New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin is back, this time with a powerful tale of murder that snakes its way through Washington, D.C.'s halls of power, leading straight to the White House and the most powerful office on earth.When private detective Dana Cutler is hired by an attorney with powerful political connections, the assignment seems simple enough: follow a pretty college student named Charlotte Walsh and report on where she goes and whom she sees. But then the unexpected happens. One night, Cutler follows Walsh to a secret meeting with Christopher Farrington, the president of the United States. The following morning, Walsh's dead body shows up and Cutler has to run for her life.
In Oregon, Brad Miller, a junior associate in a huge law firm is working on the appeal of a convicted serial killer. Clarence Little, now on death row, claims he was framed for the murder of a teenager who, at the time of her death, worked for the then governor, Christopher Farrington. Suddenly, a small-time private eye and a fledgling lawyer find themselves in possession of evidence that suggests that someone in the White House is a murderer. Their only problem? Staying alive long enough to prove it.
"Margolin uses his background as a criminal defense attorney to create a thought-provoking insider's view of a criminal justice system that is as corruptible as the attorneys, judges, police officers, and criminalists who make it work." -- Boston Globe
"It takes a really crafty storyteller to put people on the edge of their seats and keep them there. But Phillip Margolin does just that." -- Chicago Tribune
Phillip Margolin's compelling insider's view of criminal behavior comes from his unique background as a longtime criminal defense attorney who has handled thirty murder cases, including twelve death penalty cases; he was the first lawyer to use the Battered Women's Syndrome to defend a client in a murder case. He's written twelve New York Times bestsellers and has been nominated for an Edgar Award. A long-time resident of Portland, Oregon, Margolin is president of Chess for Success (www.chessforsuccess.org), a non-profit program that uses chess to teach children educational skills.
