I was eagerly looking forward to Richard North Patterson's latest book, as I have enjoyed his previous efforts. He is a very talented writer with an elegant style; however, in this novel, he is openly hostile to any conservative views. One would have to be a trial lawyer to understand the legal manoeuvers described in the course of this too long and too boring book. The characters were not convincingly drawn and the plot a foregone conclusion right from the beginning. I did not enjoy Mr. Patterson's preaching style and found the book to be less an entertaining novel than a lesson in liberalism. What a disappointment!