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!