Dimensions
168 x 241 x 34mm
Andrew Vachss stabs his trademark hard-boiled style into the heart of a quaint little seacoast village . . . one seething with corruption beneath its idyllic facade.After a life in various war zones, Dell and Dolly have settled in this town, fulfilling Dollyand#39;s lifelong dream. Though she has given up her Mandamp;eacute;decins Sans Frontiandamp;egrave;res nursing career and moved smoothly into civilian life, Dell had been a mercenary originally trained by the French Foreign Legion, so they both have to sacrifice their prior identities. Dolly becomes a part-time foster mother to dozens of teenagers, while Dell has no interest in the town or its people. But when the shining star of the girlsand#39; softball team shoots and kills the most popular boy in school, Dolly asks Dell to uncover the true motive behind this inexplicable crime. Dell treats the job as he would any other missionandamp;mdash;no boundaries. So it doesnand#39;t take him long to uncover a horrifying rite of passage demanded of the townand#39;s most vulnerable girls. The star pitcherand#39;s guilt is not in doubt, yet she insists she deserves a trial, so Dell and Dolly must join forces to put together a defense. What they discover culminates in a decision to put the town itself on trial . . . a lengthy, complicated trial with a shocking verdict.