Not if he wants that new life with his kids. Despite all the signs suggesting that his client is guilty-and his own misgivings-Jay can't refuse when a man as wealthy and connected as Sam asks him to head up the defense. The accused is none other than the nephew and campaign manager of one of the leading candidates-a scion of a prominent Houston family headed by the formidable Sam Hathorne. His plans are abruptly derailed when a female campaign volunteer vanishes on the night of Houston's mayoral election, throwing an already contentious campaign into chaos.

Once he has his piece of the settlement, the single father is going to devote himself to what matters most-his children. Though Jay still believes in doing what's right, he is done fighting other people's battles. His latest case-representing Pleasantville in the wake of a chemical fire-is dragging on, shaking his confidence and raising doubts about him within this upwardly mobile black community on Houston's north side. That victory might have won the environmental lawyer fame, but thanks to a string of appeals, he hasn't seen a dime. Fifteen years after his career-defining case against Cole Oil, Jay Porter is broke and tired. WINNER OF THE HARPER LEE PRIZE FOR LEGAL FICTION Wall Street Journal BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION From Attica Locke, a writer and producer of FOX's Empire, this sophisticated thriller sees lawyer Jay Porter-hero of her bestseller Black Water Rising-return to fight one last case, only to become embroiled in a dangerous game of shadowy politics and a witness to how far those in power are willing to go to win.

Pleasantville a novel