For once the quotes on the cover got it right — “a riveting novel with broad sociological and biblical themes that evoke past American greats, such as Steinbeck and Cain” says the Lincoln Star Journal. I concur. This novel was what you’d get if you mixed Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Greg Iles. Pretty high praise, but I was also quite surprised at the quality of the writing and my enjoyment of the story. This was my first book by James Lee Burke and it won’t be my last. It was a dense read — and a brutal one at times — but I loved how all of the characters were multidimensional, even the so-called “bad” characters like Krill and Jack Collins. That isn’t how “bad” characters are typically written and I so appreciated the change!