ECHO FROM A BAYOU

In this thriller, a real estate broker stumbles into danger when he examines the past life of a reincarnated soul inhabiting his body.

Californian John Bastian, divorced and nearly bankrupt, hopes a ski trip with his bestie Kevin will be the escape he needs. But an accident on the slopes puts John in a coma for three days. When he comes to, he has someone else’s memories mingling with his own. The bodily interloper is the soul of Jack Bachman, a long-dead commercial pilot from Baton Rouge. Dreams/visions make it clear an ax-wielding killer took Jack out. But John gets an even stronger vibe from visions of Tammy, Jack’s beautiful redheaded wife. Wanting to make sense of this potential reincarnation, John, along with Kevin, travels to Louisiana to find Tammy. The late Jack, however, also had ties to a reputedly cursed hidden treasure worth more than a billion dollars. The pilot’s memories may help John unearth the lost gold, which pits him against a vicious treasure hunter. Bennecke, whose last book was Waterborne (2021), seasons the novel with romance, lost treasure, a murder mystery, and even the supernatural. All combine to fuel an impressive pace. Meanwhile, a hurricane aimed right at Louisiana sets a menacing tone; indeed, villains gradually pop up the closer John gets to the gold and to unmasking the person who swung that ax years ago. The lead is an endearing hero, willing to accept reincarnation despite his Catholic upbringing, and his tendency to do things on a whim gives the story a welcome unpredictability. The finale throws everything into a tailspin—a shocking but effective turn.

A consistently nimble and riveting cross-genre tale.