Jack McEvoy is a newspaper reporter for the L. A. Times. He last appeared in Michael Connelly's books, The Narrows (also reviewed on Myshelf) and The Poet.

Jack has received the dreaded news that he has ten days to train his replacement, and he is gone. His salary makes him expendable since they can pay a younger, less experienced person much less.

Jack has a sudden inspiration, He is handed a story about a young gang-banger who has confessed to the murder of a young, white exotic dancer. But the boy’s grandmother insists on his innocence and Jack decides to write a story that could win him the Pulitzer and make the higher ups sorry they let him go.

Soon Jack is paired with FBI agent Rachael Walling, an agent he once worked with when he exposed the serial killer The Poet. The pair soon realize that they are not just on the trail of a possible serial killer but also in the sights of the same diabolical mind. My first Connelly in a long time, Scarecrow has convinced me I need to go back and catch up. The Scarecrow was a wonderful book with great depth.