Howtown

A controversial case brings lawyer Henry Rios back home to Oakland—and into the sights of a stone-cold killer

It’s been almost a decade since Henry Rios has seen his sister, Elena. A troubled family history has left them both with unhappy memories. But his visit with his sister isn’t the reunion he imagined. She’s asking him to defend Paul Windsor, someone they had grown up with—who has a history of pedophilia and has just been charged with murder after his fingerprints were found at a crime scene.

The victim, who peddled child pornography, was tortured before he was bludgeoned to death in a motel room. The investigation takes Rios back to his old neighborhood and down a twisting trail of blackmail, jealousy, and tainted love. Forced to confront his demons, he’ll face off with some hard truths about himself—and with a merciless killer.