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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Graphic murder scene and violence in the crime and its investigation
Language
Some
Adult language in Diehl's thriller register
Sexual Content
Barely any
Some adult content in the investigation's revelations
Substance Use
Barely any
Some drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological horror of the twist — and the manipulation that led to it — is one of the great reveals in legal thriller fiction
What this book is about
William Diehl's legal thriller follows Martin Vail, a flashy Chicago defense attorney who takes on the case of Aaron Stampler, a stammering Kentucky boy accused of brutally murdering the Archbishop of Chicago. The case involves multiple personalities, buried trauma, and one of the most effective twists in legal thriller fiction. The violence is graphic; the psychological manipulation is extreme. For adult readers.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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