Part of Butch Karp, book 5
First published 1994
A gunshot kills New York's most celebrated athlete, and Assistant District Attorney Butch Karp catches the case. What starts as a high-profile murder quickly spirals into something darker. Political forces want the investigation buried. Corrupt officials block every lead. Mobsters and professional killers emerge from the shadows, turning the streets dangerous for anyone asking the wrong questions. Karp works alongside his wife Marlene Ciampi, herself a skilled investigator. Together they face an alliance of criminals and power brokers who will kill to protect their secrets. The couple must navigate threats from organized crime hitmen while battling the political machine that wants them to stop digging. As bodies pile up and the conspiracy widens, Karp and Ciampi risk everything to expose the truth behind the athlete's death and the web of corruption it revealed.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation
Setting: New York
Period: 21st-century
416 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet
Content warnings: violence