Guilty minds, Joseph Finder, author; Holter Graham, narrator
This book is definitely not about rocket science. The plot is obvious, and although there are some surprises, they are not earth shattering. However, this book sure made our long road trip pass quickly. The story unfolds easily with lots of excitement and generates the reader’s continued interest because the salacious theme of sexual misconduct is a common one in our modern world.

Basically, a Supreme Court justice is about to be humiliated by a story about his improper sexual behavior with a very highly paid prostitute. Although he denies it, and he has a rock solid alibi, his alibi is a bigger secret than the false story about to come out, and therefore, it cannot be used.

Nicholas Heller is the private investigator hired by a very high profile law firm headed up by Gideon Parnell, a 75-year-old black attorney who rose from the lap of poverty to become the top counsel in the firm. His reputation is impeccable. Parnell has charged Nick with the task of clearing the name of Chief Justice Jeremiah Claflin, with a window of opportunity amounting to just two days. It will require a Herculean effort that may fail. After he meets with the Justice, he becomes convinced of his innocence, accepts the case and sets out to try and locate and question the accuser who uses an assumed name.

The reporter, Mandy Seeger, from the magazine Slander, that is pursuing this story, is determined to put it in print; although they have been asked to extend the deadline for publication, to allow for an investigation into the charges, they have refused. Mandy and the head of the magazine are convinced that the story is true. Since no one actually knows who owns this magazine, there is little or no other recourse, but to try and put the story to bed as quickly as possible by proving the Justice’s innocence.

Once the accuser is located, will Nick be able to prove she has lied about the Justice? Will he be able to prevent the story from leaking out? Will he have enough time to accomplish this task for his client? If it is a lie and it makes it out into the public domain, will he be able to do damage control afterwards, or will a possibly innocent man suffer the consequences of the false accusation? The theme is current, and the consequences are enormous for everyone involved.