Confound It by Maggie Toussaint / Review by Samantha Traci
CONFOUND IT
By Maggie Toussaint
Camel Press
$16.95
ISBN 978-1603815956
Publication Date: June 1, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Baxley Powell can’t seem to catch a break. Taking on the otherworldly family business by becoming the county Dreamwalker has presented a fair number of challenges, but lately things have been getting out of hand. Called in to assist the sheriff’s department with the murder investigation of a local drug dealer, Baxley quickly finds herself wrapped up in a mystery involving angry psychics, feuding neighbors and meth-making mothers.
She’s also still dealing with the not-quite-unrequited interest from fellow Dreamwalker Sam Mayes that’s complicated by the fact that her husband is still missing without a trace, all while helping her best friend deal with her own romantic entanglements. And oh yeah - someone might have put a voodoo hex on her. Despite the mounting obstacles, Baxley is determined to see this latest investigation through and find justice for the murdered woman and her orphaned son.
Toussaint’s descriptive writing does a good job of drawing the reader into the rural Georgia setting, and some of the secondary characters really have a “good ol boy” flair that altogether combine for a somewhat humorous and thoroughly southern atmosphere for the Sinclair County resident’s exploits.
Although the story contained more than a few elements of the supernatural, it was easy to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the adventure. Characters in this universe take such things as Dreamwalking, ghosts and demons as ordinary occurrences, so it was a slightly surreal blend of paranormal problems and the more real-world problems of drugs, single-parent struggles, greed and the violence that accompanies it.
“Confound It” is the fifth book Toussaint’s Dreamwalker series, and as such the reader might feel a little adrift starting with this book. The mystery aspect of the story stands well on its own with a satisfying mix of whodunnit intrigue and a quirky cast of equally suspicious characters; but the steady references to past incidents involving Baxley and her co-horts will definitely make you want to start at the beginning to get the full scoop on the action!
Sam is the co-founder and editor of progressandtea.com, a labor of love and exercise for sanity in these politically charged times. Drawing from her background in journalism, she currently works in higher education publishing by day but is hard at work on her first novel by night. When not working with words, she can be found indulging her passion for burlesque, a hobby that provides plenty of colorful experiences for her writing!