The snagged female corpse wasn't the only life washed ashore that year. Hurricane Katrina had inflicted merciless destruction across the South and Air Force Special Investigator, Jack Vu, finds himself among thousands displaced by the storm. Forced to live in a barracks, Jack anticipates the solitude of a Louisville hotel room while investigating the apparent suicide. After another grisly discovery, Vu encounters unlikely partners in two Big Easy cops, one of whom is jailed for murder. In a city quick to convict, the implications of a delicate snip could spell disaster.From a Mississippi riverbank, to historic Churchill Downs, Jack must tread carefully through tainted jockeys, bantering musicians, and even a quirky Elvis impersonator. When it comes to the Kentucky Derby, social classes collide, proud residents protect their own, and some secrets are best taken to the grave.