by D. W. Buffa
First published 2023
T.J. Allen stands over Matthew Stanton's corpse, murder weapon in hand. The professional athlete appears guilty of killing his team owner, but the trial judge privately tells defense attorney Joseph Antonelli that Allen is innocent. The judge cryptically warns that all of America helped create Matthew Stanton. Antonelli takes the case despite overwhelming evidence against his client. Allen was caught at the scene with the weapon. To prove innocence, Antonelli must identify the real killer and uncover their motive. What had Stanton done to warrant murder? What business decision drove someone to kill? As Antonelli prepares for his most challenging trial, he discovers that Stanton's death connects to larger forces in a society obsessed with fame and wealth. The attorney realizes that proving Allen's innocence may expose truths that could reshape everything. The murder trial becomes something much larger than one man's guilt or innocence.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, legal-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
304 pages · Hardcover · Polis Books