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Summary
Summary
In the high stakes courtroom battles of his legal career, San Antonio District Attorney Chris Sinclair has prided himself on getting it right--sending society's dregs away for a long time. But when he discovers he wrongly sent a police officer to prison he begins to question his faith in the system.
Eight years ago Chris sent officer Steve Greerdon to jail. Recently, new DNA evidence gave Chris cause to undo the wrongful conviction and help clear Greerdon's name, but when two police officers are murdered and Greerdon is at the scene of the crime with no alibi, Chris is once again suspicious. Greerdon claims a police conspiracy wants to send him back to jail, or is Greerdon playing Chris for a fool?
Chris's girlfriend, child psychiatrist Anne Greenwald, is drawn into the deepening mystery when one of her patients confesses to her facts that could give him the evidence he needs to break the conspiracy. But she can't violate doctor-patient confidentiality, even if it might prevent a tragedy.
Time is running out, and murders are piling up. If the killer can't be stopped, Chris could be next. As Chris and Anne struggle to balance their personal lives with their professional concerns, this intense, powerful novel weaves an ever-tightening web of suspense that will keep readers chasing the truth until the final page.
Author Notes
Jay Brandon is an attorney and author. He was born in Texas in 1953. Brandon received a master's degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Brandon has served with the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Baxter County District Attorney's Office, and the San Antonio Court of Appeals during his legal career. He practices law in San Antonio, Texas.
Brandon's novel, Loose Among the Lambs, was a main selection of the Literary Guild. Another novel, Fade the Heat, was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel of the Year. Booklist magazine gave his novel, Deadbolt, an Editor's Choice award. An article he wrote about the judicial races in San Antonio won a Gavel Award from the State Bar Association in 1994.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
A San Antonio criminal lawyer, Brandon is among the best in the legal thriller business at catching the real atmosphere of a trial-that combination of tedium and terror that makes the courtroom such a popular literary arena. His latest book about San Antonio district attorney Chris Sinclair (after 2003' s Sliver Moon) has an absolute aura of authenticity, even though the plot contains many typical thriller elements. Because of Sinclair's zeal, police officer Steve Greerdon was sent to prison eight years earlier for taking part in an armed robbery. When new DNA evidence surfaces proving that Greerdon was innocent, Chris swallows his chagrin and gets him out of jail fast. But is Greerdon really the victim of bad justice or an incredibly clever killer? When two police officers who served with him are murdered, he's found on the scene, claiming a high-level police conspiracy to cover up the real criminals. Sinclair's lover, child psychiatrist Anne Greenwald, also gets involved in the case because of privileged information from a client, and Chris's teenage daughter finds herself being attracted to Greerdon's son. None of this is particularly new or earth-shaking, but Brandon makes his story move along smoothly by creating an involving portrait of a criminal justice system staffed (mostly) by people trying to do the right thing. Agent, Jimmy Vines at the Vines Agency. (June 2) FYI: Brandon's novel Fade the Heat (1990) was an Edgar finalist. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An undersung hero of courtroom drama (Executive Privilege, 2001, etc.) returns with an admirably complex novel about bitter betrayal and sweet revenge. San Antonio DA Chris Sinclair is shaken when he discovers that eight years ago he helped put an innocent man--a cop, no less--in the slammer. It's no surprise that life in Huntsville has been nightmarish for Steve Greerdon, since ex-cops wear a "brutalize-me" patch on their denim backs assuring them special treatment. Now, however, Greerdon's free to chase the pound of flesh everyone assumes he's eager to exact from the cops who framed him and the DA who tried him so successfully. But hold on: Greerdon is saying astonishing things, like: "Who set me up, why it happened? What difference does it make?" The past is dead, he insists, and the good life beckons. For his efforts to spring him once he realized his mistake, Chris Sinclair deserves only gratitude. It's a nice attitude, even plausible in a way, but Chris is skeptical. Greerdon is still a certified tough guy. Is his ever-so-rational, bygones-be-bygones approach to be taken at face value? Or should Chris and others be deeply worried? Laboring long under the shadows of Grisham and Turow, Brandon has yet to earn the recognition he deserves. But his 13th case--featuring multifaceted characters caught in page-turning dilemmas, his best since his 1990 debut, Fade the Heat--just might be lucky. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.