Product Description 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. From Publishers Weekly Parker's third thriller is a powerful, unforgettable story of murder and corruption told in prose as sparkling and tough as any devotee of the hard-boiled tradition could wish, a tale that fulfills all the promise of his smash debut, Laguna Heat. After a brief and unpleasant stay in a Mexican jail, ex-cop Jim Weir returns to Newport Beach, Calif., for a joyful reunion with his mother and his sister, Ann, both activists in a campaign to stop rapacious developers from destroying their city. Joy turns quickly to sorrow when Ann, pregnant at last after she and her husband, Jim's former police partner and best friend, Ray Cruz, have tried for years to have a child, is found raped and brutally stabbed hours after Jim's arrival. Evidence quickly mounts to indicate that Ann was having an affair and may have been murdered by a member of the police force. Weir begins a covert investigation of the department at the behest of its chief, who, backed by the developers and their allies, is also running for mayor. His opponent is Becky Flynn, Jim's ex-lover and Ann's best friend. Further complications arise with the discovery that a convicted sex criminal had been spying on Ann. In the best tradition of Chandler and Macdonald, that young man turns out to be the link to terrible secrets from the past which have led to the present tragedy. 75,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild selection.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review “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 From Library Journal The author of Laguna Heat (LJ 9/1/85) again combines generous detail, heartfelt characterization, and impressive language in an outstanding, memorable, and magnetic work. John Weir, an ex-sheriff's department employee, and brother-in-law Raymond battle corrupt police, development-at-all-cost advocates, and a known sex offender when they try to find the murderer of John's beloved sister. Splayed against the coastal community of Newport Beach, California, where old-time residents hope to elect a "slow-growth" candidate, their investigation reveals ever-deeper l