Part of Dave Robicheaux, book 24
First published 2024
Clete Purcel retrieves his Cadillac from the car wash only to discover thugs have ransacked it. The private investigator and former New Orleans cop knows this attack connects to the drug trade, and the violence feels personal. His grandniece died from a fentanyl overdose. While Clete tracks the criminal network behind the assault, a mysterious woman named Clara Bow approaches him with her own case. She wants him to investigate her manipulative ex-husband. The investigation pulls Clete deeper into a web of brutal murders, all linked to a heavily tattooed man who seems to appear everywhere. Clete begins experiencing vivid hallucinations as he and his longtime partner Dave Robicheaux uncover rumors about a new substance with terrifying potential. The thugs who destroyed his car may be small players in a much larger and deadlier conspiracy. Burke centers this installment of his bestselling series on Dave's partner, giving Clete his first starring role as he fights to protect the people he cares about.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: New Orleans
336 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, violence