Thebodiesofanelderlycolonelandhiscomelyyoungwifearediscoveredonthestaircaseoftheirstatelyplantationhome,theirbloodstilldrippingdownthewoodenbalustrades.WithintheshelteredwallsofCottoncrest,AugustineandRebeccaChastainehavemettheirdeathsunderthesameshroudofmysterythatbefelltheformerowner,whohadcommittedsuicideattheendoftheCivilWar.LocalswhisperaboutthecurseofCottoncrestPlantation,anotherworldlyforcethathasnowtakenthreelives.ButSheriffRaiferJacksonknowsthatevenaspecterneedsamortalaccomplice,andafterinvestigatingthecrimescene,heconcludesthattheapparentmurder/suicideisadoublehomicide,withlocalpeddlerJakeGoldastheprimesuspect.Assistedbyhisoverzealousdeputy,agrizzledCivilWarphysician,andtheracistKnightsoftheWhiteCamellia,theSheriffdirectsamanhuntforJakethroughavillageofformerslaves,theswampsofCajuncountry,andthebordellosofNewOrleans.ButJake’schameleon-likeabilitiesenablehimtoeludehispursuers.Asapeddlerwhohasbuiltrelationshipsbytradingfabric,needles,drygoods,andespeciallyrazor-sharpknivesinexchangeforfur,JakeknowsthebackroadsofthesmalltownsthatdottheMississippiRiverDelta.Additionally,hisuncannytalentforlanguagesallowshimtoposeasjustanotherlocal,hidinghistrueidentityasanimmigrantJewwhofledCzarist-Russia.MichaelH.Rubin’sTheCottoncrestCursetakesreadersontheboldjourneyofJake’sflightwithinanepicsweepoftreacheryandfamilyrivalryrangingfromtheCivilWartothecivilrightsera,astheimpactofthe1893murdersripplesthroughthetwentiethcenturyandviolencebesetstheownersofCottoncrestintothe1960s.
