Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr—a professor at Caldwell, the local college—Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence—would Darrow consider becoming its new president?
Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell's star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of the Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations—and his deepening attachment to Farr's beautiful though troubled daughter—Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder. Soon he becomes convinced that Angela's killer is still at large, but only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk.
BOOK REVIEWS
Media Reviews
"[A] thoughtful if less than suspenseful thriller." - Publishers Weekly
"It's amazing that a pro like Patterson could have miscalculated so badly everything from the cluttered prologue, with its flashbacks within flashbacks, to the screamingly obvious identity of the villain ... Wait till next year." - Kirkus Reviews
"Sure to please fans of Raymond Chandler, Michael Connelly, and James Lee Burke." - Library Journal
Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by LARRY Not to his usual standard An average thriller. Patterson has written many better novels. This one is a bit disappointing and not worth paying retail for!
You can pretty well guess how it well end. Characters are not all that interesting and a bit too stereotyped and... Read More
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