The central character, a labor organizer, is murdered years before the start of this story and I admire the author's subtle attempt to demonstrate the price that labor had to pay to create a middle class. Fans of Dave Robicheaux will not be disappointed. While the details of this well told story differ, it is in the same style and tenor as pervious books. This time, however, his family is not placed in the line of fire. While I am not sure I like the author's use of the epilogue, I do like his turn of phrase. Two examples are, ....a charitable drive that is of no consequence, and .....proximity to the vessel of social anger their lives had become. Helen, Dave's partner, observes that she likes working with him, but would not like to get in his head. Dave and Clete's heads can indeed be dark places and so it is probably to the reader's benefit not to read these books in quick succession.