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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Multiple murders; a brutal assault on Robicheaux; violent confrontations in bayou country
Language
A lot
Strong, contemporary language throughout; frequent profanity
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual content in one scene; some crude language around sexuality
Substance Use
A lot
Heavy drinking — Robicheaux's alcoholism is a central character element; drug trafficking as plot context
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Dave Robicheaux's war trauma and alcoholism; the psychological weight of New Orleans's intersection of poverty, beauty, and violence; corruption at every level of society
What this book is about
Detective Dave Robicheaux discovers a dead girl in the bayou — a case that shouldn't be his but won't let him go. As he pursues it against the wishes of his superiors, he finds threads connecting the murder to drug running, Nicaraguan politics, and organized crime. The first Robicheaux novel establishes Burke's signature: lyrical prose about a landscape and a man both damaged and beautiful.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Heavy alcohol use — Robicheaux's alcoholism is significant and ongoing
Several murders and brutal violence
Strong language throughout
Drug trafficking and organized crime
Reader Verification
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