She was just 17, a high school dropout named Milly Jones, found walking down the middle of the highway, engulfed in flames. Even in a tough Mississippi county like Tibbehah, it shatters the community, and it is up to Sheriff Quinn Colson, back on the job after a year away, and his deputy Lillie Virgil, to investigate what happened, and why. Before long, however, accusations start to fly; national media and federal authorities descend; and what seemed like a senseless act of violence begins to appear like something even more disturbing - with more victims waiting in the shadows. The extraordinary new novel in the New York Times-bestselling author's acclaimed series about the real Deep South - 'a joy ride into the heart of darkness' (Washington Post)