Heaven's Prisoners

In James Lee Burke's acclaimed second installment of the Dave Robicheaux series, "Heaven's Prisoners" finds the former New Orleans homicide detective attempting to escape his violent past. Robicheaux has retreated to the tranquil, albeit brooding, bayou country of Louisiana, where he runs a boat-rental business with his wife, Annie. His quiet life is shattered when a small plane crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, right before his eyes. Diving into the wreckage, Dave miraculously rescues a little girl, the sole survivor, but discovers four other bodies. The official report, however, claims only three adult bodies were recovered, leaving one man mysteriously unaccounted for. This discrepancy ignites Robicheaux's dormant detective instincts, pulling him back into a perilous world of corruption, mob ties, and ruthless killers. As he delves deeper into the conspiracy surrounding the crash and the missing man, Dave finds himself confronting not only external enemies but also the demons of his own past, all while striving to protect the orphaned girl he has taken under his wing. The bayou's dark secrets force him to question the very nature of justice and the enduring legacy of violence.