Rating: 3.5⭐️

As a Southern Louisiana, a Cajun, & a Daigle descendant, as soon as I saw “roux” and “Daigle,” I knew I had to read this ASAP, especially since I’m in my spooky & horror era.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The imagery that the author created from the very beginning is incredible; it made me feel like I was right back in Louisiana. This novel was a perfect combo of possession, spirits, a haunted house, rougarous, voodoo, & curses. The twists were jaw-dropping, & plot was different and scary. I did notice that there were inconsistencies with the time that lapsed since the event, sometimes it’s fifteen, while other times, it’s twenty. I’m guessing that these will be fixed before it’s officially published, but it was a bit confusing at first. While I appreciate getting backstories & like dual timelines, I don’t think it worked here. There were strange mentions of things that could have been quickly explained either during the time it was mentioned to not cause confusion, from the character remembering it more in detail later, or during a specific part at the end of the book. The backstory chapters interrupted the flow of the narrative, particularly towards the end. Additionally, the book dragged from 40-60%.
Overall, this book is perfect for spooky season, & I’m going to check out his other novels.

Thank you to Wicked House Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC of Blaine Daigle's 'A Dark Roux.'

I enjoyed Blaine Daigle's 'The Broken Places' so was looking forward to reading 'A Dark Roux.'

The setting couldn't be more different, from the frozen North to the hot and steam bayous of Louisiana but we're met with a similar ancient evil embedded in the landscape surrounding an isolated home. Just like with 'The Broken Places' the author evokes landscapes well.

Two adults forced to revisit their tragic and haunted family home to confront the events that saw them driven away years before. On that point, unless I seriously misunderstood something. one thing I found very distracting is that author keeps switching between having those events 15 years before in some places and 20 years before in others. I think an editor needs to run through the novel to correct all of those to read 15 years since that seems to be the actual correct period of time based on Rhiannon being 12 when all of this happened and then being 27 when she returned.

Not too much happens in the first half of the book and I feel like this could've been reduced by half and it would've been a tighter and more enjoyable read. The story and events really pick up in the second half and, for me, becomes a much more enjoyable and better-paced read.

Absolutely love a spooky, spine-tingling, southern style read, and A Dark Roux fit that just perfectly! Daigle did a fantastic job of embodying the deep heart of the bayou throughout this book and how dark magic can linger in places that have been long forgotten about and left behind by time.

I intensely absorbed the first 80% of the book - the pacing was swift and the scenes were riveting. But as I got to the final parts and answers began being revealed, I felt the pace slowed significantly to where too much "explaining" was being done and not enough action was taking place. I absolutely welcome an enchanting, dark backstory, but I feel too much emphasis was placed on the backstory towards the end of the book that it took away from the real danger of the present.

But overall, still a total engrossing read and perfect for any reader who loves to be spooked out of their minds :)

This story was just perfection! It's a fast-paced and suspenseful story with interesting characters. The siblings duo was really fun to read and follow.
The book is about a haunted house but isn't just another haunted house book. It explores the horrors that happened years ago while the things happening in the present begin to take over. There are lots of secrets that the house holds, and you only get bits and pieces as the story progresses further and further. There are creatures in the sugarcane fields and there is an evil presence in the house itself that reveals itself at night. There were lots of sacrifices being made, and a lot of dark secrets being withheld. It was beautifully creepy!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“But she had never been out this late. This hour when the world of man was driven by fear to beds of safety and comfort, while nature reclaimed what always belonged to her.”

“The place had a weight to it, and that weight had finally become too much for her to bear. The nights had become nightmares, surreal destructions of her sanity cooked in the black waters that waited just beyond the property line.”

I don’t know if the sugarcane field scared me more or was it the house itself that gave me the chills. Either way, the location where our story is based, are very interesting and you’re immediately drawn to it.

There are lots of secrets the house holds, and you only get bits and pieces as the story progress further. The momentum was smooth, and you don’t feel anxious about the missing pieces because the author’s got you.

The siblings duo was fun to follow. There were lots of sacrifices being made, a lot of dark secrets being withheld. But that doesn’t stop you from rooting for them.

Miranda’s character was very intriguing to me.

The best part of this book was the writing. It flowed so naturally and almost lyrically. The description was so detailed, it all feels like watching a movie.

A Dark Roux is a dark, chilling and unsettling horror novel by author, Blaine Daigle.
The creepy-ass setting, unsettling atmosphere, remote setting and likeable characters create a combination of horror that will leave you feeling dread alongside the characters.
I found our protagonist to be fascinating, relatable, and believable characters.
This book is honestly a great read. It absolutely took me by surprise. The premise was crazy and I wasn't sure what to expect. But the plot was phenomenal, the story was warped and creepy and intense, and I couldn't put this book down.
Now I’ve added The Broken Places to my tbr.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Blaine Daigle is definitely a master of writing dark, creepy, and atmospheric books. I read his previous novel The Broken Places not too long ago and found it to be one of the most bleak, unsettling books I've ever read. A Dark Roux isn't quite as grim as its predecessor, but it's still not exactly what you'd call a happy story. Like the author's previous work, it's a novel full of broken people and broken places and broken creatures.

Part of what makes this book so creepy and atmospheric is the descriptive writing, which is excellent. It's almost as if you're there in the mouldering house at the edge of the bayou, and in the humid, desolate bayou itself. I grew up on the Gulf Coast not far from Louisiana and could just about feel the oppressive heat and humidity of Cypress Landing. The southern small town bigotry and suspicion was pretty recognizable, too.

Plot-wise, I actually enjoyed this one a bit more than Daigle's previous novel. The flow of the story was better, and I didn't have such a strong sense of despair upon finishing it. I did get a bit confused at the end (mostly concerning Rhiannon's “deal”), but overall I thought the ending was great … and having read The Broken Places, it actually ended more pleasantly than I'd expected it to.

The characters in this book were flawed and realistic – or at least as realistic as characters in a horror novel can be, anyway. Even the side characters were well fleshed out with interesting histories, and I found Miranda in particular to be a well-written, complicated, and fascinating character.

I also really appreciated the incorporation of Cajun folklore and culture into the story. I've always been fascinated by voodoo and the idea of rougarou, and this book had both in abundance.

Final rating: 4.25 stars, rounded down. Definitely give this one a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

This atmospheric and creepy novel is set in a house on a Louisiana bayou with sugarcane fields on either side. If that's not a great setting for a southern gothic horror story I don't know what is!

But this book isn't just another haunted house book. There are creatures in the sugarcane fields and there is an evil presence in the house itself that reveals itself at night but what haunts the house may just be the thing that haunts the family living there.

This story is fantastic at building dread. The ultimate secrets of these terrifying encounters are held back, revealing themselves piece by piece as the tension builds. Throughout is this underlying sense of doom as if whatever is happening can't end well for our brother and sister protagonists.

As this book explores the horrors that transpired years ago, the things happening in the present begin to take over. Not just take over the house or property but the minds of the siblings as well.

The siblings in question are great characters as this novel explores that bond and the sacrifices each have made to keep the other safe. But each also have secrets that they're not willing to give up just yet. And as the supernatural events intensify these hidden secrets might be the one thing to keep them safe.

But at what cost? Family curses, legacy, and deeply held beliefs are all explored here also and all of these elements will bind together at the end for an unexpected and bittersweet twist.

I highly recommend this book.

This story was just perfection! The writing was almost lyrical…the atmosphere was sticky & dreadful…the characters were vividly real in their journeys. Set in Louisiana, you feel the isolation closing in on you, you feel the sticky heat from the muddy waters…you feel the characters anxiety & fear walking among creatures in the darkness. I wouldn’t change a thing, it was a beautiful & creepy.

A spooky, Southern ghost story that will have you shivering with goosebumps and scared to turn out the lights! Daigle's atmospheric scenes and hauntingly lyrical prose made every sentence seem so real and absolutely terrifying. The author has an immense talent for utilizing isolated locations to instill the utmost depth of fear. I'm obsessed with stories that take place in the bayou, revolving around Cajun folklore, voodoo, and black magic. A Dark Roux perfectly incorporated all of these elements. This book was fun and the perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. I highly recommend to all the horror fans out there and to anyone who loves a good ghost story! And if you haven't yet read his other book The Broken Places, I highly recommend that you read it as well. Looking forward to what he comes up with next!

Thank you to the author, Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!