A controversial case brings lawyer Henry Rios back home to Oakland—and into the sights of a stone-cold killer

It's been almost a decade since Henry Rios has seen his sister, Elena. A troubled family history has left them both with unhappy memories. But his visit with his sister isn't the reunion he imagined. As Rios comes to terms with the results of his partner's HIV test, Elena asks him to defend Paul Windsor, someone they grew up with—who has a history of pedophilia and has just been charged with murder after his fingerprints were found at a crime scene.
The victim, who peddled child pornography, was tortured before he was bludgeoned to death in a motel room. The investigation takes Rios back to his old neighborhood and down a twisting trail of blackmail, jealousy, and tainted love. Forced to confront his demons, he'll face off with some hard truths about himself—and with a merciless killer.

Howtown is the third book in the Henry Rios mystery series, which also includes The Little Death and Goldenboy.