In the sequel to his award-winning debut novel, City of Grudges, author Rick Outzen brings back alt-weekly newspaper publisher Walker Holmes, his dog Big Boy and a cast of unforgettable characters as they continue to expose corruption in Pensacola, Florida.
In Blood in the Water, Holmes’ world has fallen apart yet again—his girlfriend has left him, an expose on human trafficking has led to his source being brutally murdered, and his nemesis, Sheriff Ron Frost, appears to be unstoppable in his pursuit of a third term.
The publisher’s life becomes even more chaotic when a flood shuts down Pensacola, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, and leaving Holmes’s entire staff stranded in his apartment. Before the town can cope with the destruction, the county jail explodes, killing five and injuring hundreds.
Somehow Holmes must get his act together—stop his binge drinking, win back the support of his staff and friends, stave off a hostile takeover of his newspaper and figure out what and who caused the deadly blast. But his investigation is unearthing dangerous connections to the Dixie Mafia, the Ku Klux Klan and decades of backroom deals that have fattened the bank accounts of a few powerful families.
Before he is done, plenty of blood will be in the water. Holmes hopes none of it is his.