Book Notes — A sultry, storm-drenched Gulf Coast thriller that blends hard-boiled crime, supernatural menace, and the slow burn of human connection. Eric Wilder delivers a tale soaked in rum, salt, and secrets, where the line between myth and murder blurs beneath the surface of Oyster Island.
Tone & Atmosphere — Heavy, humid, electric. The
book breathes like the Gulf after a squall—thick air, distant thunder, the
constant threat of another downpour. Every chapter feels damp: rain on skin,
sweat on necks, condensation on glasses of rum. The storm is practically a
character—merciless, cleansing, and always listening.
Setting — Oyster Island, Louisiana—a small, isolated
barrier island that feels both timeless and forgotten. Prohibition ghosts
linger in the Majestic Hotel & Casino (still on stilts over the water), the
ruined Baptiste distillery, and the man-made reef that has quietly become a
graveyard. The landscape is alive: cypress knees, bottle trees, bottlebrush,
and the ever-present bayou mud that swallows secrets and occasionally spits
them back up. Core Characters Alex
Pavlovic — stocky, brooding Russian ex-officer turned rum-maker. A man of
precision and control whose past violence still bleeds into his present. His
obsession with copper stills and perfect water is both poetic and tragic.
J.P. Saucier — former St. Bernard Parish deputy with
movie-star looks and cowboy swagger. The reluctant hero who can’t walk away
from a mystery or a friend in need.
Renata Yatsenko — Ukrainian veterinarian carrying
deep trauma and deeper strength. Her slow thaw toward Alex is one of the book’s
most moving emotional arcs.
Paula Boutet — the island’s traiteur (healer), torn
between church-sanctioned faith and the older, darker power she was born with.
Her internal war becomes the metaphysical heart of the story.
Vangie LeBlanc — beautiful, damaged, and dangerously
clever. Her relationship with General Roubideaux is toxic and
transactional—until it becomes something far more lethal.
The Ensemble — Odette (fierce bar manager), Chief
Gordon La Tortue (Atakapa wisdom), Jack Wiesinski (old-school boatman), Trixie
Kettler (stubborn oceanographer), and Meika (the bartender who knows too much)
form a ragged, loyal family that holds the island together when everything else
is falling apart.
Major Themes — Duality & Integration — Light and
shadow, prayer and witchcraft, love and violence, past and present. Every
central character must reconcile opposing halves of themselves.
The Cost of Secrets — Buried bodies, hidden ledgers,
suppressed power, unspoken trauma. The island (and the Gulf) remembers
everything. Nothing stays hidden forever.
Found Family — Strangers and outcasts (a Russian
deserter, a Ukrainian survivor, a retired cop, a witch in hiding) become the
only people who can save each other.
The Hunger of the Deep — The Horned Serpent is both a
literal monster and a metaphor for greed, corruption, and the price of feeding
darkness without ever paying the bill.
Standout Elements
— The slow, sensual burn between Alex and Renata—one of the most
emotionally earned romances in recent crime fiction.
Paula’s final confrontation with her shadow self in the
swamp—raw, mythic, and profoundly moving.
The sheer audacity of the final act: a three-way con
involving forged documents, a room-service cart, and a very dangerous
seduction.
The rum itself — almost a character. Every sip
carries the taste of limestone-filtered water, charred oak, and stubborn hope.
Overall Impression — Oyster Bay Boogaloo is a storm
of a book—violent, sexy, spiritual, and deeply rooted in place. It’s Southern
noir with teeth, a supernatural thriller that never loses its human heart, and
a love letter to Louisiana’s complicated soul. Wilder takes the classic PI
formula, soaks it in bayou magic, and lets it ferment until it becomes
something entirely new. Highly recommended for readers who love James Lee
Burke’s atmospheric suspense, the mythic grit of Joe R. Lansdale, and the
emotional depth of Delia Owens.
Final Verdict — ★★★★½
A near-perfect Gulf Coast crime epic. Pour yourself a finger
of good rum, turn off the lights, and let the storm take you. Just don’t be
surprised if something ancient starts looking back.
Born near Black Bayou in the little Louisiana town of Vivian, Eric Wilder grew up listening to his grandmother’s tales of politics, corruption, and ghosts that haunt the night. He now lives in Oklahoma, where he continues to pen mysteries and short stories with a southern accent. He authored the French Quarter Mystery Series set in New Orleans, the Paranormal Cowboy Series, and the Oyster Bay Mystery Series. Please check it out on his Amazon author page. You can also check out his Facebook page
