Act of God (Hardcover)

Susan R. Sloan, bestselling author of Guilt by Association and An Isolated Incident, not only writes gripping courtroom dramas of high tension, but fearlessly intertwines them with the most controversial issues of our time. In her electrifying new novel, she brilliantly portrays ordinary people tested by an extraordinary event—a heinous act of domestic terrorism.

ACT OF GOD

The Seattle Family Service Center is a city landmark. For more than half a century, its health services have reached out to every sector of the community, from the homeless who come for comfort to the working parents who use its day care facility. The center also provides complete obstetrical and gynecological services, including legal abortions. At two o'clock on a chilly February afternoon it becomes the target of a deadly bomb—one eventually responsible for the deaths of over a hundred men, women, and children.

Dana McAuliffe, a partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm, is given the daunting task of defending the accused bomber. Despite the career-enhancing potential of the high-profile assignment, she has serious misgivings. She leans toward being pro-choice and has never tried a capital case. Yet she agrees to represent the defendant, Corey Dean Latham, a young naval officer.

Although Corey's chances of acquittal seem slim, Dana hires her own investigator to challenge the state's evidence. Amid the clamor of extremists from both sides of the abortion issue demonstrating outside the courtroom and using the case to promote their agendas, she begins to see a glimmer of hope for her client. Then the media further feeds the frenzy by exposing Dana's personal life to public scrutiny…even as a conspiracy stretching far beyond the courtroom works to manipulate the verdict using the attorney as its unwitting pawn.

Once again, Susan R. Sloan conveys sharp psychological insights and explosive surprises in a story that challenges our intellects even as it keeps our hearts pounding and our blood running cold.