In the very exclusive section of Beach Road in East Hampton, New York, live a lot of rich people who don’t give a damn about the rest of the world. Being white, most of these people do not normally see a black person in the area. One exception is a mansion owned by movie star T. Smitty Wilson. Wilson has built a regulation size basketball court for his friends to use. The friends range from former NBA stars to current pro or college prospects, guys who are too good to play a regular game of street basketball. White or black, they play, often against each other as they let their tempers and pride flare. Wilson was rarely at home, but stars along with other famous people such as movie stars could use his court at any time.
Dante Halleyville is one of the brighter prospects. He was expected to get a large bonus and salary at the time of the draft. Dante was only in high school, but he could match the moves and actions of the best and was happy to show off his high level of play. Tom Dunleavy was a former professional athlete who got the most out of playing with “the best” on the court. Tom is now a defense attorney in the Hamptons. These games became so intense that they sometimes caused tempers to flare many times.
One day, during the brutal battles on the court, a fight broke out. This was no ordinary fight, so the others who were watching should have tried to stop her, but they took no action. Michael Walker pushed to a basket and the contact around him started to push and push more. As Tom Dunleavy tried to break it up, Michael Walker appeared with a gun drawn and pointed it at the side of one of the other boys’ head. Tom did everything he could to calm Walker down and he finally succeeded. Then everyone left the area thinking it was all over.
When three of the children on the field that day were found murdered execution-style, they all tried to solve the problem. Then, when Michael Walker was also found dead, the police knew they had a tough investigation ahead of them. Immediately Dante Halleyville was arrested for the four murders. A gun was found with his fingerprints all over it. Dante’s grandmother, Marie, knows that Dante couldn’t have killed anyone and Tom knows that Dante wasn’t guilty either. Tom, although a lawyer, is not very knowledgeable in criminal law and is reluctant to take Dante’s case, but Marie convinces him to defend Dante.
An old flame of Tom’s, Katherine Costello, is also a lawyer and works for a large firm. She has a fight with her employer and teams up with Tom to defend Dante. The two begin to investigate all the evidence related to both shootings. The chemistry gets very interesting between Tom and Kate at times, but their defense of Dante is first and foremost on their minds.
Various key police officers and detectives, the prosecutors, the coroner, and other friends and enemies of Dante and the murdered children interact throughout the book. The action is fast and furious with many unexpected twists and turns. When he thinks he’s reached the end of the case, he’s presented with another twist or two. This is a very good story that picks up steam as it progresses. I won’t tell you more so you can enjoy this good read.