Penn Cage was elected mayor of Natchez, Mississippi--the hometown he returned to after the death of his wife--on a tide of support for change. But two years into his term, casino gambling has proved a sure bet for bringing in new jobs and fresh money to this fading jewel of the Old South. But deep inside the Magnolia Queen, a fantastical repurposed steamboat, a depraved hidden world draws high-stakes players with money to burn on their unquenchable taste for blood sport and the dark vices that go with it.

When a childhood friend hands him blood-chilling evidence, Penn must beat the odds tracking a sophisticated killer who counters his every move, placing those nearest to him--including his young daughter, his renowned physician father, and a lover from the past--in grave danger, and all at the risk of jeopardizing forever the town he loves.

With his gift for crafting "a keep-you-engaged-to-the-very-last-page thriller" (USA TODAY) at full throttle, Greg Iles brings back Penn Cage--the sharply honed, unforgettable hero from his most popular novels--in this electrifying suspense masterpiece.