Oyster by John Biguenet

Oyster

John Biguenet

A story of two feuding families set in the Louisiana bayous in the 1950s, full of revenge killings and seething passions. I loved the rich Cajun dialect and was fascinated by the main character, Therese, a girl who will go to any lengths to control her own destiny. You could call this a family saga for thriller readers, or a crime novel for contemporary literature fans - either way, it's a pearl.

Extract
Though she tried to distract herself with worries about the future, the fin of a terrible truth had circled her all day, the shadow just beneath the surface thickening each time it approached and was driven away. Therese, alone of everyone in Egret Pass, knew Alton to be innocent of Horse's murder. And it was her fault, she knew, Alton's death.

Inable to resist any longer, the girl yielded and let herself remember her brother snagged in the cypress roots, the cold rain lashing his back all night. She saw the face, its eyes sprung open, staring into the murky green water.

Parallels
  • The Next Step in the Dance by Tim Gautreaux
  • The Good Brother by Chris Offutt