U električnoj izmaglici

The story begins with the brutal murder of a young prostitute. Dave, now sober and married to Bootsie, works for the sheriff's office. His investigation of the serial killings leads him to Hollywood actor Elrod Sykes, who is making a major Civil War film in the Atchafalaya Swamp. Sykes claims to see the ghosts of Confederate soldiers and discovers a chained skeleton in the mud—the remains of Dewitt Prejean, a black man who was chained to death in prison in 1957, a crime that Dave witnessed as a teenager but was covered up by the authorities.

The skeleton reopens old trauma and connects to current crimes. The prime suspect is Julie "Baby Feet" Balboni, a New Orleans mobster, Dave's old acquaintance, who is financing the film and has influence with local powerbrokers. Dave works with FBI agent Rosie Gomez, while a parallel supernatural thread develops: Elrod, and later Dave, experience visions of General John Bell Hood and his tortured soldiers in the swamp fog. These encounters are not just hallucinations – they carry a moral message about unpunished crimes and Dave's own remorse.

The novel interweaves several layers: a serial killer, corruption (Twinky Lemoyne, Murphy Doucet), Hollywood arrogance, Southern racism and ghosts seeking justice. Burke's language is rich with poetic descriptions of the swamps, Cajun culture, food and music, along with strong criticism of social injustices.

The book is one of the most praised in the series - for its atmosphere, complex characters and bold fusion of crime and the supernatural. It was adapted into a film in 2009 starring Tommy Lee Jones. Ideal for fans of deep, southern noir with a philosophical dimension.