Louisiana is the per capita prison capital of the world. Its incarceration rates are five times those of Iran and thirteen times that of China. In New Orleans, the epicenter for crime and punishment, one in seven black men is currently on parole, probation, or serving time. Kenneth Cooper is about to become part of that statistic for the third time, but this is the least of his problems as he is now the prime suspect in the death of Avery Babineaux, the daughter of the local sheriff. Kenny now finds himself back in a corrupt system where prisoners are commodities worth twenty-five dollars a day to rural, "rent-a-cell" prisons. Fortunately for Kenny, Paul Theriot, a prominent Houston attorney, has broken his vow to never return to the muddy waters of the Atchafalaya Basin to reconcile with his dying father. Soon after he arrives, Paul takes on Kenny's appeal and becomes a target of those who profit from the system and will protect it at all costs. Is one inmate worth risking his life? A Bird in a Hurricane is a captivating crime/legal thriller and an enthralling debut.