The Gates of Evangeline is a solid mystery suspense with a flair of supernatural elements. It was reminiscent of both Steig Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as well as Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects (although not quite as intensely dark as Flynn). Sent to a remote area of the Louisiana bayou, New York journalist Charlie Cates is tasked with writing a book about the 30-year-old kidnapping of the son of an illustrious and historic southern family. Dealing with her own recent personal trauma, Charlie attempts to uncover long-buried secrets while seeking some peace of her own. The Gates of Evangeline successfully combines paranormal elements with a more classic mystery narrative to deliver an enjoyable, and at times, hair-raising read.