Prologue Summary and Analysis
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Summary
The Prologue opens with retired detective Montavious Brodie Sr. sitting at his old Dell computer in his cabin deep in the South Carolina woods. He has just posted the name “Colleton” to his online forum for “Armchair Detectives,” a group of amateur sleuths who collaborate on cold cases. The name stirs something from decades ago, and he feels a growing urgency to investigate it. He scribbles “Colleton” on his whiteboard, connecting it to what he calls the “Colleton Girls” case.
Montavious is a former detective and investigator, having worked for local police and later for SLED (South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division). He retired and left policing to his son, who apparently became a police chief. He lives alone in a cabin he built with his late wife, Mae, and where he raised their two sons—both now deceased. His granddaughter Pen and daughter-in-law Angela live nearby, but he prefers the solitude of the cabin to their constant fussing over his health, particularly his pacemaker.
He picks up his weathered iPhone and scrolls through recent calls, passing Chief Linwood’s office, the post office, Barbara Harris, and his youngest granddaughter Pen. He stops at the name of his “favorite partner in crime,” his older granddaughter Jac, nicknamed “JD” (Junior Dick, a private joke between them). He leaves a voicemail, telling her that he may have “screwed up real bad” and that the past has come to find him. He asks her to call back, hoping she will finally return to Brook Haven.
As he ends the call, he hears a branch snap outside. He knows the sounds of the woods well—this is not an animal or a falling limb. He retrieves his handgun from a bookshelf and moves toward the side door. Despite his age and failing eyesight, his hearing is sharp, and he is alert. He reflects on his career facing murderers, traffickers, and serial killers, and on the racial discrimination he endured as a Black man in the South, which nearly derailed his career. He refuses to be afraid.
When he opens the door, he sees nothing in the dark. Then a figure approaches, and recognition washes over him. He relaxes his defensive stance, saying, “It’s damn late to be calling.” The visitor responds by shoving a Taser into his chest, directly over his pacemaker. The repeated shocks send his heart into a fatal arrhythmia. As he lies dying, his last thoughts are that his death will finally bring Jac back home to Brook Haven.
Key Events
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Montavious posts the name “Colleton” to his Armchair Detectives forum and writes it on his whiteboard.
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He leaves a voicemail for his granddaughter Jac, hinting that he has made a serious mistake and that the past has caught up with him.
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He hears an unfamiliar noise outside his cabin and retrieves his handgun.
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He opens the door, recognizes the visitor, and lowers his guard.
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The visitor uses a Taser on his chest, targeting his pacemaker, causing his heart to stop.
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Montavious dies, thinking that his death will bring Jac back to Brook Haven.
Character Development
Montavious Brodie Sr. is the chapter’s sole point of view. He is a proud, stubborn man who values tradition and hands-on investigation over modern technology. He dislikes the “World Wide Web” and prefers to let younger Armchairs do the searching while he teases out clues. He is also deeply nostalgic, keeping a whiteboard and red yarn to map cases, a nod to his old policing days.
His relationship with Jac is central. He calls her his “partner in crime” and hopes she will return home, though he acknowledges she has been estranged for years. His voicemail reveals both his affection and his regret. He also shows a protective side, refusing to be scared despite his age and the racial prejudice he faced throughout his career.
The chapter also hints at Jac’s importance without her appearing. She is the one he wants to reach, and his final thought is about her. This establishes her as the emotional anchor of the story.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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The past resurfacing: The name “Colleton” triggers a decades-old memory, and Montavious explicitly says the past has come to find him. His death is the ultimate consequence of that resurfacing.
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Armchair detective community vs. traditional policing: Montavious contrasts his old methods with the online forum, showing a generational shift in how cases are solved.
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Technology versus traditional detective work: He dislikes his slow computer and phone, preferring his whiteboard and red yarn, yet he uses the forum to chase the Colleton lead.
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Isolation in the woods: The cabin’s remote setting makes Montavious vulnerable and underscores his solitude.
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Family estrangement and reconciliation: His voicemail to Jac and his dying wish to bring her home frame the novel’s emotional core.
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Racial discrimination in the South: Montavious reflects on how his career was hindered because of his skin color, grounding the story in a specific historical context.
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Hidden secrets: He mentions a safe containing two cases—one he’d die for and one he’d kill to solve—hinting at unresolved mysteries.
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Murder and cold case investigation: The “Colleton Girls” case and Montavious’s death set up a murder mystery.
Why This Chapter Matters
This Prologue establishes the novel’s central mystery and stakes. It introduces Montavious as a sympathetic, complex protagonist whose death is both a tragedy and a catalyst. The name “Colleton” and the “Colleton Girls” case are planted as the mystery Jac will likely investigate. The chapter also sets up the theme of the past returning, both for Montavious and for Jac, who will be drawn back to Brook Haven. The violent, unexpected death of a beloved character creates immediate tension and raises questions: Who killed him? Why? What did he know about the Colleton case? And how will Jac respond to his death?
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the name “Colleton” signify to Montavious, and why does it prompt him to act?
The name “Colleton” is connected to a decades-old case he calls the “Colleton Girls.” He hears it mentioned in passing and feels a strong urge to investigate, even though he is retired. It represents an unresolved piece of his past that he believes he may have mishandled, and he tells Jac he may have “screwed up real bad.” The name also foreshadows the central mystery of the novel.
2. How does Montavious’s relationship with Jac shape his final actions and thoughts?
Montavious’s voicemail to Jac is his attempt to reconnect and possibly confess his mistake. He calls her his “partner in crime” and hopes she will return home. His dying thought is that his death will finally bring her back to Brook Haven, showing that his love for her and his desire for reconciliation are his final priorities.
3. What role does the setting—the cabin in the woods—play in the chapter?
The cabin isolates Montavious, making him vulnerable to the unseen visitor. It also reflects his character: he built it himself, it holds memories of his family, and it is where he feels safe. The woods are both a refuge and a place of danger, as the intruder uses the darkness to approach unnoticed. The setting reinforces themes of solitude, the past, and the thin line between safety and threat.
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