Frank O'Connell has lost his family, his name, and a partnership in his father-in-law's prestigious Washington firm.  He now has to comb the cellblocks for clients.  One day while he is down in the cellblocks talking to a client, a woman in the next cellblock notices Frank, and when she gets out of jail, she goes to him and hires him. 

Ashley Bronson is the client and she is accused of killing Raymond Garvey, former Secretary of Commerce.  In the beginning, it appears to Frank that the most difficult thing about the case is that Ashley confessed.  He soon finds out that there is more to this case that meets the eye, and it started years before the murder. 

This is Stephen Horn's first novel and what a great read it is.  This is not just your typical mystery.  There are Russian American spies involved.  The courtroom scenes were as up and down as a roller coaster.  This was a fast-paced legal thriller with a tale of betrayal and murder all wrapped up in one suspenseful story. 

Kudos to Stephen Horn.  I cannot wait for his second book.