It is 1927 New Orleans and detective Damon Rourke has drawn a particularly touchy case. It seems that someone has crucified a priest with some fairly forward thinking views, and the list of suspects, both in and outside of the Church, is quite extensive. To add to this, Rourke's lady companion, a renowned actress, has been receiving some less-than-savory messages from a stalker. This is Rourke's second appearance, following MORTAL SINS.

A boy named Roy follows in his father's unfortunate footsteps: both are in love with Roy's mother's sister, an abused wife who lives next door. After Roy's father is murdered, Roy's life becomes increasingly entwined with that of his Aunt April, derailing his career as a football player and leading in the end to revelations about his father's life that dramatically change his own.