"Shuman, author of the Alan Graham mystery series, knocks one out of the park with this moody standalone. Colin Douglas is a true-crime writer in his midsixties who hails from Baton Rouge. Lately he has become haunted by a crime that happened in 1959, when a woman was attacked one night and left to die near the Mississippi River. Now Douglas returns to the town he hasn’t seen in years to reconnect with old friends and, he hopes, put to rest his nightmares. Douglas, whose fear and shame shine brightly, like flashlight beams in the mist, narrates this compelling, deftly written story of small-town morals, secrets, and lingering guilt. The author, who lives in Baton Rouge, reveals the secrets of his characters slowly and gently, and as he does so, the reader realizes that Colin Douglas’ personal quest for peace of mind is just one element in a larger and more shocking story. This is the kind of novel you want to read again, immediately, just to see how the author did it."
Booklist Starred Review
December 15, 2008
211 p. Academy Chicago, paperback, $16.95.
ISBN: 9780897335836