It seems that among the power players in Washington DC, everyone has secrets they desperately want to keep hidden, including Sean Serrat, a Supreme Court lawyer. Sean has managed to transform his misspent youth into a model adulthood, and now has one of the most respected legal careers in the country. But just as he learns he's on the short list to be nominated to the US Supreme Court, his daughter, Abby, a talented and dedicated law student herself, goes missing.
Eventually, Abby's lifeless body is found in the library of the Supreme Court, and her African American boyfriend, Malik Montgomery, a law clerk at the high court, is subsequently arrested. The ensuing media frenzy leads to allegations that Malik's arrest was racially motivated, sparking a national controversy.
While the Serrat family works through their grief, Sean begins to suspect the authorities and his FBI friend and neighbour, Frank Pacini have arrested the wrong person. Does her murder have anything to do with the secret that Sean's been keeping for years about what had happened in Japan during his teenage years?
Delving into the mysteries of his daughter's last days, Sean stumbles upon the secrets within his own family as well as the lies of some of the most powerful people in the country. They are the ones who will stop at nothing to ensure that Sean never exposes the truth. And his investigations also lead to physical violence that mars his chances of the Supreme Court nomination.
Meanwhile, they also unveil stunning facts that explain why Abby was murdered.
A smart, suspenseful thriller filled with insider knowledge of the Supreme Court, Washington DC politics, and collisions between the two. It's also an absorbing story about families and the sacrifices people make for those they love.
This riveting, no-holds-barred potboiler shines a light on Washington's halls of power only to reveal the darkness within them.
The author tells the story well, smoothly slipping in and blending day-to-day Supreme Court realisms with a highly suspenseful tale. An enjoyable read.
