CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Ted Stevens is a capable, respected trial attorney whose drinking problem and impending divorce have sent him on a downward slide. His appointment as defense counsel in a high-profile murder case seems to offer a chance at redemption. The opportunity, however, isn't without risks. The victim—a local newspaper reporter known for her loose lifestyle and her willingness to take risks to get a story—was not only a former client but Ted's secret lover as well. Ted must choose between concealing evidence that would be helpful to his client and revealing it, thereby becoming a suspect himself.

Author Terry Lewis is a trial judge in Tallahassee, where he lives with his wife, Fran, and Bordoodle, Pepper.

Florida circuit judge Terry Lewis devotes much of his spare time (when not writing and judging) to law-related education, both for active judges through the Florida Judicial College and for young people through programs like Teen Court and Mock Trial Competition. He is well known throughout the state in judicial circles.