Part of Virgil Flowers, book 15
First published 2023
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers face their most challenging investigation when federal judge Alex Sand and his two young sons are gunned down in their St. Paul home. The family was enjoying an evening basketball game when the killer struck. Sand's wealth and judicial position created numerous enemies, but murdering children crosses every line. The judge was preparing a substantial gift to Heart/Twin Cities housing charity before his death. Now the community watches his widow Margaret Cooper, wondering what she will do with the money. Margaret struggles with grief and cannot fathom why anyone would destroy her family. Local police and FBI investigators reach dead ends repeatedly. Public pressure mounts as the case stalls. Davenport and Flowers must pursue every theory and follow each potential lead. They encounter unexpected resistance from surprising sources. Each obstacle they face might actually point toward the truth. The two detectives refuse to give up until they identify the killer who shattered the Sand family.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: high-stakes, investigation
Setting: St. Paul
Period: contemporary
400 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence