T.J. Laverne

Mardi Gras is always the time of year to let loose in the city of New Orleans. It’s the time for the most elegant and lavish parties, where wine flows freely with reckless abandon. But in the year 1880, Lisette Durocher and her brother, Philippe, are soon to find that the celebrations have been tainted by an ominous presence lurking just beneath the surface of the festivities.

​

The last two full moons leading up to Mardi Gras were marked by the most brutal murders, by a mysterious assailant who remains at large. Rumors have flown that the culprit was none other than the rougarou, the legendary werewolf said to reside among the fetid swamps of Bayou Rouge. And with the rumors came a warning: the rougarou has been sent to rid New Orleans of sin in the coming weeks of Lent.

​

But Lisette is not worried. She knows the rougarou is nothing but an old fable, told by parents to scare their children into behaving. And she has other things on her mind—most notably a handsome young priest who has tempted her for years. But Lisette’s life is soon to be turned upside-down as the next full moon approaches, and the legendary creature terrorizing the bayou becomes more than just a child’s tale…