A crime thriller featuring a New Orleans private detective from an author nominated for the McIlvanney Prize.

PI Vincent Delaney thought he was done with the NOPD. But now a string of seemingly unrelated child murders brings an unexpected invitation from the FBI, and his old boss.

A serial killer is roaming the South, preying on children appearing in pageants, and the police want him to go undercover using his own family. Accepting would mean lying to people he loves and maybe even putting them in harm's way.

It's not like Delaney doesn't have other problems. In Baton Rouge, a violent criminal has escaped and is seeking revenge for the brother Delaney shot dead. And north of the French Quarter, shopkeepers are being extorted—which would normally be a matter for the police, except the police are the ones responsible for the crime.

Delaney has his work cut out for him. And he'll be lucky if he makes it out of this alive...