by Greg Iles
First published 2007
Penn Cage once served as a prosecutor before becoming a writer. Now he lives in Natchez, a drowsy Southern town near New Orleans where old money and tradition run deep. When his longtime friend Drew Elliot faces charges for raping and killing a pregnant seventeen-year-old girl, Drew turns to Penn for legal help. Penn believes completely in Drew's innocence, but the investigation takes a deadly turn. More bodies pile up as dark secrets surface throughout the community. Penn himself becomes a target as he races to uncover the truth. The stakes climb higher when Drew faces formal murder charges. In this town steeped in secrets, Penn must expose the real killer before the death penalty claims an innocent man.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Natchez, New Orleans
Period: Contemporary
429 pages · Paperback · Luitingh