River Woman, River Demon

A Novel

By: Jennifer Givhan

Narrated by: Kyla Garcia

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning Mexican-American and Indigenous author Jennifer Givhan brings us an exquisitely written, spell-binding psychological thriller—weaving together folk magick with personal and cultural empowerment—that is perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.

When Eva’s husband is arrested for the murder of a friend, she must confront her murky past and embrace her magick to find out what really happened that night on the river.

Eva Santos Moon is a burgeoning Chicana artist who practices the ancient, spiritual ways of brujería and curanderisma, but she’s at one of her lowest points—suffering from disorienting blackouts, creative stagnation, and a feeling of disconnect from her magickal roots. When her husband, a beloved university professor and the glue that holds their family together, is taken into custody for the shocking murder of their friend, Eva doesn’t know whom to trust—least of all, herself. She soon falls under suspicion as a potential suspect, and her past rises to the surface, dredging up the truth about an eerily similar death from her childhood.

Struggling with fragmented memories and self-doubt, an increasingly terrified Eva fears that she might have been involved in both murders. But why doesn’t she remember? Only the dead women know for sure, and they’re coming for her with a haunting vengeance. As she fights to keep her family out of danger, Eva realizes she must use her magick as a bruja to protect herself and her loved ones, while confronting her own dark history.

River Woman, River Demon is a mysterious incantation of reckoning with the past and claiming one’s unique power and voice.

©2022 Jennifer Givhan (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

Good Housekeeping Pick

We Are Bookish Pick

Story lacking imagination.

Didn’t care for the main character. She was too easy to give up on her husband. Loved the narration.

Amazing

Damn this was a great book. I finished it in 3 days. I would highly recommend it.

What a hook!!!!

Great story. Get you going w the story and the bomb drops and leaves your mouth on the ground. A must read or listen.

Refreshingly lacking idealism

Well performed, which kept me engaged when I felt there were a few lulls in the story progression. But a journey of personal struggle and discovery rooted in mystery, the occult , and personal discovery all come together well in the end. The entire story is wrapped in moral imperfection which, for me, grounded the narrative and felt refreshing.

Saw it here on Facebook, so thanks to whoever shared it.

Not my usual genre but I loved it.

Incorporating experiences of BIPOC folks real life sets this book apart. I was recommending it to others before I even finished.

Keeps you guessing

There were so many times I thought I had things figured out in the plot, but then it took an exciting turn. It's easy for a mom to see herself in the protagonist; she's the badass maternal figure we all hope to be for our own "X's". As someone who lived/taught in Albuquerque for 2 years, it was cool to hear the legitimate landmarks referenced in the book; the New Mexico details and imagery are spot on. It was only at the very end of the book (literally the last 10 minutes) that I felt the plot "jumped the shark" and actions of some characters were far fetched. That said, others will surely still feel the say I do overall in terms of thoroughly enjoying her writing style and this twisted whodunit.

Struggled to get through.

I was very excited when I first learned of this book but right from the start I found the main character to be lacking. Throughout the story I kept thinking how frustrating it was to hear about this woman who continued to have barely any redeemable qualities. I LOVED hearing about the magic, the history, the ancient ways. Sadly, apart from enjoying the magical parts, I just kept waiting for the story to end so I didn't have to listen to more about this hot mess of a woman who had zero faith in practically everyone she supposedly loved and cared for. 85% Frustrating. 15% Fun and interesting.

Self serving main character

I found this book very long winded, so much unnecessary fillers went into it. The performance was horrible. Every time I'd hear the word Babe I felt like turning off the audible. even more unlike was the main character.

Enjoyed the details

This book was a pretty solid listen, especially since it was free. I am learning that I don’t love the thriller genre as much as horror and this is firmly planted in thriller, but it was still an enjoyable story overall.

I appreciated the details about New Mexico and magick, this kept me enthralled.

I did spot the bad guy from a mile away but did not necessarily see how it would come together.

nope

Nope, nope, this is the dumbest story I've ever listened to. Nope, nope, just... no.