I must admit that this question is aimed squarely at myself. I'm a "northern girl" who lived in New Orleans from 1963 until 1973. The murders, the finding of the bodies, the knowledge of the killers was front and center when my family and I lived there and it disturbed me no end. I spoke with my pastor about it when it was disclosed that one of the killers was a Baptist pastor. My pastor assured me that we are each as individuals responsible for our actions and the consequences of them. All of that being said, I had to read this book in fits and starts as I found it most disturbing. And, yet, it's so well written, such a compelling story, that each time I put it down i wanted to pick it up again, and did so each time. Mr. Iles has put his readers right into the middle of a difficult time for the South and that he can make those readers feel a part of the scene is a testament to his skill.