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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Gun violence; a brutal murder; crime throughout
Language
A lot
Strong throughout; Southern noir register
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual content; Roy and Rocky's complicated relationship
Substance Use
Some
Drinking throughout; bar culture
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Terminal illness as a liberation and a burden; the impossibility of escape from violence; damaged people trying to love
What this book is about
Roy Cady is a hired muscle with terminal cancer who is sent to deliver a message — and discovers it's a setup. He escapes with a young woman named Rocky and drives to Galveston, Texas, where two broken people try to make something out of what's left. Nic Pizzolatto (creator of True Detective) writes a Southern noir about violence, damage, and the persistent human need for connection even at the end of everything.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Terminal illness
Criminal violence throughout
Adult sexual content
Reader Verification
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