Washington lawyer Philip Barkley was on the fast track, until scandal and personal tragedy brought him down. Left shattered and haunted, he now has a chance to make a fresh start. An aide to Senator Warren Young, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has vanished and may be a spy -- an eventuality that could destroy Young's plans for a White House run. And when Barkley's investigation into the disappearance uncovers a corpse, everyone wants the matter quickly closed -- except Philip Barkley. A broken man of integrity with nothing left to lose, he's following a twisted trail of secrets, betrayal, corruption, and brutal murder that winds through the darkest shadows of Washington power. And he won't rest until the whole truth is revealed, no matter who is determined to stop him ... and how far they are willing to go.