There is an equal and opposite reaction...
Lincoln orchestrates the kidnapping of Karen Lafitte, Randy's only daughter. But Randy Lafitte is a man who built his fortune by resurrecting a family curse from slavery to kill his own father. A curse that may or may not have been responsible for his son Kristopher's death in the gang crossfire that sent Lincoln to prison for life. Randy will stop at nothing to save his daughter, even if it means admitting the curse is real. Even if it means committing greater atrocities.
Too bad for anyone stuck in the middle.
Three days after Karen's kidnapping, an explosive cocktail of revenge, manipulation, serendipity, fate, truth, and redemption detonates throughout Louisiana. When the dust settles, the ending is as unexpected as it is illuminating. There are secrets sealed in our blood, you see. The best answers, as always, lie within.
Thecelticdragon
Posted December 12, 2012
Names are EVERYTHING in the South. So seeing the name "Lafitte" in the prologue tells the reader that they are in for the ride of their lives. After all, we've all heard of Jac Lafitte, "The Pirate King" for most of our lives.
This story centers on a Lafitte family, high up the food chain in Louisiana with all their faults, flaws, warts, and secrets. And, HOLY COW, do these people have some secrets!
Reading this book makes you feel kinda like a piece of chicken being tossed and pitched in a bag of "Shake and Bake"; you are coated with the story, totally immersed, and about to be fried!
This book is so fast paced and non-stop that you find yourself changing circumstances, ideas, and adding more and different characters just by turning a page, let alone reading another chapter! This reviewer can guarantee you one thing... once you start this book it will keep you up nights... just to find out what happens next, let alone looking over your shoulder each time you think you see something out of the corner of your eye, or hear a noise.
While it's hard to conceive of anyone that would have even a working relationship with someone named "Bush" and the head of the KKK, it's even harder to decide how the author's mind's eye viewed this. For a debut novel this is a MUST-HAVE for any reader/lover of horror/terror/or just non-fiction. You won't be disappointed. Buying this book is probably the most satisfying money you could possibly spend during the holiday season, and besides, Grandma doesn't need another robe!
Kudos to our newest author on his many awards for this premiere book. Quantu Amaru has deserved them all. Watch out, Stephen King... there's a new guy in town!
One Blood
By Qwantu Amaru
Randy Lafitte is cursed when he turned eighteen his father took his own life, then again when his son turned eighteen he was murdered; now his daughter has just turned eighteen and has been kidnapped. Not only does Randy have to pay a hefty ransom but he must also release Lincoln Baker from prison the same man responsible for killing his son. But this is just the tip of the ice berg as Randy Lafitte will stop at nothing to get what he wants including murdering those who stand in his way dragging his family into a churning void of murder, voodoo, and terror at its finest.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this novel the synopsis is vague at the best but once you read it you realize there is no way to do this novel justice in just a few short words. The author brings to life a new side of Louisiana; all while a hurricane is looming in the distance intent on destroying anything in its path. The interlacing factors in this novel are so profound that you must thoroughly pay attention you will find yourself lost in the confines of the pages. The story is intricate and immerses you so thoroughly that it is a remarkable book to say the least, what truly makes this story great is that it is believable enough with just the right blend of murder and intrigue with paranormal factors that it comes to life on the pages. This book was definitely an interesting and scary enough story that I almost couldn’t put it down it is a shame that we all must sleep sometime.
Welcome to Lake City, LA! First, let’s meet Lincoln Baker. He is a convicted murderer currently serving time in prison for his crimes. Lincoln’s life is about to be turned upside down when he gets a visit from his half-brother Amir. This visit sets into motion a kidnapping, riots and shoot-outs. The people who were working together are now enemies and comrades don’t know who they can trust. The reason for this string of events lies in the front yard of the man who many consider to be the reason for all of this destruction.
Now meet Randy Lafitte, governor of Louisiana. In his front yard is “Melinda Weeps” – a tree that serves as the gateway to a family curse. This curse has plagued the Lafitte family for decades and can only be stopped with the sacrifice of blood relatives. Those closest to both Lincoln and Randy soon learn that looks are deceiving. The family curse is alive and well, but will they be able to stop it before it destroys more lives?
First, let me say that I am not a reader of horror/suspense novels. However, Qwantu Amaru’s novel has definitely changed my mind. From the opening pages, his writing style grabs the reader and grips them in an exciting journey through the streets of Lake City. The imagery is amazing and the novel is very suspenseful.
What kept this book from being a five-star read are the length and the structure. The novel is 467 pages. After reading, I definitely feel that some parts were a bit too detailed and could have been omitted. For example, there is a scene near the end of the novel that involves the prison and two people trying to escape. I wonder why so much time was spent on that section because it really didn’t add anything to the story.
The second drawback: the structure. The novel is told in alternating chapters of the past and the present. Sometimes the chapter is labeled as being in the present but moves back to the past (for example, the Epilogue). It was confusing enough that the story moved back and forth in time. However, mixing the two in one chapter was even more confusing.
Reviewed by: Flashette
RobertDowns
Posted May 13, 2012
The setting—the bayous of Louisiana—proved rather perfect for the voodoo and curses prevalent throughout this tale. The characters proved as real as the setting, not an easy task considering the array of personalities reflected.
Plotting a suspense/thriller novel is no easy task, and it requires a certain amount of finesse, especially when a large number of characters are involved. This novel seemed a bit jarring the way it bounced around, and the storyline proved a bit difficult to follow. When this happens, it becomes a challenge to become truly invested in the story. Errors and editing mistakes stood out to the point that it detracts a bit from the story.
If you can look past the errors in the prose and the plotting, this story certainly has an interesting take on the supernatural.
Robert Downs
Author of Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator
One Blood is a suspense horror written by Qwantu Amaru. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
From page one, this book had me hooked. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. The author tells a tale of betrayal, greed, lies and murder with avenging spirits who lay claim to the Lafitte family and any child who reaches their eighteenth birthday. Interweaving voodoo, magic and spooky imagery into this electrifying story centered around a handful of characters who's lives are intricately linked, Amaru sets his story in the heart of Louisiana and its history. There were so many twists and turns, tons of suspenseful, chilling and imaginative scenes as well as an intricately woven plot, that I felt like I was caught up in the story as one of the characters instead of simply a reader of the events unfolding! This finely crafted book could have been written by a seasoned author rather than being Qwantu Amaru debut novel. The way he takes you on this journey with a flowing writing style and smooth transitions between scenes even though they jump from one time line to the next and from one character to another, which in any other book could surely lose a reader and their interest, is nothing short of writing at its finest!
The way the scenes are set up and the story line is exposed, keeps you hanging on by your fingernails, refusing to let you go until the final climatic finish. Im now and forever a fan! This book is definitely five-star worthy!
Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite
It is 2002 and Randy Lafitte is the twice-elected governor of Louisiana. As nice as he would like his life portrayed, it is anything but under the surface, for he is a racist, hateful, and not above calling for help from those who live on the edge of society. The Lafitte family is an old Louisiana family that is haunted by a ghost story dated back in history to Melinda Lafitte and her lover Isaac and the huge old oak tree fronting the Lafitte estate. There are those who feel the curse brought on Lafitte's son Kristopher's death, for Kristopher is killed accidentally by his best friend, African-American Lincoln Baker. Lincoln's father figure, Moses, and his adopted brother, Brandon Mouton, try to protect Randy's daughter, Karen, and prevent violence while Moses' childhood friend Malcolm Wright, or Panama X, promotes black supremacy and is against "the system in this country made for the black man to fail." And Jhonnette Deveaux, daughter of the voodoo queen that Randy Lafitte sought out years before, works her healing powers as Randy's men and Panama X's forces converge violently on the local hospital. Will burning the old oak tree, Melinda Weeps, on Lafitte property end the violence as Louisiana black men fight against the racist powers that hold them back? Read and decide for yourself.
"One Blood" is brilliantly written and edited as author Amaru testifies to all the many people who helped him create this powerful novel. The suspense of whether Lincoln, Brandon, Karen and the other major characters will survive will engross the reader to the very last page of this story. The plot line switches back and forth between 2002 and the 1990's, and this only adds to the story's complexities.
The subplot of Moses, Malcolm and Walter Simmons' friendship adds to the storyline. Moses goes to jail while Malcolm and Walter get involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Lincoln Baker's life as an abandoned child taken in by Moses is another effective part of this good story. This book should be read by all and given a place of honor in modern fiction.
Overview
Lincoln Baker, born a ward of the state, has gone from orphan, to gang banger, to basketball superstar, to lifer at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in the space of eighteen years. During his prison term, he meets Panama X, a powerful and mysterious father figure who gives Lincoln a reason for living - he must assassinate Randy Lafitte, the sitting Governor of Louisiana.
There is an equal ...