Part of Dave Robicheaux, book 17
First published 2008
Detective Dave Robicheaux travels to Montana with his wife and partner Clete Purcell, seeking refuge from post-Katrina Louisiana at an old friend's ranch. The wilderness promises fishing and tranquility, but two college students turn up dead in the nearby hills. Robicheaux and Purcell become entangled in a web involving a ruthless oil magnate, his deformed brother and stunning wife, a predatory minister, and an escaped convict who once performed country music. A vengeful Texas gunman adds to the chaos. Clete wrestles with visions of Sally Dio, the mob boss he destroyed years earlier, as past sins threaten to consume him. The Montana mountains become a battleground where violence from different worlds collides, forcing Robicheaux to confront enemies both living and dead.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Louisiana, Montana
Period: Post-Katrina
402 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: violence