Black Diamond

Wilds of the Bayou, Book 2

By: Susannah Sandlin

Narrated by: Elizabeth Godley

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

For some people, the untamed beauty of the bayou is a place to hide. For Louisiana wildlife agent Jena Sinclair, it's a place of refuge - one where she can almost forget the tragedy that scarred both her skin and her soul. But when the remains of yet another fisherman turn up, Jena realizes that Bayou Pointe-aux-Chenes is not safe for her...or anyone else.

The mysterious deaths aren't her only problem. A dangerous drug known as Black Diamond is circulating through Terrebonne Parish, turning addicts into unpredictable sociopaths. Jena's investigation leads her to Cole Ryan - a handsome, wary recluse struggling with his own troubled history - who knows more than he's willing to admit. If they want to stop the killer, Jena and Cole must step out of the shadows of their pasts and learn to help each other...before the evils lurking in the bayou consume them both.

©2016 Suzanne Johnson. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Loved it

I've looked forward to this title since the moment I finished book one. Was well worth the wait.

Black Diamond

The story began out on a chilling note. It gave me the chills, and of course, I had to continue, as I had to know how the story would unfold.

Jenna has been through so much and she bears the physical and emotional scars of her experiences. She has returned to fieldwork after the accident that left her with those scars. She gained a new partner, a new home.

A new drug has taken Terrebonne Parish by storm. This drug is addictive, and it makes users’ behavior violent and out of control. Jenna is invested in the investigation as someone close to her has been exposed to the drug.

Cole lives his life in recluse determined to escape his past. His story will break your heart. After hearing his story, I understood his reasons for choosing to live as a hermit.

There was literally no romance. This is one of biggest peeves when it come to this genre. It is classified as a romantic suspense but when you get between the pages, there is suspense served with a pinch of romance. The characters did not spend lots of time together, so there was no time for their romance to blossom. They were drawn to each other because they recognised they had emotional pain in common. I sensed the magnetic pull between them and I believed they had a connection.

The story moved at a pace. There was never a boring moment. At the eighty percent mark, the author stepped it up and at this point, the nail biting feeling came over me. I figured out the mystery from early in the story and as to the parties involved, this too came as no surprise. This however, did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. Instead, it piqued my curiosity as to what their next move would be.

Narration
I enjoyed the narration. The narrator’s voice was an easy listen. I loved her accents, and I felt she captured the voices of the characters well.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, I enjoyed this installment. I will definitely read more from this author. Fans of the genre will enjoy Black Diamond.

Great to listen to

Loved the story. Great sequel. I really like Susannah Sandlin. I'm from Louisiana so I love the accurate description of the setting. It feels like I'm there. The accents are great! I think the narrator did a fantastic job. It's a great listen!

Bayou mystery

I enjoyed this second book in the series. This book can be read independently. Black Diamond is a new drug taking over the bayou. Jena Sinclair a wildlife agent has noticed the gators in the area not acting normal and upon further investigation discovers they are being used as drug runners. No one in the area is safe until they can find the people responsible.

Mostly Good.

The prologue was a real downer. She made you like someone then brutally killed him. I skipped it.
The narrator got a few character voices mixed up.

Otherwise it was a good book. It was full of interesting details of the Louisiana swamps and surrounding areas.

Great story

Narrator read so slowly and paused in strange places. I felt like listening on double speed. But she did great voices and accents

Bayou Troubles.

I listen to so many audiobooks that truthfully, I vaguely remember the first book, I do know I liked it and so bought this one on a sale. Glad I did, and it can be listened to as a standalone. The mystery was a bit obvious who the bad guy was, but the story was still a good one. In fact, I liked this one better than the first from what I do remember. I will continue with the series if the author comes out with more. Narrator is good.

Black Diamond by susannaj sandlin

I like the store. But you can use a better reader. She reads like a kindergarten teacher.

The sequel is better than the first

I gave the first book 4 stars. Maybe what I liked better about this one, were the main characters and the lack of a serial killer. Still some violence, but most of the story is developing the relationship between the MCs and an investigation into the latest drug smuggling operation in the bayou. Held my attention throughout; really didn't want to stop listening. Okay, so the hunky hermit didn't hurt either!

fast pace suspense

I really liked this book and hope the author writes more in the series. Loved revisiting the couple in the first book. However, you dont have to listen or read them in order.

There was a lot of action and suspense. I loved the hero in this one. His story was so heart breaking but added a lot of character. The only thing I had trouble with was how after the main character of the first book talkes about getting married, I wish the actual wedding would've been mentioned. But it was ok without it. Gosh, now I'm gonna have a book hangover because it was so good.

If you listen to audiobooks I highly recommend this one. The narration was amazing. I loved the accents some characters had.