Black Water

Detective Merci Rayborn returns with a potential murder suicide case to test her strength in this thriller by a New York Times–bestselling author—“I rank the crime novels of T. Jefferson Parker right up there with the best” (Sue Grafton).

“Parker . . .scores again with a heroine whose steely toughness is leavened by warmth and vulnerability. It’s a pleasure to spend time with her.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A beautiful young woman is dead in the bathroom of her home. Her husband—a promising young cop named Archie Wildcraft—is shot in the head but still alive. It looks like an attempted murder/suicide, but something tells Detective Merci Rayborn that there’s more to the story.

When the suspect vanishes from his hospital bed, he draws Merci into a manhunt that leaves the entire department questioning her abilities and her judgment. Is Archie’s flight the act of a ruined mind, or a faithful heart? Is his account of the night his wife was murdered half-formed memory, or careful manipulation? Merci and Wildcraft head for a collision in a dizzying succession of cryptic clues, terrifying secrets, and painful truths.

“A showcase for mood, setting and pace.” —Publishers Weekly

“Parker again creates realistic characters with true emotions. . . . [Merci] is sure to become popular with new fans as well as old.” —Library Journal

“An excellent crime novel driven by Parker's recurrent theme of loss and isolation through illness or injury. . . . A thoughtful, multilayered tale in which crime is a catalyst rather than the centerpiece.” —Booklist