The Defendants

Rookie attorney Thaddeus Murfee is hired to defend Ermeline Ransom, accused of murdering the man who carved his name in her chest. Ermeline's persecutors are not only the district attorney but also the Chicago Mob and the Illinois governor. Set in small-town Illinois, the governor accepts payoffs from state contractors on construction jobs, and in the end he is at the center of the plot to send Ermeline to the execution chamber for a murder she didn't commit. He is warned that you never win against the Mob. Now the FBI has the lowdown on the players, and Thaddeus needs their help but is afraid they will come after his client too. For Ermeline to walk away from the murder charges, Thaddeus Murfee must not only prove her innocence but also outwit the Mob and the governor and stay alive himself. A murder trial ensues and is followed by a showdown between the Mob's hitman and Thaddeus; the surprise ending leaves the reader breathless.

A legal thriller. A courtroom thriller.