In the latest novel from the bestselling author whom critics have called "the thriller writer to watch," lawyer Jack Swyteck tackles a case in which the life of his best friend hangs in the balance—and in which nothing is as it seems.

Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck isn't looking for a new client, at least not one who is homeless and in jail for threatening to jump off a bridge. But from the moment Jack is called to defend the man, who goes by the name Falcon, something is amiss. For one thing, Falcon comes up with the $10,000 bail—in cash. Then the body of a brutally murdered woman is found in the trunk of the abandoned car in which he is living.

Panicked and on the run, Falcon takes Jack's best friend, Theo, hostage. They end up barricaded in a motel room, and Theo isn't the only one at Falcon's mercy. Jack must work with the cops and their crackerjack negotiator to free Theo and the other captives before Falcon decides he has nothing to lose by killing them all.

What Jack doesn't know is that Falcon has a much bigger agenda, and that there are people behind the scenes who will stop at nothing to keep their dangerous secrets. Thus unfolds a riveting, lightning-paced story, as only James Grippando can tell it.

Critical Praise

"Well written [and] gripping....enlivened by exotic characters, romance, local color and comic relief." - Washington Post

"Funky-chic . . . movie ready . . . From the get-go, it's beaucoups suspense, and then Grippando puts the petal to the metal . . . Filled with hostages, hush money and Miami Vice, but it's the relentless pacing that makes this one sizzle." - Kirkus Reviews

"Grippando is one of the very few lawyers who can write a great book . . . Darkness is fun, educational, entertaining and funny." - Contra Costa Times

"Powerful … fully fleshed-out characters . . . crackles with suspense." - Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"The heart-pounding pace of a David Baldacci novel . . . Grippando builds on his résumé of best-selling legal thrillers with another winner." - Library Journal

"More than a mere whodunit . . . dark, dramatic . . . by far the best in the [Jack Swyteck] series." - Booklist

"Tense . . . solid . . . engaging characters." - Publishers Weekly