by D. W. Buffa
First published 2021
Joseph Antonelli has built his reputation on an almost perfect courtroom record. He wins cases others would lose and never drops the ones he should win. Now that streak faces its end. His client Justin Friedrich sits in the dock, accused of murdering his wife aboard their yacht in San Francisco's marina. The evidence points to Friedrich. The case looks hopeless. Then James Michael Redfield appears. This enigmatic tech mogul runs a company at the forefront of artificial intelligence development. Redfield hands Antonelli proof of Friedrich's innocence, but his timing raises questions. Why wait until the final moment? Before Antonelli can find answers, another body drops. He discovers himself caught in a conspiracy beyond his understanding. Redfield operates by different rules. For him, murder serves only as setup. The trial itself becomes the true objective, a stage to reveal what he believes the world must learn, regardless of the cost in human lives.
Genres: science-fiction, mystery, thriller, legal-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, legal-drama, unreliable-narrator
Setting: San Francisco
Period: 21st-century
Kindle Edition · Polis Books
Content warnings: murder