Part of Dave Robicheaux, book 18
First published 2010
Dave Robicheaux returns to New Iberia, Louisiana to investigate seven brutal murders of young women in Jefferson Davis Parish. The killings bear the marks of a serial predator, but one victim stands apart. Bernadette Latiolais was an honor student, not the vulnerable target these killers typically choose. Robicheaux and his partner Clete Purcel track down Herman Stanga, a vicious pimp and drug dealer they both know well. When Stanga turns up dead after Purcel beats him in public, Clete faces murder charges and his career crumbles. Meanwhile, Robicheaux's daughter Alafair takes leave from Stanford Law School to finish her novel. Her writing draws her to Kermit Abelard, a celebrated author from a declining Louisiana family. Abelard works closely with Robert Weingart, a bestselling writer and ex-convict who destroys everyone around him. Robicheaux fears this dangerous literary world will consume his daughter. As Alafair pulls away from him, he questions whether his protective instincts have become paranoia. The case forces him to confront a evil deeper than any he has faced before.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: investigation, protective-parent
Setting: Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, New Iberia, Stanford Law School
Period: Contemporary
448 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: violence