Part of Butch Karp, book 9
First published 2010
New York City bleeds in the early 1980s as murder rates spiral out of control. Assistant District Attorney Butch Karp runs the homicide bureau, fighting to keep the city from complete chaos. When a wealthy suburbanite gets charged with killing multiple victims in Harlem, Karp breaks protocol. The bureau chief decides to prosecute the case personally, knowing the racial tensions could ignite the entire city. His adversary is America's most celebrated defense attorney, a master manipulator who treats the courtroom like his personal stage. This legal showman will deploy every tactical weapon to free his client and demolish Karp's reputation in the process. Karp stakes his career on securing a conviction, but his opponent specializes in making prosecutors look foolish. The case becomes a high-stakes duel between two legal titans, each determined to destroy the other. As the trial unfolds, Karp must navigate not only the courtroom warfare but also the explosive social dynamics threatening to tear New York apart.
Genres: crime, action, mystery-thriller, legal-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, high-stakes
Setting: New York City, Harlem
Period: 1980s
445 pages · ebook · Open Road Media Mystery & Thri