A �courtroom thriller extraordinaire� (Providence Journal) from �master craftsman� (Associated Press) John Lescroart puts Dismas Hardy and his daughter in the middle of an uncertain murder case where winning the trial could mean losing everything.
 
On a cool night in May, a teenage foster child named Anlya Paulson plummets to her death from a San Francisco overpass. But did she fall�or was she pushed?
 
Homicide inspectors focus their attention on a likeable but na�ve middle school teacher and volunteer foster care advocate. At first, his only connection to Anlya�s death is the meal they shared earlier that night. But soon his story falls apart, and Rebecca Hardy, now an associate at her father�s law firm, is drawn into his defense.
 
As the case rushes toward trial, Dismas and Rebecca battle an aggressive prosecutor, a disinterested police force, and their own client, who isn�t faring well in jail. When a dying woman�s last words cast a surprising new light on the evidence and problems develop with a key witness, the father-daughter duo begins to glimpse the intricate web that connects the young victim to the city�s complex political and judicial machine. Proving their case in court, however, will be harder, as Rebecca comes to realize that a trial doesn�t always end with the truth.
 
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