Heaven’s Prisoners

A drug smuggler's plane crashes into a lake in the Louisiana swamps. Robicheaux and his wife Annie pull a lone Salvadoran child from the water and administer rescue breathing until she coughs up the lake water. The dramatic rescue drags the couple into the dangerous world of drug trafficking.

A DEA officer named Dautrieve arrives at the scene and hints at a larger drug operation. His presence reveals a connection to Bubba Rocque, a local drug kingpin and Robicheaux's old friend. Dave realizes he can't stay detached and decides to investigate, risking his safety and his family.

Robicheaux is assaulted by two thugs as a warning. He seeks help from his former girlfriend Robin, an exotic dancer who still has feelings for him, and she provides information for the investigation. Bubba denies involvement, and Dave warns Bubba and Bubba's wife Claudette that he will uncover the truth.

Robicheaux rekindles help from his ex-girlfriend Robin, who remains emotionally involved and assists in gathering leads. He presses the case despite the danger, while Bubba and Claudette's positions become increasingly tense. The investigation tightens the net around the local drug operation.

He tracks down Eddie Keats, one of the men who attacked him, and confronts him in Keats's own bar. In a violent outburst, Dave shatters Keats's head with a pool cue, signaling his willingness to resort to brutal methods. The bar becomes a focal point linking the assault to the criminal network.

Late one night killers come to the Robicheaux home; Annie is killed in the attack. Dave spirals into grief and rage, briefly falling off the wagon and neglecting their adopted daughter Alafair. Robin comes to stay with them to help weather the tragedy.

Clearing his head, Robicheaux vows vengeance against the three killers. He tracks down a large man named Toot and chases him onto a streetcar, where Toot dies. The act marks Dave's descent into a brutal, solitary form of justice.

Bubba and Claudette reassure mob boss Giancano that the vendetta won't spiral out of control. Bubba gets into a fistfight with Robicheaux, driven by jealousy and suspicion of an affair with Claudette. The criminal network grows more volatile as suspicions rise.

Eddie Keats is found dead before Robicheaux can reach him, suggesting others are pulling the strings. Robicheaux tracks down Victor Romero, convinced that a mastermind is directing the killings. He understands that orders come from someone else and steels himself to find them.

Robicheaux locates Victor Romero and kills him, delivering a personal vendetta and breaking the case wide open. The victory comes at a cost, and the violence surrounding the case begins to recede as the power structure fractures.

Robicheaux discovers Claudette planned the hit to take over the drug business. He confronts Bubba at his home, and Bubba shoots Claudette in a bid to protect himself and stop the plan. Robicheaux then calls in the crime, tying up the immediate loose ends.

Returning home, Robicheaux finds that Robin has left for good. All that remains is his daughter Alafair, leaving Dave to cope with loss and the crushing cost of vengeance as he faces a fragile peace.