Part of Butch Karp, book 27
First published 2015
A massive explosion tears through an East Harlem school building during a New York Charter Schools meeting, leaving six dead and twelve wounded. Officials blame a gas leak, but prosecutor Butch Karp suspects something more sinister. His investigation reveals a serial arsonist working for a union president who despises the charter school movement's success. The union leader fears these schools threaten the corrupt public system he protects. Karp also uncovers a law enforcement official and a politician seeking union money who helped plan the attack and its cover-up. Armed with this evidence, Karp indicts both men for murder. But doubt creeps in. Could this case be an elaborate setup? Might hidden motives lurk behind the bombing that could destroy his prosecution? As Karp races to uncover the truth, he and Marlene Ciampi navigate layers of deception. The case builds toward a climactic courtroom battle where Karp must expose the real conspiracy before justice slips away from the victims.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, cover-up, investigation
Setting: East Harlem, New York
Period: 21st-century
294 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: violence