In 1972, serial killer Marsden Hexcamp was killed by a woman in widow's weeds before he could be put to death by the state. Today, homicide detective Carson Ryder is part of a two-man team that investigates homicides with a mystical tie-in, such as the occult. He and his partner discover a current case has ties to the serial killer of three decades before.

The possible involvement of former female members of Hexcamp's "family," ala Charles Manson, the disappearance of a local attorney and a secret auction for "Death Collectors" of memorabilia tied to Marsden Hexcamp has the case heading in multiple directions. The last thing Carson needs is an order from his superiors to share information with Dee Dee Danbury, reporter for the local television station. Even worse, to solve this case, Carson's probably going to have to go to his brother for help -- his incarcerated brother who just happens to be a serial killer.

I loved this book. The characters are fresh; I particularly liked the way the partners connected -- and rode together in the car. The unusual situations Carson Ryder faces, from the police work he loves to the brother he can't help but love, to Dee Dee, the reporter he knows he shouldn't love, make him a wonderfully well-rounded character. The story is engrossing and hard to put down. I haven't read Kerley's previous debut novel, THE HUNDREDTH MAN, but I plan to do so as quickly as I can find a copy.