Part of Alex Delaware, book 28
First published 2013
Psychologist Alex Delaware gets pulled into a disturbing case when contractors renovate a backyard in upscale Los Angeles and uncover an infant's remains buried six decades earlier. The discovery grows more sinister when police find another body in a nearby park alongside bizarre evidence that detective Milo Sturgis cannot easily explain. Delaware and Sturgis must connect these strange incidents while investigating a cold trail that leads back to the 1950s. Their search uncovers stories of an enigmatic nurse, her secret romantic relationship, and a charismatic wealthy physician whose perfect facade hides darker truths. The hospital where these figures once worked has vanished along with all records of the dead infant. Just when the historical mystery seems unsolvable, the investigation takes an unexpected turn toward Hollywood's most protected celebrities. Delaware enters this privileged world unprepared for what lies beneath its glamorous surface. He discovers a twisted subculture where wealth and fame enable horrific practices that connect directly to both the decades-old infant death and the recent murder.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: investigation, secrets, twisted-truth
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 1950s, 2020s
378 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: death, murder