by Greg Iles
First published 2015
Penn Cage's world collapses when his father's nurse Viola Turner dies under suspicious circumstances. Dr. Tom Cage flees justice, leaving Penn to search for answers about why his father ran. The investigation pulls Penn into a deadly conflict with the Double Eagles, a violent KKK offshoot that knows disturbing secrets about Tom's past. Penn navigates a web of corrupt officials and criminals whose influence reaches state government. FBI agent John Kaiser wants Tom Cage to solve civil rights murders and potentially the JFK assassination. Penn's fiancée Caitlin Masters chases the story that could define her career. All paths converge on the Bone Tree, a legendary murder site hiding dark truths. Penn discovers that Viola's death opens a door to America's buried history, where 1960s conspiracies connected the New Orleans Mafia, Double Eagle assassins, and the Dallas shooting in 1963. Tom Cage somehow stands at the center of it all.
Genres: historical-fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, action, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, cover-up, family-drama, investigative-journalism, political-corruption
Setting: Dallas, New Orleans
Period: 1960s, 2010s
804 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: racism, violence