The Portland, Oregon law firm of Masterson, Hamilton is experiencing an unusual rash of bad luck. It started off when one of their paralegals, Tom Beatty, was arrested for assault. Tom has an exceptionally successful military record, which is why the charge is so serious. He also has a very quiet demeanor and a craving for peace. Plus, he loves and needs his job. He’s been working closely with Christine Larson, one of the firm’s partners, and she can’t believe he would do this, at least unprovoked. So she helps him out by recommending rival attorney Amanda Jaffe.

"Among fictional lawyers, Amanda Jaffe is top of the heap. She uses every trick but doesn’t play dirty, which makes her one to root for. Once again, Margolin comes through with a sure winner."

Amanda can work magic in the world of law, and she does her best for Tom. But fast on the heels of his assault charge, Christine turns up dead and the police suspect Tom again. It looks like a crime of passion…and, well, the two did work together closely. When the head partner Dale Masterson is murdered and Tom is in the wind, Amanda has her hands full trying to defend his reputation and his freedom. Is there a vendetta going on here? What has set Tom off, the cops wonder. There are similarities among all of the crimes that seem to be the work of the same person. And Tom’s combat training points a finger at him. But Dale’s son, Brandon, was seen running from the Masterson estate at the time that Dale was killed. And, to top it off, he confesses.

Well, police types love a case so open and shut. It makes their job much easier. But more than a convenient confession, they want to catch the guilty party, and Brandon doesn’t seem right for this crime. He’s insisting he did it to stop his father from helping big oil destroy the planet, since Masterson, Hamilton represented RENCO Oil. Brandon is rabid about the environment, and now he will have the chance to bring his message to the world. This gives him the perfect activist’s platform. The cops’ instincts, though, still tell them that the guilty guy is Tom.

Amanda doesn’t think so. But she also believes that Brandon is innocent. With Tom nowhere to be found, Amanda takes Brandon on as her client. All goes well until a conflict of interest rears its ugly head. She holds her breath as she fights for justice, hoping she doesn’t get caught in a bad situation. The major problem now will be staying alive, because it’s becoming hard to tell the good guys from the bad ones. Just when the cops think they know which way to turn, it seems to be a dead end.

Phillip Margolin writes with years of hands-on legal experience under his belt. As a practicing attorney in Portland, he knows the system inside and out, so his books teem with authenticity. Among fictional lawyers, Amanda Jaffe is top of the heap. She uses every trick but doesn’t play dirty, which makes her one to root for. Once again, Margolin comes through with a sure winner.