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Summary and Reviews of Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

Midnight Bayou

by Nora Roberts
  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Readers' Rating (4):
  • First Published:
  • Oct 1, 2001, 432 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Dec 2002, 368 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Declan has always been obsessed with Manet Hall. Then he starts seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief - sensations not his own, but those of a stranger.

Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he first saw Manet Hall, he'd been enchanted and obsessed with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up, Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream.

Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendor, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labor and skills. But the days spent in total isolation in the empty house take a toll. He is seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief sensations not his own, but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan's belief in the ghostly presence grows.

Only the companionship of alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina too has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that's been buried for a hundred years.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Booklist
Roberts has cleverly crafted an enticing tangle of times and relationships featuring characters whose pain and triumphs are palpable and has also created a hero who is strong enough to carry off being well mannered, sensitive, and interested in antiques without diminishing his manly charms. To add to the pleasure, tastefully choreographed, highly erotic lovemaking scenes are seamlessly woven into a novel that exemplifies storytelling at its finest.

Kirkus Reviews
A gumbo seasoned with ghosts, love, and murder on the bayou.... Agreeably credible lovers and a neat piece of home-restoration compensate some for the hokey hauntings on the bayou. Loyal fans will enjoy.

Publishers Weekly
Roberts's role reversal,here it is the male character who hears voices and even swoons, gives her faithful readers a little extra thrill, and the lush setting and the satisfying if predictable romance round out the package.

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Read-Alikes

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