Balance Of Power

Richard North Patterson's masterful portrayals of law and politics at the apex of power have made him one of our most important writers of popular fiction, bringing explosive social problems to vivid life through characters who are complex, richly imagined, and intensely real.

Now in 'Balance Of Power', Patterson confronts one of the United States' most emotional and inflammatory issues - the terrible toll of gun violence - revealing the hidden connections among guns, money and the fight for power in the White House, the Congress and the courts.

Five months into his term, President Kerry Kilcannon and his fiancée, television journalist Lara Costello, have at last decided to marry. But the momentous occasion is followed by an unspeakable tragedy: a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire. It is a shattering event that consumes Kilcannon and his wife, challenging both their marriage and his Presidency in ways so wrenching and indelibly personal that Kilcannon makes a vow to eradicate gun violence.

In a high-stakes game of politics and legal maneuvering, in which polarizing ideals collide in the Senate, in the courtroom, and across the country, President Kilcannon is determined to win at any cost. But in the incendiary clash over gun violence and gun rights, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than he imagined.