"A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power." —THE NEW YORKER

The police call on David Hook at his farm in Illinois, telling him his son Chris has committed suicide. David doesn't believe them, he can't. He knows something else must have happened in California to cause Chris's death. Diving into the life of his son, David discovers corruption, immorality, and evil that shocks him to his very core, but it also awakens something lurking within, something he enjoys, something that poses an even bigger threat to those who hurt his son.