About this item
In this electrifying, fast-paced tale of suspense, Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck takes on his first death-row client since The Pardon, in a case that is as twisty as it is shocking.Sashi Burgette vanished on her way to school three years ago. The night after the teenager's disappearance, ex-con Dylan Reeves was stopped for drunk driving. An article of Sashi's clothing was found in his truck, and a police videotape of his drunken explanation under interrogation sealed his fate at trial. Now, with Reeves's execution just days away, Sashi's mother visits Jack Swyteck, and delivers shocking news: "Sashi called me."The police dismiss the call as a cruel hoax. The state attorney refuses to consider the new evidence, insisting the case is closed. The governor has already signed the death warrant. Time is running out, and an innocent man may be executed - unless his lawyers can find Sashi.A man of principle who believes in justice, Jack jumps into the investigation. But the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that nothing is what it appears to be. Not the victim. Not her alleged killer. And definitely not Sashi's parents, whose grief ruptured their marriage, with each openly blaming the other for what happened to their daughter.As their gut-wrenching and hopelessly conflicting versions of events unfold in a Miami courtroom, it becomes clear to Jack that there is something even more difficult to find than a long-missing girl . . . the truth.Praise for James Grippando"Swyteck is exceptionally cool. And so is Grippando." - Miami Herald"Grippando has been at the top of the legal-thriller ladder for some time." - U.S. News & World Report"Spellbinding." - Huffington Post"Grippando has the skill to deliver a pristine thriller." - New York Journal of Books
About the Author
James is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction and the New York Times bestselling author of 28 novels of suspense, including the popular series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck. His latest, "The Big Lie," is the 16th in the Swyteck series, and No. 17, "Twenty," will be published in January 2021. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages. When James walked away from a partnership at Miami's most prestigious law firm to become a writer, most people said he was clueless. "Not so," says James, pointing out that "A James Grippando Novel" was a clue for #38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. James's first job out of law school plunged him headlong into death penalty cases. That experience was an inspiration for his 1994 debut novel, The Pardon, a legal thriller that critics heralded as a "bona fide blockbuster." Beyond Suspicion (2002) was the long-awaited sequel to that first novel, and it launched an exciting series that features Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck and his irreverent sidekick, Theo Knight. James's writings also include "Leapholes" for young adults and numerous short stories. As a trial lawyer, James was an avid writer. His numerous scholarly articles appeared in some of nation's top law reviews, and they are frequently cited with approval by the courts. His trial practice ranged from complex corporate litigation to class actions on behalf of chicken farmers. As a frequent volunteer in Florida's guardian ad litem program, he helped provide legal representation to neglected children in family court proceedings. He was a faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Nova Southeast University. He was named by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida's emerging leaders, and in 2006 he received the Distinguished Author Award from Scranton University. His alma mater is the University of Florida, where he graduated second in his undergraduate class and earned his law degree with honors. James is a practicing attorney specializing in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients who have won more than 30 Tony Awards. He is also an adjunct professor of Law & Literature at the University of Miami School of Law.He lives in south Florida with his wife, three children, two cats and a golden retriever named Atlas who has no idea he's a dog. Visit his website at www.jamesgrippando.com
