrified by the first in the series - I had high expectations for this one. It's a worthy successor, returning with plenty of twisting plot points, devious characters, and small town secrets as before - all with a slight undercurrent of the paranormal that you just can't quite count out.

Already very excited for the next in the series.

Unfortunately can’t give a good review o this because I did t realize this was a second in the series and I haven’t read the first!

The lies we protect aren’t worth the burden of guilt they create”

Book - River of Wrath (St. Benedict series #1)
Author- Alexandrea Weis, Lucas Astor
🚨Trigger warnings - Incest, Rape
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

Review- This book is sequel to River of Ashes and part 2 of St. Benedict Series.

Part 1 focused on the kid’s lives. In contrast the part 2 shows us the parents had their own secrets and kids were inevitably doomed to get trapped in those secrets.
The harrowing story continues with focus on Gage Deveraux who is adamant on securing the family reputation at any cost
The deep dive in characters lives made it an unputdownable read for me.
It was hard to recall the 1st book at first but after reading few chapters I got hooked in.
The secrets that were unanswered in the 1st book got some revelations and really satisfying too. The plot thickens and more secrets are left unanswered now. I can’t wait for the 3rd book of this series

This book also revealed a bit about the much awaited lady in white legend that surrounds St. Benedict from years. It was truly shocking revelation.

I received an e-ARC from authors in return for my honest review

I did not realized this was a sequel when I original requested it.
I did try to read it, but ultimately had stopped reading it as I felt sort of lost. I will maybe come back to it once I read the first one

River of Wrath by Alexandrea and Lucas Astor is the second book in the St.Benedict Series. The book takes place right after the first one ended and has the same characters with a few new ones.

Leslie Moore, whose sister was killed by Beau, a rich kid that was pretty evil. She has problems coming to terms with her sister's death and misses her terribly. Her mother has started drinking and her father hides himself away in his office. She broke up with her boyfriend Derek.

There is a woman's body that has surfaced after the floodwaters have receded on the Bogue Falaya River. Leslie and her friends want to find out who the killer of this woman is, who is she and how long had she been buried? It appears that she had been there a long time. This woman is somehow connected to Gage, Beau's father.

Luke Cross comes to town and the friends are intrigued with him, who is he and why did he show up in St.Benedict? He befriends Leslie and her friends and not long after there is another girl found dead.

It is up to Sheriff Kent Davis to piece everything together but it is challenging. There is a legend surrounding St.Benedict Abbey, which is not only ruins of what it had been. It was burned down the previous Halloween when horrible things happened. The legend is about a woman in white who has a pack of dangerous dogs. Are they real?

Then another girl is killed, who is the killer, looks like there might be a serial killer loose in the town. How are all of the murders connected? Could it be newcomer Luke Cross? That is what Sheriff Davis must figure out, until then the girls are in danger.

I enjoyed the first book in the series and really loved the second one. I have been a fan of Alexandrea Weis's books for a long time and each book I read of hers seems better than the last. I look forward to book 3, River of Ghosts where there are more murders. Hopefully the reader will get the answers that they are wanting.

This is the second book in the St. Benedict series, so I can't say much about the plot without spoilers. River of Wrath continues the story of sinister dealings and murder in the small town of St. Benedict, Louisiana. How much longer can the Devereaux family hold their power over the residents and will the killing come to an end?

I read River of Ashes and River of Wrath back to back and they are incredibly intense. The characters are dark, their deeds are even darker, and the skeletons keep tumbling out of the closet. While some of the violence was a bit much for me, I couldn't stop turning the pages. This is a book full of twisted minds and evil deeds that you won't soon forget, and it's a worthy continuation of the St. Benedict saga.

If you are sensitive to violence, abuse, and sexual deviance, this series is not for you. Walk away.

If you are a fan of edgy and graphic gothic horror, this will be right up your alley. The writing is atmospheric and will make your skin crawl as you tear through the chapters on the edge of your seat. You won't be able to put these down.

River of Wrath picks up where River of Ashes left off. This is not a standalone volume.

The book opens after Beau Devereaux is dead. Leslie, Kelly, Taylor, and Sara have created an alliance after they made a deal with the devil, Gage Devereaux. A new character named Luke Cross arrives in St. Benedicts. He reminds Leslie a little of Beau. What exactly is Luke's connection to the Devereaux family.

Reading about the kids at Bogue Falaya River felt like coming home. I was glad to see that the violent and graphic sex was minimized to only one small section of the book. Hopefully, by book 3 we won't have to read it at all.

I am hooked ladies and gentlemen. I was actually upset that Book 2 ended; I wanted more. When can I expect Book 3?

Thank you @partnersincrimevbt for the copy of the ARC. These opinions are my own and are being expressed without bias.

I clearly didn’t read the description to realize this was book two and silly me read part of it was confused because of that. I went back and read book one and loved it this was a really good sequel to it! Definitely want to read more from this author

This is book 2 in the St. Benedict series, following River of Ashes, and it picks up months after the previous book. If you've read this blog for any time, you know we love Alexandrea's books, and this YA series contains all her thrills- great dialogue, believable characters, realistic settings, and a knack for knowing human nature and how our inate emotions can rule our thoughts and actions- which is a long way of saying this book is juast as much of a page turner, as the previous book! It very much is in the vibe of vintage Stephen King- all those surprises and thrills are there!

I love that this book looks at the afteraffects of crime and how it's not always in the immediate moments that it is felt- it can be months, years and decades, and the emotions are still raw and just under the surface, ready to come back to cause havoc on the now. And that now, is more deaths. more grief and unease, as the truths come out, and no one is what they seem.The foreshadowing in the book adds the icing to the cake, giving the reader a hint of the possible deliciousness to come in book 3. This is a book you need to be prepared to sit down with and finish, as you won't want to walk away from it- it will call you back when you do, like the wind through the cypresses at St Benedict's!

It may be a YA aimed series, but I've found that there are really great talking points that parents can use in each book, to share experiences and how to handle different types of situations, making it a book that all ages of readers can not only enjoy reading, but discuss! Parent/child book club starter books? YES!

I love a good mystery and suspense and this book was full of that and more surprises than you could imagine!

This is book two of the series and so far it is a story to remember. This is the aftermath from the first book and how life truly goes on.. but the past always comes back to haunt you! So many secrets were unearthed in this book and I was shocked with every single one! While Beau is no longer in the series he is definitely remembered and haunts the pages of his book. Continuously brought up and compared to other situations or people, he is still there..

While new players are brought into the book, or brought out more actively than they were in the first book, it still keeps pace very well and hasn't allowed anything to be blown off the tracks just yet. I appreciate the author's attention to detail in this book but mentioning the slightest glance or touch necessary to get a point across. I am (strangely) exited for what was revealed and cant wait to see what happens in this series next. I am actually surprised that a few people don't actually know what happened to Beau yet but, all in good time..

Thank you NetGalley and Alexandrea Weis for an ARC of book two of this incredible series! I am counting down days to book three !

4.5 stars-RIVER OF WRATH is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult ST. BENEDICT thriller focusing on a group of high school seniors, and the increasing number of bodies found along the Bogue Falaya River in the small Louisiana Parish known as St. Benedict. RIVER OF WRATH should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one RIVER OF ASHES.

WARNING : Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives RIVER OF WRATH focuses on a group of high school seniors who attend St. Benedict High, a group that is slowly succumbing to a possible curse. As more bodies begin to surface in and around the Bogue Falaya River, Leslie Moore, and her friends Sara, Kelly and Taylor begin a search for the truth but the more secrets revealed the possibility increases that Leslie and her friends may suffer the same fate. Having pushed away her boyfriend Derek, in the face of unending guilt and grief, a newcomer to St. Benedict catches the eye of everyone involved, a newcomer with dangerous and dark secrets of his own.

RIVER OF WRATH is an intense, dramatic, graphic and detailed story of horror, vengeance and betrayal, power and control, wealth and madness, obsession and murder. The story line is ensconced in the requisite YA tropes including mean girls and jealousy, as well as the parents fueling or hiding intimate details and history of the St. Benedict Parish. Once again, the premise is haunting and startling; the characters are tragic, desperate, determined and mad. RIVER OF WRATH ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.


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