November in Mobile, Alabama is a long way from the horrors of the sweltering jungles of Vietnam. In the fall of 1968, what passes for winter is coming to the heart of the deep South. And so are death, deception, draft evasion, drugs, and heartache.

Hugo August has come home, or at least the nearest thing to a home he has ever known. As a newly minted detective in the police department, he must investigate the murder of a wealthy socialite.

The appearance of Bebe Prescott, the forbidden fruit of Hugo's late-night longings and lifelong obsession, complicates the case. A product of the Catholic orphanage, Hugo is well aware of the social stratification of Mobile society. Bebe is as far removed from his reality as the moon, and yet, they have always had chemistry.

Spurred by a desire for justice and to prove his worth, Hugo must wade through the complications of the wealthy family's business, social connections, dark secrets, and often tragic history while guarding his own demons.