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Bait is the Kenneth Abel standalone that runs alongside the Danny Chaisson series and shows that his voice carries even when his usual protagonist is not on the page. The plot follows an undercover state investigator working a corruption case in a small Louisiana parish where the local power structure has been operating without significant interference for decades.
Abel's great gift is the Louisiana texture, and Bait is steeped in it. The parish geography, the family lineages that overlap with the political structure, the small bayou towns where everyone knows who got which kickback when, all carry weight. The undercover protagonist is given enough interior life that you understand why his marriage has been failing.
Four stars. Another underread Kenneth Abel novel. Recommended to fans of the Chaisson series.
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