"Having joined the "dark side" after years spent prosecuting criminals as the San Francisco DA, defense attorney Wes Farrell is experiencing a crisis of faith. How can he in good conscience defend clients whom, in his estimation, are most likely guilty? In his role as DA, Farrell had helped put away Paul Riley, a young man charged for the rape and murder of his then-girlfriend Dana Rush, only for Riley to later be released from his life sentence -...

When a homicide detective's daughter is killed, the aggrieved father pushes the main suspect for answers, D.A. Sharron Pratt sets out to revive her career by declaring war on the accused, and defense attorney Dismas Hardy struggles to ensure a fair trial.

"Defense attorney Dismas Hardy returns to defend a close friend against murder charges in New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart's most suspenseful and intricately plotted novel to date"--

In San Francisco, a black lawyer is mistaken for a killer and lynched by whites. A white bystander trying to save him by cutting the rope is photographed holding a knife and portrayed by a newspaper as the mob's leader. The city explodes into violence, politicians outdo each other calling for retribution and a decent man runs for his life.

Dismas Hardy knows something is amiss with his trusted secretary, Phyllis. Her out-of-character behaviour and sudden disappearances concern Hardy, especially when he learns that her convict brother—a man who had served twenty-five years in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder—has just been released. Things take a shocking turn when Phyllis is suddenly arrested at work for allegedly being an accessory to the murder of Hector Valdez, a...