Overview
Ex-cop Jim Weir thought he'd seen it all during his years on the force. That is until he saw the body of his sister Annie, brutally used by a monster in human form, then carelessly discarded. He'd never seen such grief ravage the face of his friend and brother-in-law Ray Cruz, a good cop on the Newport Beach Police Department. When Weir learns that the only witness swore the killer made his escape in a Newport Beach squad car, his disbelief turns to confusion and outrage. Now the anguished Weir is on the killer's trail, looking for answers among his former colleagues, but he's going up against a solid wall of silent blue. And just out of sight, a fractured shadow of a man watches Jim's progress with twisted amusement as he waits for his time to come.
A policeman's pregnant wife is murdered in Newport Beach, and against a backdrop of corrupt city politics, the delicate and dangerous undercover investigation falls to the victim's brother, a former detective who left the force respecting its many secrets and who must now expose them one by one. Parker's first novel, Laguna Heat, led to an HBO feature film. Martin's.
Synopsis
Ex-cop Jim Weir thought he'd seen it all during his years on the force. That is until he saw the body of his sister Annie, brutally used by a monster in human form, then carelessly discarded. He'd never seen such grief ravage the face of his friend and brother-in-law Ray Cruz, a good cop on the Newport Beach Police Department. When Weir learns that the only witness swore the killer made his escape in a Newport Beach squad car, his disbelief turns to confusion and outrage. Now the anguished Weir is on the killer's trail, looking for answers among his former colleagues, but he's going up against a solid wall of silent blue. And just out of sight, a fractured shadow of a man watches Jim's progress with twisted amusement as he waits for his time to come.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"T. Jefferson Parker is a powerhouse writer."-The New York Times Book Review"Parker's absorbing story and rich characters will surprise you as their many dimensions unfold."—Seattle Times
"The kind of book you think about long after you have finished it...intelligent, sensitive, poignantly real...Parker emerges as one of our best novelists."-Atlanta Journal & Constitution
"A hothouse of full-bloomed characters and ripe emotions."-Kirkus Reviews
"T. Jefferson Parker is not the first to explore the peculiar psyche of Orange County-he's simply the best."-San Diego Union
"Parker is a gifted writer...superb...a smart and compelling read."-L.A. Style
"T. Jefferson Parker makes the turf of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald his own with a novel steaming with atmosphere and taut with suspense."-Literary Guild
"An outstanding, memorable, and magnetic work!"-Library Journal
"Parker is a robust storyteller who delights in bewildering reversals. He passionately describes the disappearing coastal culture while composing a tantalizing story of small-town politics."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch