Double mystery, one present day and the other through the civil war - interesting characters, atmospheric Charleston rice plantation, Cuban witchcraft, strong slavery/racial involvement and altogether a pretty wild ride. Try it!

This is a great book - the writer is incredible. If you are looking for a simple mystery, this ain't for you. There are poetry quotes, 2 time periods, racism, slavery, manic psychological issues, love, voodu, the Civil war, and a search for self. It takes place in SC on a rice plantations with a main character wife of the plantation owner) who questions her place in life and then slavery. The modern day part of the story stars a "fallen" rock guitarist who questions his place in life, himself (never good enough? or genius?) and his demons. It's a complex novel. Maybe it starts a bit slowly, but hang in there. "Human life is a condition of oppression, and religion is the search for the release. Everyone alive is after the same thing - it's our commonness, and I believe it's greater than our differences... " The "voodu" parts were well researched, but lost on me. Maybe a bit more information than I neede.

I had read the original story, Wando Passo, years ago so when I saw this sequel, I had to grab it. I was a little anxious because I am OCD about reading series books in order. I knew I had forgotten some of the details of WP, but it was okay. The author kindly took us back and forth between present and past so it didn't matter after all. I'd have liked a little more of the original information about the pot. But that said, I couldn't put it down. By the way, Wando Passo is set in South Carolina.

If I had edited this book I would have cut it down by one-third. Characters were complex, scenes nicely descriptive, the plot engaging. Switching between present and past deftly done. The writer obviously was familiar with this historical period.

On the other hand, repetition abounded, destroying what might have been effective pace and building tension.

Narrator Dick Hill can make even a story as melodramatic as this one worth listening to, but had I been reading it on my own I would probably have left it unfinished. It's the tale of two stories that seem to overlap, merge, and fold back on themselves from the point of view of a bipolar, possibly psychotic, has been rocker with too much baggage.

I don't think I will be looking for more works from this author.

Read this book several years ago when I got it on loan from the local public library. I'd really like to get a copy of Back to Wando Passo for my personal collection.

I remember loving the book and being unable to put it down as the mystery unfolded in the past and the present.

When I re-read Back to Wando Passo, I will write a more complete review.

Not bad...a little confusing at times but deliberately so, I believe, since the protagonist is a person with bipolar disorder who is not taking their meds. There is a parallel plot from a different time period which I found more interesting than the one set in modern day. It took a while to "get into" this book but, once I did, I found it fairly gripping. 3 stars.

This is a great read, especially so if you are familiar with Charleston. It switches between life during the Civil War and current times, following the lives of several families.

Payne is a very good writer. His character development is portrayed by their actions and words; not descriptions. The characters are not endearing, except maybe Addie and the two children, the others, we have no love for. The story is memorable for the voodoo aspect.

David Payne is a master of language and dialogue; i adore him. A novel about the connection between history and the present; deals with racism, sexism, infidelity, first loves, fame, mental illness, magic, death, rebirth.

African hoodoo, Cuban witches, madness, buried things in the yard raise up the truth in the lives of a married couple haunted by rock and roll. Worth the price of admission just for the long conversations about racism and race history.

What started off as an interesting gothic tinged mystery fizzled out before the end. A disappointing read.