His career derailed by the vengeful billionaire Curtlee family for his part in convicting one of their number for murder, former homicide detective Abe Glitsky learns that the killer has won a retrial at the same time a star witness has been murdered.

"Defense attorney Dismas Hardy returns to defend a close friend against murder charges in New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart's most suspenseful and intricately plotted novel to date"--

San Francisco lawyers Dismas Hardy and his associate and only daughter Rebecca find themselves in the middle of a difficult murder case involving a teenage African American foster child.

A federal judge is murdered, found shot to death in his home - together with the body of his mistress. The crime grips San Francisco. To homicide inspector Devin Juhle, it first looks like a simple case of a wife's jealousy and rage. But Juhle's investigation reveals that the judge had powerful enemies ... some of whom may have been willing to kill to prevent him from meddling in their affairs.

The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco's A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix.

"In "master of the legal thriller" (Chicago Sun-Times) John Lescroart's electrifying new novel, attorney Dismas Hardy is called to defend the least likely suspect of his career: his longtime, trusted assistant who is suddenly being charged as an accessory to murder. Dismas Hardy knows something is amiss with his trusted secretary, Phyllis. Her out-of-character behavior and sudden disappearances concern Hardy, especially when he learns that her convict...