Although he has no law enforcement background, he finds a job as an auxiliary patrolman — on a local police force known to inspire more fear than trust. When the brutal murder of a local resident shatters the isolation of this forgotten place, triggering the arrival of state police homicide detectives and a townwide manhunt, both the local cops and Maddox appear to have something to hide. As the tightly wound mystery that is Maddox's past begins to unravel, he becomes ensnared in a deadly conspiracy that ultimately threatens his life, as well as the lives of those around him. A brilliantly plotted page-turner told with soul-deep characterization, crisp pacing, and unflinching realism, proves Chuck Hogan as the unrivaled master of gritty suspense.