Voodoo Heart is another excellent offering from Flame Tree Press. With characters who scream off the page with realism to creepy imagery, unsettling moments, and unclear motives from everyone, it is a both an excellent police procedural and a very effective horror novel. It is well-written and flows seamlessly from event to event, never getting bogged down in description or leaving too much to the imagination. This was my first time venturing into the darkly erotic world of horror writer John Everson, but I know it is a world I will be returning to, repeatedly,

Oh this book had such promise for me. The synopsis was enticing and great in a horror book. But the tone and writing style were not there when I tried to start it....I kept pushing on, but I was dragging my feet. Could not finish this one.

John Everson is the man for this one!

This story is about a detective named Ribaud. His wife is murdered and he's out to seek the person who is causing murders to pop up all around New Orleans. He meets a few people and losses a few on his way through this incredible story, and it all leads up to an exhilarating ending.

I enjoyed this book immensely. In the end, it was a tad bit predictable, but I enjoyed where the story went and the main character was a treat to follow.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

This story is creepy, twisted, horrific, and SO awesome!

To begin with, I loved the author’s style of writing. The author writes the story in a noir styled manner that immediately makes it stand out. As soon as I started reading it, the tale felt like watching Humphrey Bogart mixed with American Horror Story. As I love classic noir films and horror, reading this book was a treat!

The plot glued to the pages as Detective Ribaud tries to solve the mystery of the serial killings. There are a lot of characters Cork meets along the way like Eleanor, Renee, Rowan, and Desiree. Each stands out in their manner. Moreover, the author puts in many twists and turns that you don’t know where the story is heading. The climax didn’t turn out the way I thought it was, and I admired the author for his unique storytelling.

Many scenes stood in the story, like Cork walking in on the cult during the ritual or when he meets Madeline. Some of the scenes are pretty graphic, so I would not recommend it for the faint of heart. You have gory deaths, deformed bodies, voodoo chants, hexes, and secret cults practicing demonic rituals. Moreover, I do not know much about voodoo, except for the dolls that we see in pop culture. But I was interested in the various faces of voodoo practices that the author mentions. It sparked my curiosity to further research on the topic.

Also, this is the first book I read by the author, and I held on to his every word. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

That was a wild ride. I inhaled it. There is some suspension of disbelief required as you might expect from a horror story with "voodoo" in the title, but the pacing is great, and I was always ready to know what was coming next. Well, I really wasn't ready for some of that craziness, but it was an interesting read.

I would definitely read something else by this author.

New Orleans, black magic, murder. This was everything I was hoping it to be, I really enjoyed this. I ended up giving this one a four out of five stars. I can't wait to get myself a finished copy.

God, I wanted to get into this one! The premise is really good and I absolutely love spooky books, but something about this book just didn't click with me. I didn't like the tone of how John Everson writes, and I guess I was just expecting something different when the book went on. It just wasn't for me, personally.

All across New Orleans, on one night each month, people are being snatched from their beds, their hearts left on their bloody sheets. Their family and loved ones are at a loss to explain how it happened right under their noses; even partners sleeping next to the victims aren’t woken when the victims are stolen away into the night. Detective Lawrence Ribaud’s wife is one such victim and this makes the investigation very personal to him.

It soon transpires that the disappearances are occurring on the night of the full moon and that voodoo, or at least a belief in voodoo, is in play. Ribaud is a cynic and doesn’t believe in the power of voodoo, but many of the people he interacts with do and as the investigation unfolds, he finds his scepticism challenged.

Voodoo Heart is an excellent book. It has a great sense of place and while I’ve never been to New Orleans myself, the author appears to know the city well; I really enjoyed how he took us behind the touristy kitsch that most visitors will only see. It is also full of a creepy atmosphere and is not for the feint hearted. Ribaud comes across some horrific things in this novel and there’s a lot of blood and guts.

If I have one criticism of Voodoo Heart, it’s that Ribaud’s police colleagues never mention his wife. This is a man whose wife is a victim of these horrific crimes, yet none of his colleagues, nor his boss, ask once about his wellbeing. Now one asks how he’s holding up. And would he even be allowed to work the case, seeing as he’s so personally invested and thus maybe not thinking straight? Again, this is never addressed.

That said, this is a really good slice of Southern Gothic horror and is well worth a read.

The nitty-gritty: A thoroughly entertaining mystery with an unappealing protagonist, Voodoo Heart was a fun read but ultimately a mixed bag for me.

I was eager to dive into this horror/noir mystery by the prolific John Everson, especially when I found out that the story is set in New Orleans and involves voodoo. Can a story be both fun to read but problematic as well? It turns out it can. Voodoo Heart was entertaining as hell, but unfortunately I had some issues.

New Orleans PD Detective Lawrence “Cork” Ribaud finds himself in the middle of a disturbing and bloody mystery: for the past few months, on the night of the full moon, residents of New Orleans have woken up in blood-soaked sheets to find their significant other missing. Even more horrific is the fact that at each crime scene, a human heart is found lying in the puddle of blood. The department is reluctant to call these crimes “murders” (because no bodies have been found), and so they’re calling them “disappearances,” even though DNA testing suggests the hearts belong to the missing people.

Cork has a personal connection to the crimes because his wife Amanda is one of the “missing.” Shortly before he himself woke up in a bloody bed, he discovered that Amanda was having an affair, but that didn’t take away the shock of the crime. Now Cork is on the case as the bodies (or rather, lack of) start to pile up, and even though the police don’t seem to have any leads, Cork suspects something dark might be at play. The crime scenes seem ritualistic in nature, so Cork decides to ask his friend Eleanor, a practitioner of voodoo, if she might have any ideas. Eleanor does not give up her secrets easily, but she sets Cork on a dangerous path that includes voodoo queens, snakes, blood sacrifices and curses.

Voodoo Heart has a gritty noir quality that I loved. Cork even talks like a grizzled, jaded detective who loves his city but understands its seedy underbelly and seems to take all its weirdness in stride. I loved the sultry atmosphere Everson created: the dark, hidden bars, the candlelit shops where tourists can buy voodoo charms and spells, the air of danger that seems to hang over the city. Cork loves his booze, and the reader becomes familiar with his favorite drinks, like Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and NOLA IPA. I always love little details like that! The story is told from Cork’s first person POV, and he has a wry, humorous way of looking at New Orleans:

I walked in on a vampire joke at the Two-Headed Horse. It happens a lot here, thanks to Anne Rice.

I also enjoyed the compelling mystery of the missing bodies and their connection to voodoo. Everson briefly goes into the history of New Orleans voodoo and it was fascinating. Cork is a skeptic and doesn’t believe in voodoo at all, so it was interesting to see him embroiled in a supernatural mystery, especially when he begins to witness things that he just can’t explain. There is quite a bit of graphic description of crime scenes and bodies, so do be aware if you’re the squeamish type.

But as much as I loved the dangerous vibe of Voodoo Heart, I did have some issues with the story, particularly with our main character Cork. Hmm, where do I start? Cork is a horny, hard drinking guy, with an emphasis on “horny.” He recently lost his wife, and yet he hooks up with no fewer than three or four different women in this book (I honestly lost track). Everson gives us the impression that the city of New Orleans is full of young, sexually charged men and women who drink and screw non stop (and maybe it is—I have never been there). In one memorable scene, he’s spying on a secret voodoo ritual in which all the members disrobe and dance naked in the firelight. Rather than the normal reaction of “oh shit I probably shouldn’t be watching this secret voodoo ritual where they are actually sacrificing a person maybe I should run away before anyone sees me,” Cork gives us a blow by blow rundown of the physical attributes of all the naked women, cause he’s such a horndog. I mean I guess I get it, he’s a guy, but characters who talk about women in terms of how “stacked” they are or using descriptions like “the landing strip of hair in the delta between her thighs” just make me gag. I also found Everson’s prose to be awkward at times, particularly during the many sex scenes in the book. Some lines like “I could feel her orgasm approaching” just made me laugh out loud!

I also had a few issues with the way the police department handled the disappearances/murders. So when the story opens, these crimes have been happening for about three or four months, and on the full moon each time. And yet no one has made any headway on solving the mystery, even though they have a heads-up as to when the next group of murders is going to happen. And there doesn’t seem to be any crime scene protocol in place AT ALL. Cork wanders onto the scene, steps in blood, and steals evidence. He rarely reports to his police chief but instead does his own investigating by digging up the names of dangerous voodoo practitioners and questioning them with no finesse at all. He also misses clues that I caught right away and I’m not even a detective! Oops I thought I was done talking about Cork, guess not…

I was hoping for a strong finish so I could bump my rating up a bit, but unfortunately the resolution of the murders was rushed and the story ended way too abruptly. I had one of those “Wait, that’s it??” moments when I got to the end, which left me puzzled and vaguely unsatisfied. Still, I have to give props to the author for a fast-paced, entertaining story, and many other reviewers are giving Voodoo Heart four and five star ratings, so do check it out if it sounds like your thing.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I loved this one. New Orleans, black magic and voodoo, murder. Perfect. Not for the faint of heart.

Voodoo Hearts
Author: John Everson
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Page count: 256pp
Release date: 21st Oct 2020

“Voodoo is not a toy. I can’t really blame tourists for not understanding.”

The narrator, Detective Lawrence Ribaud, aka Cork, captures the verve and ambience of Bourbon St, New Orleans - aka NOLA - the bustling streets of drunk tourists, the voodoo shops and love spells.
And the darkness hidden beneath the veneer of spooky gimmicks. And there is a shed load of darkness in this book.
Filling the role of jaded, grizzled, likes-a-whiskey cop, Cork starts right in the crux of the story. 
A plethora of blood-soaked sheets and missing bodies.
And broken hearts - not the kind where your guy or girl or non binary peep has dumped you; but the torn out, broken organ dumped in the middle of the bed. * mind the wet spot *
Cork’s morbid sense of humour pervades the novel, even when he’s quoting someone else’s terrible vampire jokes, which run rife through the city thanks to Anne Rice. 
And there’s a girl - or a dame, ‘cause it’s riding the Noir vibe - Renee, a follower of white voodoo.
We gradually find out more about Cork’s enigmatic  history through clues he drops, and it's clear he's had a tough time of it recently.
Amongst the main storylines of missing bodies and clues that lead to voodoo, we get real, visceral, bloody murder/missing scenes and incredibly dark and light hints of what voodoo is and what it could be.
The scene at the The Black Queen's mansion when Cork exchanges help with a ritual for answers on his case, is terrific. It might make some readers squeamish but I loved what it revealed of Cork.
This is gruesome, sexy, scary and it hooks you right in.
I'd love to see Cork get a full series of supernatural investigations.
This is up there with Angel Heart and the pseudo-noir works of P. N. Elrod, Tim Waggoner and Kevin J Anderson.
Give us more Cork, please!

What is black magic?

Black magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes. With respect to the left-hand path and right-hand path dichotomy, black magic is the malicious, left-hand counterpart of the benevolent white magic.

Voodoo Heart is an old-fashioned murder mystery which involves black magic and the debate of white magic and black magic and bleeding hearts.


You are running with the book and its tempting and every step and when you find the reason behind of it all it truly is amazing. Matters of the heart,of love and revenge.


Recommend this book to all thriller lovers who love an old-fashioned murder mystery and which involves curses.

Trust me the lack of technology and direct contact will really take you back to the good old days and you get to know of the soul of the city New Orleans, it’s history and its culture in the book.


The reveal of the Black Queen is not predictable at all but how rituals, culture and belief system works in its mysterious ways.

There are several scenes where you would want to not read the parts but trust me when the writer writes without inhibitions and if you do your own research because I did mine you will find this is how the rituals,the culture existed and functioned.

John Everson's Voodoo Heart delivers a delightful dose of Southern voodoo thrills - just in time for the Halloween season.
At a lean 174 pages, this is a whip-fast detective mystery perfect to consume in one or sittings involving a hell-bent detective, shady characters and a string of violent ritualistic crimes.
The New Orleans setting oozes through every page and Everson takes the reader deep down the rabbit hole into an underbelly of sex, violence and human sacrifice.
Recommended.

5 Stars!

John Everson had me hooked on his writing from the first page I read years ago. His novels are full of violence and sex that feeds into the tension that he puts into every story. Every story has been entertaining and horrific at the same time. Everson has found a new home with Flame Tree Press but the old horror remains the same. I was happy to have an advance reading copy of his newest novel, Voodoo Heart, and jumped into the story expecting some of that Everson black magic.



There was a string of murders in New Orleans every night of the full moon. Presumed murders would be more like it. Instead of murders, they are classified as disappearances because there are no bodies left behind. The victim’s loved ones would wake up to find nothing more than a blood-soaked bed and their lover’s heart. Detective Lawrence Ribaud must figure out who is committing the crimes but this is more than just his job. His estranged wife was one of the first to vanish and he was hellbent to figure out what happened to her even if it meant delving into a world he never believed in: voodoo.



As a police officer in New Orleans, voodoo had always surrounded Ribaud. You cannot go through the city, much less the seedier side of the town, without coming into contact with it. He accepted people’s beliefs, even made friends who practiced them, but never once did he believe in them. The new crimes are pushing the limits of his beliefs and opening a whole new world for Ribaud. As a seemingly malevolent force begins to hold the city hostage and the killings mount, Ribaud is forced to turn to those who practice the mystic arts of voodoo for help. Ribaud finds himself delving into a darkness he never gave much credence to before in an effort to stop a dark force that threatens his life but the lives of millions of others if it remains unchecked. He must travel to the heart of voodoo and hope that he is not too late to save mankind.



Voodoo Heart is another great example of why John Everson has become one of my favorite horror writers. The story sunk its hooks into me from the beginning and I knew I was in for another fun ride with Everson as the conductor of this runaway train. There is a mix of horror, sometimes almost extreme horror, and police procedural that keeps the story moving along quickly but which also lends a weight to the events of the novel. While I knew this was a work of fiction, Everson gives it a realism that drives the story along with an emotional impact that a simple horror novel would not be able to impart. The novel not only packs a horrifying punch but an emotional one as well. The characters feel real and that is where the true power of the story lies. The reader is sure to care about the characters and their many faults and filings which gives the story much more power than it would otherwise possess.



John Everson never pulls his punches in his novels and Voodoo Heart is no exception. The novel hits the reader like a slap to the face at times and the horror is violent and extreme. But this novel is a little different from his other books as Everson takes more time to develop the characters, make them more human, than in his other works. The action I would expect in a novel by Everson is all here but there is an added dimension to this novel. Voodoo Heart has all of the horror that I expect from a John Everson novel but also seemed like a step forward for him as well. A new Everson novel is always an event for me but after Voodoo Heart, I am even more excited to see what the future holds. This novel is a must read for Everson’s fans and for the legion of fans who should come to appreciate this underappreciated writer who has been writing in relative obscurity for far too long.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Voodoo Heart is available now.

I haven’t read a ton of scary stories this October, but the ones I have gotten my hands on, I’ve really enjoyed, and this one is no exception. Though I do have to say that there were a few parts that I was too immature to read and had me laughing harder than I should have, I did really like reading this, and I’m happy to have a copy for my bookshelf. If you’re looking for a New Orleans Detective style murder mystery novel with a ton of magic and voodoo mixed in, than you might want to check this out next.

Following a detective who’s a little too close to the cases assigned to him, it shows his life as he tries to get over the loss of his wife, who after finding out she was cheating on him, lost her life. Her body was never found, but her heart, and a whole lot of her blood, were found on the bed next to him. Since then, almost the exact same situation has been happening again and again, more and more people missing each month. And he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

What I expected from this book, was just a normal detective novel, and not the deep dive on voodoo I got. I really liked that about this book. I feel like I learned something, even though it’s fiction, you know? It was really interesting. And I think the whole aspect about curses and rituals really gave it an interesting feel. This wasn’t one of those books where you know who did it, although I did kind of have a feeling about it. A lot of the book, I was wondering if I was being tricked into thinking it was someone else, if the curse was actually real and maybe it could have just been a serial killer who was involved with some dark magic thinking, or if maybe the main character was imagining the whole thing due to some kind of spiral after losing his wife. But no, I got the ending I wanted, with a lot more supernatural aspects than I expected.

Overall, if you think this is something you’d like, than by all means, grab a copy! I’m glad I have it on my shelf, and I can recommend it to people I know once I see them again. I know a few people who would like this, book, and I think it’s perfect for this month. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.


(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

I love books set in New Orleans and I loved this mix of thriller/horror and paranormal.
I was hooked since the first pages and I loved the growing tension, the creepy factor and the excellent world building.
The MC is a good example of noir detective, well thought and interesting. The characters are well thought.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Horror At It's Best!

Detective Lawrence Ribaud (Cork to his friends) in New Orleans is called to an apparent murder scene where there is a blood filled bed with a heart lying right in the center of the mess but no body to be found. The spouse had been sleeping right next to the supposed victim and never heard a thing. This is personal for Ribaud because the same crime happened to his wife several months prior and these same crimes have been occurring every month since his wife went missing but more bodies keep disappearing each month and the numbers keep increasing. There is no evidence at the crime scenes and no apparent breakins so the police department is completely stumped. Detective Rimbaud has a few friends in the Voodoo business which he is a complete sceptic but it wouldn't hurt to investigate some of these practices since New Orleans is overloaded with believers of white and black magic. Could this be helpful to his caseload or will it lead Cork on an empty journey down a very dark and dangerous road where if he doesn't solve these cases soon he could also soon disappear.

This was a wonderfully written horror story that was a a non-stop page turner. I have read several of John Ever son's books but this was my favorite so far. I could visualise the nightlife and the shops in New Orleans and also the murky swamps in the backwoods of Louisiana. The writer captured essence of all the surrounding environments of where he traveled and where people and bodies could possibly disappear. The characters were well detailed and extremely interesting. I loved the mystery intertwined with the supernatural while trying to figure out how the story would play out. Whether you are believer or not this was a very scary and creepy book that makes you think about all the people who do practice voodoo.

This was not a kiddie novel. There was a lot of violence, gore, some explicit kinky sex but it all plays out well within the storyline. So horror readers I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read another one from John Everson.

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" which continues to publish terrific horror books and thanks to Net galley for the opportunity to read this ARC and any thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone!

I am giving a rating of 4 1/2 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 Dark Magic Stars!!

Publishing Date is October 20, 2020
Publisher Flame Tree Press

Rating: 7.5/10

Voodoo Heart is a paranormal thriller that includes elements of New Orleans culture, voodoo, and detective work to tell a story of murder and fear in the swamps of Lousiana.

This book had a lot of interesting elements to it. The narrative starts of quite mysterious with a series of murders and extracted hearts left behind. There are no witness and no one knows why. Detective Ribaud catches the case, which creates a bit of tension because his wife is one of the victims. The detective work was interesting with Ribaud being so personally invested, because the reader gets to see him waver back and forth between personal and professional goals. This is exacerbated because the detective has deep ties to the community, and seeing him deal with the fact that many of the people involved in the case are people he knows well. This fact puts the detective in a lot of interesting situations.

The bread-and-butter of this book is the involvement of the voodoo community. The story is murderous and bloody, and it is written that way to give it a tone of fear. I think author John Everson accomplishes this pretty well. The stage is set with victims’ bleeding hears being left behind, and continues with magic jewelry, potions, spells and sacrifices. I do not know much about voodoo myself, so I cannot comment as to how well the practice was represented; but as far as being a thriller I think it hit a lot of the right notes.

This book does have its flaws, and you have to have. a strong stomach to be able to deal with the gore. I would also be remiss if I did not warn of the depictions of rape, and at least one scene of sexual assault. If these are triggers for you, proceed with caution.

I was glad to have read this book during the spooky season. Between the setting and the tone of the story, it gives off chilling vibes and keeps me in the Halloween mood. If that type of book sounds interesting to you, I recommend giving Voodoo Heart a shot.

I’d never heard of the author before but the blurb sounded like something I’d really enjoy and I’ve been impressed by other work from the publisher. I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. I don’t think I’ve read voodoo fiction before. The main character is not easy to like, he’s a serial cheater and a bit lazy for a detective. I usually need to get behind a character to engage with a book and although I disliked him a lot he was strangely appealing and I had a bit of a soft spot for him. The book is so well written and engaging I forgave characterisation flaws. It’s quite gory at times but never gets too much or OTT. The most enjoyable aspect of the book is the voodoo lore in the book. It seemed to ring true and I’m sure the author did his research. Overall, I had a great time with this which was a bit different for me.