Part of Paul Madriani, book 13
First published 2015
Paul Madriani takes on what seems like a straightforward case. His daughter's friend Alex Ives faces vehicular manslaughter charges after a car crash in Southern California's high desert killed prominent attorney Olinda Serna. Alex remembers having one drink before leaving a party north of San Diego, then nothing until he woke up in a hospital. He insists he didn't kill anyone, but a woman is dead and the evidence points to him. Serna wasn't just any lawyer. She managed money and secrets for powerful clients, accumulated dirt from years of political battles, and knew where bodies were buried. Her death sends Washington power brokers into a panic about their exposed secrets. As Madriani digs into Serna's client list and business dealings, he discovers layers of corruption reaching the highest levels of government. The deeper he investigates, the more dangerous his search becomes. Someone orchestrated Serna's death and framed Alex for it. That killer remains free and ready to strike again. Madriani must expose the truth to save an innocent young man's life.
Genres: crime, action, mystery-thriller, legal-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigative-journalism
Setting: California, San Diego, Southern California
Period: Contemporary
384 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow