To Die in California — Newton Thornburg

While investigating his son's suspicious death, a father descends into darkness in this thriller by “a commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power” (The New Yorker).
 
The police call on David Hook at his farm in Illinois, telling him his son Chris has committed suicide. But David knows something else must have happened in California to lead to Chris's death. Diving into his son's life, David discovers political corruption, immorality, and evil that shocks him to his very core. But it also awakens something lurking within, something David enjoys . . . something that poses an even bigger threat to those who hurt his son.
 
“One of the truly great American writers of the 20th Century.” -- The Guardian
 
“Has an instant grab.” -- Kirkus Reviews
 
“A born storyteller.” -- St. Louis Post Dispatch