Swamp Lust – George H. Smith (Novel Books, 1960)

In Paperback Parade #32, there is a letter from George H. Smith, who wrote for Cornith as Don Bellmore and elsewhere as Jan Hudson, and also wrote some science-fiction, that the George H. Smith who published “country and swamp girl books” was a different GHS.  This explains for the difference in styles.

Swamp Lust tells the story of Chad Cain (Cain?!), a simple southern fellow who one day catches his wife, Claudette, in the arms of a sleazy Frenchman, Henri.  In an O.J. Simpson-esque rage, he kills them both and tosses their bodies into the marshy swamp of the backwoods.

The novel deals with Chad deflecting any suspicion of the murders — Henri’s brother comes looking around, wanting revenge, but had kills him too.  And his new lover, Maria, thinks something is — fishy.

And Chad seems to be losing his mind, or is haunting — believing that his dead wife’s decayed body is wandering the swamplands, just to torment.

A fast and cheesy book, nothing great, decent entertainment with a great cover.