In this tense novel of legal and political intrigue, Tim Quinn, the former judge previously seen in The Majority Rules, is assigned to investigate and compile a dossier on the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court before his Senate confirmation hearing. The President has achieved lame duck status with a soon-to-be unfriendly Congress more bent on politics than policy. He realizes that the chance of establishing a legacy before his Presidency comes to an end is slim at best. So when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a reasonably young and vigorous man, unexpectedly dies, the President happily appoints an interim successor to the position--the first black Chief Justice in US history. But one of the most conservative justices on the court feels that the position should have been his. He is hell bent on claiming it no matter who gets in the way...even if it means Quinn's report will bring dishonor to the highest court in the land.