Part of Butch Karp, book 16
First published 2005
A rap mogul lies dead, and New York District Attorney Butch Karp must navigate the dangerous hip-hop underworld to find his killer. With his wife and daughter away on a New Mexico retreat, Karp juggles single parenting his teenage sons while pursuing justice. The investigation pulls him deeper into a web of corruption that reaches the highest levels of city politics. Karp faces off against Andrew Kane, a powerful mayoral candidate whose influence runs through the darkest corners of the city. As Karp digs deeper, he uncovers a shocking church sex-abuse scandal that threatens to destroy lives and careers. In this world of buried secrets and deadly consequences, Karp learns that nowhere is truly safe. The case tests not only his prosecutorial skills but his ability to protect his family while seeking the truth.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: corruption, family-drama, investigation
Setting: New York, New Mexico
Period: 21st-century
640 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Star
Content warnings: abuse, sexual-content