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The brutal murder of a game warden and an undercover agent sends the DEA scrambling to find a secret drug factory and stop a drug distribution operation deep in the southern swamps of Louisiana. Travis Weld recruits the help of former swimming Olympic hopeful and graduate student, Chesney Barrett, to infiltrate the Atchafalaya Basin and locate the hidden drug factory. There, while under the guise of an Environmental Protection Agency grant, Chesney seduces Teche Manor plantation owner, Jacques Dupree, who falls in love with Chesney partly based on her close resemblance to his deceased wife. She is granted permission to enter restricted parts of the basin, emboldening her with her undercover assignment.
Among the Spanish moss, wild honeysuckle, swamp chatter, and "air reeked with humidity," Chesney is eager to take on this clandestine mission, her own mother's death serving as an underlying motivation. The danger is ever present, and Chesney is cautious every step of the way, uncertain of whom to trust including Weld and friendly local man, Lionel. She outsmarts and defends herself against plantation foreman,Tate Melancon, and trigger happy "face of an angry water moccasin," Gator Guidry – some of the better moments in the novel.
Overall, Satan's Stronghold is a straightforward action-thriller that fans of the genre will enjoy. However, sending a civilian into drug territory and the unorthodox methods Weld employs in Chesney's impromptu training is a bit of a stretch. Chesney is a strong protagonist, portrayed like an FBI trainee, with smarts and beauty to get her way. Yet, her low resistance toward men's physical advances seems counter to Chesney's character and highlights some of the weaker elements of the novel. Gallant does succeed with an intriguing plot with plenty of action, while painting a vivid picture of the wild landscape of the Atchafalaya Basin.