Macy and Ethan built their careers pursuing the unknown, turning their YouTube channel, Ghost Patrol, into a viral sensation as they investigated the paranormal. But when they wade into the murky depths of the Louisiana bayou—looking into the disappearances of two local women—alongside team members Tasha and Max, their latest case takes a lethal turn.
What begins as a routine hunt for answers quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Secrets surface where none should exist. And when Macy stumbles upon a horrifying truth, she realizes they were never just chasing a story; they were lured here for a reason. As the swamp closes in and the line between hunter and hunted blurs, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear: some secrets are better left buried.
I picked up ‘The Swamps’ after reading Leah’s review, which described it succintly as:
“• fast-paced novella • mystery thriller • ghosthunter supernatural suspense • spooky vibes • trust and jealousy issues • Louisiana Bayou setting • dual POVs“
‘The Swamps’ was even more fun than I’d expected. The narration by Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker brought the book alive. The novella length meant it was a fast read. The plot twisted in ways that I didn’t expect.
I thought I knew more or less where this would go: True Crime podcasters playing Scooby-Doo in the Louisiana swamps, bumping up against all the stereotypical spookiness of the people who live in poverty in the swamps before saving the day and unmasking the bad guy.. I was up for that as entertainment that would pass the time, but I woke up and paid attention as soon as I saw that while I’d gotten the scenery right,, I’d underestimated the complexity of the plot.
I liked that there was tension within the podcasting team. The story was told from the points of view of the two women in the five-person podcast team, and they saw things very differently. I also liked that the True Crime podcasting business got critiqued along the way as a vampiric, exploitative construct, with all the authenticity of a WWA wrestling match that traded on sensationalism to generate clicks and revenue. The swamp dwellers were colourful but were not demeaned. They were smart and, on the whole, nicer than the podcasters.
The atmosphere was laced with distrust, jealousy and duplicity (and that was just the podcasters) all of which was amplified by the spooky swamp setting and the scent of something supernatural in the air.
I loved the ending. It was clever and came as a complete surprise to me.
Seraphina Nova Glass was a new author for me, but I liked this story well enough that I bought two of her novels: ‘The Vacancy in Room 10’I (2024) and ‘Nothing Ever Happens Here’ (2025).
Seraphina Nova Glass is a mystery author, professor, and playwright at the University of Texas, Arlington. She’s also a screenwriter and an award-winning playwright.
Seraphina holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College and a second MFA in Directing from the University of Idaho. She traveled in most places, using film and theatre as teaching tools. She ended up living in Guam, Kenya, and South Africa as a volunteer teacher, documentary filmmaker, and AIDS relief worker.
She has published ten novels, nine of which have been published since 2020.
She is s a two-time EDGAR AWARD nominated author. Her novel, On A Quiet Street, was a New York Times Summer Read, a #1 Amazon Bestseller, and Editor’s Pick.
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