A proud man believed long dead. A young woman fighting for her heritage. A spectral beast linked to a frightening legend. And a vicious killer with an unknown agenda. Old lies, new truths, lust, love, and Southern justice against the backdrop of Federalist tyranny in the reconstructed South. Come experience it all with Charlsie Russell. You're sure to enjoy the journey!
Ten years after the Confederate Army reported him killed in action, dirt-poor Jeff Dawson returns to Natchez, Mississippi a wealthy man. Home again, he purchases White Oak Glen, home of the now impoverished Seatons, the aristocratic family that years ago shatterd his own.
Burdened with a drunken brother and besieged with greedy relatives, Juliet Seaton struggles to hold on to what remains of her farm and her growing self-reliance. Now, she finds her family faced with a new menace in the form of a marauding wolf, which slaughters valuable stock and wreaks havoc in the mind of her alcoholic brother. Jeff Dawson died in combat, Tucker Seaton warns his sister. The man occupying White Oak Glen is a ghost, who in the form of that vicious wolf seeks to destroy what is left of the Seatons.
An infant when events occurred setting her family against the neighboring Dawsons, Juliet appears pitted against a neighbor hell-bent on avenging his sister, who died in childbirth after being violated by a Seaton male. Jeff's grandfather was part Creek Indian. Local legend states he terrorized unfriendly neighbors with tales of his ability to shape-shift into a deadly wolf. Persons unknown lynched the old man following the savage killing, apparently by a wolf, of the Seaton who raped Jeff Dawson's sister.
But Juliet finds the handsome Jeff every inch a living, breathing man, hot-blooded to boot. His seductive touch weakens her resolve and blinds her to the danger he poses. Jeff, however, is no longer compelled to destroy the Seatons, if he ever was; they have destroyed themselves and left the vulnerable Juliet to his mercy--mercy he's quite willing to give, though he's not ready to let the feisty beauty know that.
Into this exploseive mix of fear and distsrust comes a sadistic killer, and what this fiend kills is not Seaton livestock, but Natchez' young prostitutes, then leaves his victims' savaged bodies in the woods surrounding White Oak Glen. Frightened neighbors whisper Jeff is the killer.
With the countryside ablaze with suspicion, Jeff and Juliet overcome mutual distrust and strip away a lost generation's hatred as quickly as the clothes covering their bodies. Old lies give way to new truths, lust to love,and together, Jeff and Juliet set out to identify not only a killer, but the role of the spectral beast haunting the countryside.
Excerpt
Disappointment gnawed at her. "You don't believe he could change into a wolf, do you?"
Quiet blanketed the room. Carefully, Jeff cut a potato in half. Juliet waited, holding her breath, and her palms started to sweat.
"I did, up until I was eleven." He looked up. "Then one night, not long after Bonnie died, he didn't come home. Daddy and me went looking for him next morning. It was me who found him, hanging from a white oak tree close to the river." Jeff glanced away and with a softer voice said, "I couldn't get up that damn tree to get him down. Tore my hands up trying. My hands and my face were covered with blood and snot and tears from me crying and wiping and trying to get up to that limb. I knew then he wasn't a spirit."
Professional Reviews
Midwest Book Review
5 Stars:
Buhle's Bookshelf
"Wolf Dawson" by Charlsie Russell is a compelling and superbly crafted novel that takes for its subject the impact the aftermath of the American Civil War had on the lives of some of the people and community of Natchez, Mississippi. Some ten years after the Confederate Army reported Jeff Dawson had been killed in action, the once dirt-poor young man unexpectedly returns a man of enough wealth to by White Oak Glen, the once opulent home of a pre-war aristocratic family. We also encounter Juliet Seaton, a young woman struggle to hold on to the remains of her family farm against the excesses of the post-war Federal occupation. A struggle complicated by a drunken brother and the importunities of needy relatives. And if that weren't enough, there is a marauding wolf slaughtering precious livestock. Other complications are the suspicions of her brother that the man calling himself Jeff Dawson is an imposter, a neighbor hell-bent on avenging his sister who died in childbirth after being raped by a Seaton man, and the local folklore that Jeff Dawson's grandfather (who was part Creek Indian) was a shape-shifter who could turn into a wolf. That old belief led to the lynching of the grandfather and the expectation by some that perhaps Jeff is conducting a vendetta against the vigilantes responsible. When Seaton livestock and some Natchez prostitutes are murdered, Jeff and Juliet (who have a compelling attraction for each other) must somehow find out the killer and heal old community wounds. "Wolf Dawson" is an original and very highly recommended addition to any personal or community library reading list or historical fiction collection.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Readerviews
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt
Mistakenly reported to have been killed during the Civil War, Jeff Dawson surprises everybody when he returns home to Natchez, Mississippi. Having achieved success while he was away, he is able to purchase White Oak Glen which was the home of the Seaton family. This family was responsible for the rape and death of Jeff's sister. They have been feuding ever since. Still, despite the animosity, Jeff finds himself drawn to Juliet Seaton. Matters get further complicated when he tricks her into marriage.
When a large wolf begins attacking livestock and prostitutes are found murdered out in the woods, a werewolf legend is revived. Descending from a grandfather whom people believed to be a werewolf, the suspicions are now passed on to Jeff. They build up even more when Jeff's enemies are targeted. The couple has enough of their own difficulties to overcome due to the misunderstandings perpetuated early on in their relationship. Now they have to deal with their own personal safety being questioned. Juliet gets to see the wolf and feels that he is a protector. The question is, "Is he Jeff in werewolf form?" While she wonders this, she doubts that he is responsible for the murders of the prostitutes.
I enjoyed this romance. Charlsie Russell really does a great job at building suspense. She kept me on the edge of my seat while I worried about the couple's safety and wondered who the murderer was. I love the paranormal elements surrounding the mystery of the wolf. It was refreshing to be surprised at the end as the drama played its self out. The author also does an excellent job of character development. She draws you into the psyche of some twisted, selfish individuals. She also does a great job of bringing out the best in the good characters.
I highly recommend this novel. Fans of the Civil War era and fans of paranormal romances will really like it. I think that "Wolf Dawson" would stimulate some interesting discussions in reader's groups.
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Coffee Time Romance
4 Cups
Juliet Seaton belonged to one of the many once wealthy families of the South who now found themselves destitute. Engaged to a man she didn’t even like, much less love, the beautiful Juliet decided that she would not be forced into an unhappy marriage. Her family had other plans.
Jeffrey Wolfson Dawson, a Confederate veteran who was thought to be dead, has returned to his boyhood home of Natchez, Mississippi. Most of the townspeople are not happy to see him. His sister was raped and died in childbirth and it was said that his grandfather turned into a werewolf who avenged her death.
Soon after Dawson’s arrival, prostitutes begin turning up dead. Their deaths are staged to look like a wolf had killed them. A fierce creature has truly killed the men turning up dead, who all happen to be enemies of Dawson. Juliet and Jeffrey find themselves at the mercy of a madman, bent on the destruction of them both.
Wolf Dawson is a thrilling and electrifying novel set in Mississippi after the end of the Civil War. It has you on the edge of your seat with suspense while still making you feel the sweetness of the characters falling in love. The characters are written in such a way that you can feel their feelings and they become real. You can feel the fear, rage, love and sadness that they all go through. Wolf Dawson was a very hard book to put down and when I wasn’t reading it, I found myself wondering what would happen next. Charlsie Russell’s newest novel has everything you find in a great book romance, murder, action and suspense.
Bonnie-Lass
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
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