Part of Lucas Davenport, book 14
First published 2004
Lucas Davenport has settled into changes he never expected. His former boss Rose Marie Roux promoted him to a state-level troubleshooter position, handling cases too complex or politically sensitive for regular investigators. Marriage and fatherhood suit him well, but Lucas knows peace comes with a price. He waits for the bill to arrive. It comes in the form of two naked bodies hanging from a tree in northern Minnesota woods. The victims are a black man and a white woman, and everyone carefully avoids saying "lynching" while thinking exactly that. The racial implications make the case explosive, but as Lucas digs deeper, he discovers the murders bear no resemblance to their appearance. The investigation pulls Lucas into something far more sinister than a hate crime. What initially seems like a racially motivated killing reveals layers of deception and violence that threaten to destroy more lives. Lucas must navigate the political minefield while uncovering the truth behind murders designed to mislead. The real danger lies not in what the crime appears to be, but in what it actually represents.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Minnesota
Period: contemporary
455 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: racism, violence