Hard Break (ePub)

Local politician Brenda Keane walks in on socialite Susan Sloan holding up a liquor store, shoots and kills her. Why would a billionaire's wife be caught dead committing an armed robbery? But if it wasn't a righteous stickup, then who set up Susan's death, and why? Is her Rupert Murdochesque hubby Victor Sloan the real culprit?

Prosecutor Robert Cow taps his chief assistant Tad Jobe, a family man who teaches Sunday school, to investigate. Tad's already a busy boy: Cow is on his back to bring in a murder conviction on the Krystal Noah case. Krystal is charged with murdering her redneck crank-dealing ex-lover Lack Scopes. Did Lack Scopes kill Krystal's father, ice merchant Arkansas "Ark" Noah, who's missing and presumed dead? Did Krystal kill Lack out of revenge for her father's death? Motive, opportunity and blood DNA all seem to be stacking up against Krystal.

California celebrity lawyer Ara "Handsome Jake" Hagopian takes Krystal's case and gets her sprung on bond. A conviction would be just the thing to catapult Tad and his evangelical Christian socially ambitious wife Karryn to membership in The Justice Society, a mysterious kingmaker club that only the rich, influential, or politically connected are invited to join. There's only one problem: Tad is tortured by doubts that Krystal actually killed Scopes.

Tad and Karryn are invited to new members' night at The Justice Society. BOMBSHELL TONIGHT! A compromising picture of Tad and Krystal surfaces in the hands of Fancy Chase, cable media maven with a lust for ratings. Suddenly Tad is dogpiled by TV reporters shouting questions. But can Tad's legal career survive the answers?