It's been a long time since Lewis Cole left the U.S. Depart¬ment of Defense and its dangers to settle as a magazine writer in the small New Hampshire town of Tyler Beach. It's usually quiet, except once every four years, during the presidential primary. This year, Lewis has an intimate connection with the leading contender, a prominent senator from Georgia.

At the campaign rally, shots ring out in an apparent assass¬ination attempt. The senator survives, but Lewis is targeted as the number one suspect. As he seeks to clear his name and learn the identity of the would-be assassin, Lewis finds that everything and everyone he holds dear is threatened: his friends, his life, and his faith in a political system that helps to determine the most powerful man in the world.