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P.I. Charlie Parker is living in Maine with his lover, Rachel. Rachel is happily pregnant with Charlie's child.

Charlie is asked by Elliot Norton, an old friend, to help in a case in Charleston, South Carolina. Elliot is defending a black man accused of the rape and murder of his white girlfriend. She also happens to be the daughter of one of the richest men in the area. Elliot is afraid that his client will be taken out of custody and murdered before he can come to trial.

Elliot wants Charlie to help protect the man and gather evidence of his innocence.

Charlie is joined by his friends Louis and Angel. One thing they discover is that the girl's family and the man's family have a hatred and rivalry that predates the Civil War.  Two women from the man's family have been missing for years the the investigation reveals evidence of wrong doing among a surprising group of men.

John Connolly is an excellent storyteller who knows the way to his reader's heart and mind. There is enough of legend and history of racial tensions in the South so that the reader is immediately captivated. In addition, Charlie Parker is a wonderful character who tries to find truth and defend the innocent, even if they are beyond the grave.

The novel is skillfully plotted and is a first rate thriller.