by John Lutz
First published 1986
Fred Carver walks with a cane now. The Orlando police detective's career ended when a bullet destroyed his kneecap. He works as a private investigator instead, taking cases others won't touch. Edwina Talbot hires him to find a man the police believe killed himself. Carver doesn't buy the suicide story. His search takes him from Florida's glittering beach resorts to the dark waters of the Everglades, where smugglers hide in remote coves. Strange coincidences pile up. Someone wants Carver dead. He finds himself drawn to Edwina despite the dangers surrounding her case. Every lead spawns new questions. Lies layer upon lies until Carver can't tell who to trust. The truth waits somewhere in this maze of deception, but reaching it may cost him everything he has left.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Florida, Everglades
246 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt & Company