Defending an innocent young man, defense attorney Paul Madriani uncovers a morass of corruption and greed that leads to the highest levels of political power in this electrifying tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Steve Martini. One of the most successful lawyers in the country, Olinda Serna is a master at managing money as well as her influential clients. After years of fierce combat in the political trenches, Serna knows all the dirty secrets, where the bodies are buried, and how deeply they are stacked. When she’s killed in a roadside crash in the high desert of Southern California, powerful heads in Washington begin to panic, worried that their secrets may not be safe anymore. Alex Ives, a friend of Paul Madriani’s daughter, is accused of vehicular manslaughter in Serna’s death. Ives claims he had only one drink on the night of the accident, yet he can’t remember anything between the time he left for a party north of San Diego and the moment he woke up in a hospital the next morning. He’s still dazed and a little bruised, but also obviously very afraid. After all, a woman is dead, and he’s sure he didn’t kill her. To save an innocent young man’s life, the brilliant defense attorney must uncover everything he can about Serna and her clients—no matter how unsavory—a search that will lead him into a vortex of corruption, and at its center, a devious killer poised to strike again. Praise for Steve Martini: “Action-packed fun.” - Oklahoma City Oklahoman “Take it from a prosecutor―Steve Martini has created one of the most charismatic defense attorneys in thriller fiction. Madriani is a guy who won’t quit until he works every angle, finds every chink in the D.A.’s armor, and picks at the evidence until he tears the thread to unravel his opponent’s case. Best of all, he?s got the heart of a lion?protective, humane, courageous―that makes him such great fun to watch.” - Linda Fairstein “Steve Martini writes first-rate legal thrillers. His plotting is expert, his characters vivid and alive. His courtroom scenes are rich and credible, and so are his villains. . . . His hero, Paul Madriani, makes a likable and convincing David among the goliaths of crime, corporations and government. . . . Martini is a very fine writer, period.” - Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers “You like Law & Order? Or, even a John Grisham novel? Well, Steve Martini is one of the best of the best when it comes to crime thrillers.” - Asbury Park Press “A terrific series. . . . Steve Martini is an expert at good old-fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling.” - Steve Berry “Martini’s proven formula for best-seller success combines the appeal of the legal thriller (Martini is a former prosecutor) with the high-concept adventure of, say, Vince Flynn and James Rollins.” - Booklist “Entertaining... Intriguing premise... Compelling courtroom scenes display a sophisticated knowledge of legal trench warfare.” - Publishers Weekly “One of the most charismatic defense attorneys in thriller fiction. Madriani is a guy who won’t quit. . . . Best of all, he’s got the heart of a lion: protective, humane, courageous-that makes him such great fun to watch.” - Linda Fairstein “Steve Martini writes first-rate legal thrillers. His plotting is expert, his characters vivid and alive. His courtroom scenes are rich and credible, and so are his villains. . . . Paul Madriani makes a likable and convincing David among the goliaths of crime, corporations and government.” - Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers “Martini expertly pulls all the threads together as Madriani navigates an assortment of physical and professional challenges.” - Publishers Weekly Paul Madriani must come to the aid of young Alex Ives, who was implicated in a deadly motor collision on a deserted Southern California highway. Though Alex swears he had only one drink, all he remembers is that he was supposed to meet a sexy, mysterious woman at a house party. The next morning he woke up in the hospital in police custody, charged with drunk driving and manslaughter. When he discovers that Alex knew the deceased, a connected Washington, D.C., lawyer named Olinda Serna, Madriani realizes his client could face a murder charge. Washington, D.C., attorney Cletus Proffit knows that Serna protected dangerous secrets involving players moving in the highest reaches of national politics. Now he must ensure that knowledge has died with her. Senator Maya Grimes also hears of the fatal crash and crafts her own web of deceit to suffocate anything that might come back to bite her. Then there's the vicious mercenary who panics when she learns of Serna's death and the manner in which it occurred. Now Madriani must uncover the corruption and dark deeds that surround Serna's friends and find her killer—before he or she can strike again. Steve Martini is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including The Enemy Inside, Trader of Secrets, The Rule of Nine, Guardian of Lies, Shadow of Power, Do