Cypress Tombs by Shane Lege is an eerie plunge into horror that ensnares you right away. The novel skillfully blends tension with the creepy, cramped atmosphere of a small, hidden hamlet against the ominous backdrop of Louisiana's bayous.

As a coroner's assistant, Leah becomes entangled in the tragedy she used to investigate. As she fights a deranged captor, the novel immerses readers in her desperate struggle for existence. You are drawn into the story by the detailed descriptions of the bayou and its ominous seclusion, which heighten the suspense on each page.

The premise is terrifyingly captivating, yet because of the character relationships and repeated descriptions, the pacing occasionally lags. Lege's strength, meanwhile, is in his painstakingly detailed depiction of the scene, which captures the stifling, unearthly atmosphere of the Louisiana wetlands.

The bleak stakes and unrelenting tension will appeal to fans of psychological horror and survival thrillers, even though several plot points could need additional refinement.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

"Floating eerily still between the gnarled cypress knees was a woman’s body. Her pale skin was ghostly against the dark water, and her limbs drifted slightly, caught between the roots that seemed to cradle her like some grotesque offering to the swamp."

Someone is targeting these women and using the bayou to hide the crimes. People were beginning to whisper about the “Bayou Butcher”, a name locals had given the faceless monster stalking their waters.
First victim: Sarah Cormier— wasn’t just killed. She was tortured, restrained, assaulted… and then dumped.
Second victim: unidentified
Third victim: Rebecca Boudreaux, from Estherwood, worked at a local law firm. Same story and pattern. Blonde hair, naked, floating between the cypress knees. The only connection so far is that both victims had blonde hair and blue eyes.
Fourth victim: Leah Broussard - works at the coroner's office. We get to see her POV as she is bound, gagged and blindfolded by her captor - bracing herself for whatever was coming next, her body trembling, every nerve screaming with the fear of the unknown. She's about to become the fourth victim - or is she?


⚠️ Possible spoilers ⚠️


The setting and atmosphere is tense, unnerving and unsettling. It's more of a murder mystery weaved with dark fantasy and erotic elements. The writing style is ok but it gets repetitive and boring in some parts. The ending took a different and surprising turn which I didn't expect. The murders were unresolved and still an ongoing investigation. Turned out that Leah wasn't really a victim. She and Blayne were both role playing (BDSM) - the murders apparently inspired and brought their deepest, darkest fantasies to the surface. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
It reminded me a bit of the iconic yet somehow morbid love/s*x scene from the movie Taking Lives starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. If you've seen the film, you get the idea.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lege Industries LLC for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.🖤

3.45✨
2 🌶️

There was so much promise with this. So many amazing ways it could have gone. However, this did not leave me wanting more.

The plot was not well thought out. There was far too many descriptions of the city/bayou/community and nothing about who the characters truly were. It was, at best, barely glossed over. By the end, I had no idea who Bryce or Leah actually were as people.
This story was also VERY repetitive. Each paragraph for a solid 5 chapters was just different phrasing of the one before it. And even in all those rephrases, it was not very captivating.
The “erotic” aspects of the book felt very forced and did not seem at all necessary or important to the story, but more so like a distraction. I have read other “erotic thrillers” but from the very beginning of those stories, it was known that the FMC enjoyed the thrill of the chase, being hunted, etc. Leah had none of those traits that would make her reactions even slightly plausible. And at the end, it made zero sense for her to be just okay with everything that occurred.
While I know this seems super critical and negative, I feel like if given the time to be truly fleshed out and given more intrigue, this could be an amazing thriller. It just was nowhere close to being ready.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that that element that I was looking for and worked with the description. I enjoyed the overall story and characters that I was looking for from this type of story. I was invested in what Shane Lege wrote and was glad I read this.

*Cypress Tomb* by Shane Lege had all the elements of an engaging erotic thriller, but it fell short due to a lack of character development, making it a challenging read. Despite this, the novel’s strengths lie in its evocative small-town setting, atmospheric swamp aesthetic, and the close-knit relationships among the characters.

The story had immense potential and kept me intrigued with its unexpected twists that turned the narrative on its head. However, the numerous unanswered questions by the end left me wanting more resolution.

While this book had its shortcomings, the author's knack for plot twists has piqued my interest in exploring more of his works.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ★ ★

Cypress Tombs, by Shane Lege, is a horror read with erotic elements that blurs the lines between truth and dark fantasy with its unreliable omniscient narrative. “Dark Taboo” romance readers and horror fans alike are the appropriate audience for this Trigger-Warning-Happy story. If you align yourself with either or both, you may find this read to be right up your alley!

A solitary woman with smudged makeup, swallowed by a swamp, immediately caught my eye and based on the cover, I wanted to read the blurb and learn more. The cover-art imagery is reminiscent of the Bayous, the setting of Cypress Tombs. I love the dark swamp aesthetic in fantasy and horror. Even better, the small-town setting featuring your usual “townies” and gossips, made up a close-knit community of characters. The premise, location, and mystery were promising, but I was disappointed with the way it was executed.

On the topic of characters, I would’ve liked to see further development of their personalities. The FMC isn’t given any form of identity until about 90% through, (when the big tornado of a twist turns this story on its head, redeeming some of the more deviant details). This also applies to the victims. Unfortunately, more attention was paid to the strife of the men who discovered the women, and how their secret fishing spot deep in the Bayous is now tainted by the burning sight of a floating dead girl. It was disappointing that the victims were merely an inconvenience to not only the locals who discovered them, but also with law enforcement tasked to the job.

Who were these women? What was their backstory? Why weren’t they reported missing? I had so many questions that weren’t answered.

It was very Long Island Serial Killer vibes, with the Bayou Butcher leaving bodies in a familiar pattern in the wilds of the Louisiana swamps. I wish this storyline and the mystery and motive of the killer was explored further. The horror elements were my favorite.

The writing style includes reiterating stream-of-consciousness inner dialogue in addition to repetitive phrases and wording within the omniscient narrative itself. There were times I was certain I had already read chunks of paragraphs earlier in the book, and my eyes would gloss right over it. I had the impression the author was focusing on a set word-count. I would have liked to see the characters and world-building fleshed out more instead.

This story truly has potential to be an excellent erotic thriller, if the mystery had a stronger focus, and the story itself was more concise. I would consider reading other titles by this author because I liked the shock value and the twist completely blew everything out of the water… or swamp!

Thank you NetGalley and Shane Lege for this ARC. I wanted to love this story after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately this one is a miss for me. I can respect where the story was going but I wanted more. The writing was so descriptive at times and would draw me in. This story could have been longer for sure. Not enough from the characters as far as development goes. Things started to get repetitive as well. I am curious to read other works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

This was something I was quite excited for and it had elements to be a good story but it left needing more.
We follow the story of Leah who has been abducted and her experience with the captor when there is also a murderer in the same town.

While I enjoyed the route that the other decided to take, I was expecting more. This was a quick and easy read though and would read again.

This book started off fast getting right into the action. I really enjoyed how the author describes the scene and you could really picture yourself there. I have never been to Louisiana or in the bayou but it felt like I was there and familiar with the surrounding. I would say this isn’t much of an erotica but it did have some spice by the end of the story. In all it brings the multiple POV together good and ended in a way that made sense. Good read and I give it a 3 star review.

Cypress Tombs by Shane Lege starts with a gripping premise: Leah, a coroner's assistant in Vermillion Parish, becomes entangled in the very horrors she has been investigating. After a night of revelry at the Duck Festival with her boyfriend, she wakes up in a terrifyingly familiar scene—bound, gagged, and blindfolded—echoing the chilling crime scenes she once documented. This premise had me hooked from the start.

Unfortunately, the book didn't fully meet my expectations. Initially presented as an erotic horror story, I anticipated more horror elements, but the plot leaned more towards a thriller. While this might appeal to some readers, it was different from what I had hoped for, given the initial setup.

I also found the narrative somewhat disjointed. Certain key paragraphs towards the back of the book felt misplaced; shifting them to the beginning could have better set up the story and strengthened its overall cohesion. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed some parts, particularly the sections involving the discovery of bodies in the bayou. These scenes were so vivid and compelling that I wished the author had expanded this storyline into a full-length novel. I would happily read and rate that story highly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lege Industries LLC for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review. While this one didn't entirely resonate with me, I appreciate the opportunity to experience it.

Leah, a coroner's assistant in Vermillion Parish, finds herself at the center of a horror she's been investigating. After a night out, she wakes bound, gagged, and blindfolded, mimicking the gruesome crime scenes she documented. Disoriented and terrified, Leah must confront her fears and outsmart the predator who has turned her nightmare into reality. Her fate could mirror the tragic victims she once tried to find justice for.

The cover is beautiful! This book had potential based on the synopsis, but it really lacked in execution. I enjoyed the last two chapters the most, but it kind of felt like the rest of the book was written entirely by someone else. Also, there were so many repetitions of "bound, gagged, and blindfolded." The spicy scenes were not arousing in my opinion. I fell asleep multiple times trying to read this book. I was just so bored overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lege Industries LLC for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Cypress Tombs follows multiple characters. Leah wakes up to find herself bound, gagged, and blindfolded, at the whim of her abductor. Meanwhile, the sheriffs departments of two counties in Louisiana are trying to solve the murders of bodies that are found in the bayou. This is classed as erotic horror. While there are some elements of both, I would consider this to be more of a thriller.

I really enjoyed the thriller aspect of the story. Bodies are turning up, and the police are stuck, unable to solve the case unless the killer ‘slips up’. Meanwhile there are glimpses of Leah and her experience being kidnapped. This made for an unnerving atmosphere in each scene. It kept me intrigued until the end, when the final plot twist was revealed.

The writing style unfortunately was very repetitive, with words and whole paragraphs being reused to make a longer story. The chapters were also very repetitive with a Leah to new character to new body layout. This got annoying very quickly.

The plot had a very interesting premise, and showed a lot of potential. I think the story needed to be longer in order to fully flesh out the story. With how the ending happened, I was left confused, unsatisfied, and questioning the point of both plot lines. It seemed like they were only tied together because of one instance, and the execution of this was very lackluster. Furthermore, There was really only one consistent relationship that was (not really) built, and that isn't explained until the end.

I thought the plot had immense potential to be unique and catching. The ending was certainly unique, but not in a good way. Instead of reading like it was supposed to exist in the plot, the last chapter read like an easy escape to finish the very incomplete story.

With revision and more thought into the plot, I would recommend this book, however as it stands right now, I would not recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lege Industries LLC for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

i went into this mostly blind so i didn’t really have any expectations but i just .. didn’t like it? it wasn’t one specific thing that threw me off, i just didn’t like the story in general. definitely just a me issue, i can see how others might enjoy it!

The Author really captivated my interest in this novel. The descriptive writing and the creativity was intriguing.
The suspense and thrill is amazing, I was not expecting the twist and turn of events.
The only disappointment was the story coming to an end. The plot was exceptional and I commend the Author.

I would recommend this book to those interested in romance, thrill and mystery. You will be amazed by the twist.

Can you say Trigger Warning???
That is some twisted stuff. Wth did I just read? Not sure how I feel about it. It does what its meant to do I suppose. Plenty of shock value. It definitely leaves you utterly horrified. Not what you're expecting for sure. Wow. But...!!! I have thoughts but spoilers.

The author is very descriptive, to the point of being wordy. At some points, I found myself skimming the lengthy portions, wondering if they were really relevant to the story. However, it really added to the surprise sending.
The ending/plot twist was remarkable and totally unexpected. This isn't your typical romance with a HEA, it's more like a "what if" scenario explored. However, I found it very arousing and interesting!
Spice was 🌶️🌶️/5 for me.
One note, my version has an issue with words that contained "tt", it was completely missing them (for example 'bo le').

Not sure I was the best audience for this dark tale. I had a difficult time suspending my beliefs in order to immerse myself in the story. I liked the idea of it though. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.