First published 1998
Thomas Black gets a case he never wanted when Balinda Little disappears without a trace. The former choir girl turned wild child has left behind a car wreck, an empty purse, and something much worse: a dead Eagle Scout shot four times in the backseat. Balinda's father Luther, Black's old partner, can't believe his daughter would kill anyone, but the evidence tells a different story. The victim turns out to be a squeaky clean fifth grade teacher from Tacoma with no obvious connection to Balinda's world. Black and Luther follow the trail back to Balinda's last workplace, a small diner called Catfish Café. The restaurant seems innocent enough, but its freezer holds more than seafood. As Black digs deeper into the teacher's past, he discovers that even the most respectable people harbor dangerous secrets. The investigation pulls him into a web of deception centered on the unassuming café, where the menu offers more than anyone bargained for.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Catfish Café, Tacoma
309 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books