I was drawn to this book first by its cover, then by its opening, “A soft spring night in Savannah. In an hour Luke will be murdered, stabbed to death, and Stony will be snatched off the streets and hurled into darkness, but for now it’s just the two of them walking to their favorite bar for a nightcap.” George Dawes Green is also a poet and it shows in his prose. The atmospheric start with sudden violence sets the story in motion with a murder and kidnapping. Morgana Musgrove is a strong female lead as the detective who involves her four adult children in the drama, and as a family, they discover the sinister truths behind Savannah's power structure. This was a slow, enjoyable read, with writing that is dark, syrupy, and delicious. Highly recommended for fans of strong female detectives, Southern fiction and history. This is a book to be savored.