SOLVED. Mystery: white detective goes into swamps where serial killer murders people using local legend of "a devil or monster" to get away with it. i think it's a texan author. loved the book and can't remember the name anymore. [s]

[Christopher]

Mystery: white detective goes against local southern custom to help black community in the swamps of Texas? Lousiana? Alabama? Mississippi? A serial killer there murders people and keep getting away with it because of a local legend of "a devil or monster" who lives in those backwoods. i think it's written by a texan author. I loved the book and can't remember the name anymore. I read it around 2005 and have the impression it was written a good while before that. I remember thinking the detective, who is a lawyer, kind of reminded me of atticus finch... and there was a young girl, maybe the lawyer/hero's daughter... and i think the young girl catches the eye of the killer. I recall the "big reveal scene" at the end had the lawyer go into a swamp village of some kind - like a little ramshackle town in the backwoods. Thanks for help ahead of time!

[Christopher]

Yes!! That’s it! Thanks!!