Part of Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, book 28
First published 1974
William Lush made enemies wherever he went. The violent drunk terrorized his community and brutalized his wife until he finally beat her to death. Then Lush himself vanished without a trace. Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte arrives to investigate, but the case presents an urgent puzzle. Did Lush flee after killing his wife, or has someone murdered him in revenge? Bonaparte must work against time as floodwaters rise toward Madman's Bend. If Lush lies dead somewhere in the area, the approaching flood will wash away every trace of evidence. Bonaparte pushes forward through the investigation, knowing that each hour brings the water closer. He must locate Lush, whether the man breathes or rots, and if murder has been done, he must identify the killer before the river claims all answers. The flooding landscape becomes both obstacle and deadline as Bonaparte pursues justice in a race against nature itself.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: race-against-time, whodunit
Setting: Madman's Bend
Period: 20th-century
187 pages · Paperback · Pan Books
Content warnings: domestic-violence, murder, violence