When Chet Bracken, Blackwell County's foremost trial lawyer, appears in the office of Gideon Page, reluctant hero of Expert Testimony and Probable Cause, and asks for Gideon's help in a murder trial, it seems as if Gideon's luck has turned at last. The defense of Leigh Wallace, daughter of a prominent fundamentalist minister, who is accused of killing her husband, might vault Gideon to the forefront of Blackwell County lawyers and end his private practice's struggle for clients. As Gideon and Chet - who is dying of cancer - prepare for the trial, Gideon's hopes of a victory start to fade as the twisted threads of the crime are revealed. It appears that Bracken, a follower of Shane Norman, Leigh's father, might be concealing information about Shane's involvement in the death of his son-in-law. And Gideon's daughter, Sarah, and girlfriend, Rainey, have become followers of Shane and resent Gideon's efforts to uncover the truth.

Gift; National College of Business and Arts; April 3, 2023; 128296d