really liked it im a slut for spooky mysteries in Louisiana tbh

Very suspenseful page turner, populated with an intriguing cast of characters. I often figure out the ending of mysteries halfway through the book, but this one was a complete surprise. Great writing and settings in which it's easy to lose yourself and sink into the tale. I will look for future releases from this author!

I was a little skeptical when I realized that the main character of this novel was going to be psychic divorced woman who had recently lost her son. I was worried that it would be a little heavy handed or over the top, or something. But I actually got really absorbed into this mystery - I loved it! Also, I totally didn't see twist/ resolution coming, which is another sign of a good mystery. The story moved at a good pace and I found I was able to read it more quickly than I expected.

This book has also reenergized my love of southern gothic (which is fabulous - I forgot how much I love the atmosphere, setting, and feeling of well done southern gothic stories). Overall, I enjoyed this enough that I definitely want to keep going with the series :)

The start was a little slow, but once it got going I couldn't put it down!

I'm a sucker for a good Southern gothic romance/mystery and The Gates of Evangeline did not disappoint.

Eagerly awaiting the second installment next year.

A spooky first half and the Southern Gothic setting really got me into the story. Unfortunately, a predictable ending and a wishy-washy commitment to the supernatural, “I see things in my dreams” storyline left me feeling meh on the whole thing. It had a ton of promise. The premise was original and creepy. The whodunit mystery/suspense was really well-maintained before Young inadvertently gave too much away all at once. It’s too bad. With an unpredictable ending, this book could have really stood out among the suspense novels I’ve read this year.

Many thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte "Charlie" Cates is barely moving through the motions of life after the death of her young son. Her friends are worried, her coworkers have given up on her, and she's started having strange dreams about children. Except they aren't dreams, they're the future and Charlie can't ignore them. When an opportunity arises to work on a cold case novel about a missing child, she accepts and takes off to Louisiana. A long way from New York, Charlie becomes wrapped up in not only the mystery surrounding Gabriel Deveau's disappearance, but the mystery surrounding the family and those that are around them.

The Gates of Evangeline is so much more than just a southern gothic mystery, there is romance, drama, and a pinch of paranormal. I was so wrapped up in this story and I really enjoyed the twists and turns as the mystery grew. Charlie is a character that I could really feel for, she had so much pain to deal with and faced the cold case of a missing little boy head on. The Deveau family is totally cliche, but it works. I would never have picked out who was involved, even though I had guessed the mystery fairly early on. No character is treated as a minor character, they had depth and each brought something to the story. I really enjoyed Charlie's interactions with Detective Minot, as well as with the staff of the Deveau family. There was always something sneaking past me as I read a major plot point and the surprises just kept coming.

The mystery is predictable and sometimes the interactions between characters seem unrealistic. While well developed, some of the characters are so exaggerated that a true southerner will find flaws in their language and in Charlie's quick judgement.

I really enjoyed The Gates of Evangeline and if I didn't know better I would say Hester Young is a seasoned gothic mystery author. As a reader, you know all the details about the beautiful estate and every character's involvement, I love that kind of atmospheric detail. I would absolutely recommend this to my women sleuth loving friends, plus it is the first in a trilogy that is sure to be great.

I figured out the mystery pretty quick and the ending was trite, but I still enjoyed the book. It wasn't bad, just predictable.

I loved this book! It's not often anymore that I come across a story that makes me stay up late because I just can't put it down but that's exactly what happened here. The story of Charlie and her lost child (not a spoiler, this is one of the first things that happens in the book) is so very compelling; I love the pace of the story entirely, but really appreciate how that particular reveal was paced. To me, this was a story that transcends genre. Not just a supernatural thriller, or a mystery, or a romance, although it has all of those elements. I'm really looking forward to reading book 2.