Outsiders think of public defenders as noble advocates, but Clay Carter knows firsthand that most of the job consists of paper pushing for lost causes. By the time he takes on the case of a random District of Columbia street killing, he's tired of his job and cynical about his profession. But as he begins probing into his indigent client's background, Clay stumbles on the threads of a conspiracy that seems to extend into the boardroom of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. Is he resourceful enough to save his client and grasp his own opportunity to be the new king of torts? Another thrilling legal brief from John Grisham.