by James Sallis
First published 2013
A gunman picks off targets across 1960s New Orleans, leaving five bodies in his wake. When the sixth shot rings out, Lew Griffin stands next to the victim as she falls. The woman is white, Griffin is black, and they barely know each other. Yet somehow the task of finding her killer lands on him. Griffin moves through a sun-scorched city where Black Panthers and separatists challenge the old order. His search draws in unexpected partners: a black journalist fighting for change, an arms dealer with mercenary connections, and bail bondsman Frankie DeNoux. Each brings their own agenda to the hunt. But this case forces Griffin to confront more than just a killer. Already showing signs of the violence and alcoholism that will define him, he carries demons that threaten to consume him. The investigation becomes a test of whether the better angels of his nature can prevail over the darkness growing inside him.
Genres: historical-fiction, african-american, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New Orleans
Period: 1960s
Audio CD · Blackstone Audiobooks
Content warnings: racism, violence