The book centers on a insurance investigator in the mississippi gulf coast. The book was written pre- Katrina and it captures the lifestyle of the shrimper community, casino development and racial divides between the Vietnamese and the locals who live in the point cadet area of Biloxi. Point Cadet was completely flattened by Katrina and didn't come back. There are a smattering of diehards who built back but not many. Every geographical note is accurate down to the local currents in the back bay area. Nice to read a book about a place that I know intimately and see that the author got it right. Style is a little like James Lee Burke.