Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Rampart, a new political/legal thriller from author Truscott Jones. If you enjoy the political intrigue and high-stakes drama of Grisham and Turow, you’ll love Rampart.
★★★★★ "Politics, power, and suspense – Rampart has it all." ~Amazon Review
Rampart
Genre: Political Fiction, Legal ThrillerNew Release: December 31, 2024
4.9 stars, 10 ratings
Price: From $2.99
On a crisp morning at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, former Secret Service agent Sam Kilbrough stands only feet from the main stage as the president approaches. A 9mm Glock G43 is carefully tucked inside his Gore-Tex windbreaker. When he expertly draws the gun and shoots the man he was once sworn to protect, it sparks the trial of the century...against sitting Vice President Elijah Styles. Did the nation’s first gay VP conspire to murder his own boss, or was Styles the victim of a masterful set up?
As the trial begins, the nation is divided: Was Styles a scheming climber fixated on taking the Oval Office by any means, or a hero devoted to derailing a mad ruler’s tyrannical plans? Lawyer Mandela Briggs and his tiny defense team are determined to save their client from the death penalty, while the ambitious U.S. attorney is hell-bent on securing a conviction that will launch his campaign for the Senate. Through it all, Chief District Court Judge Carolyn Bering must navigate the courtroom as tensions rise and the political stakes escalate. The decision ultimately lies in the hands of twelve jurors, each with their own biases and motivations.
This thriller exposes the cultural petri dish of an us-versus-them society, diving behind the scenes to lay bare the human impulses driving both our nation’s justice system and its politics. Was the assassin a Trojan Horse sent by Styles to kill President Magnus Thorne and propel the Veep into the White House, or a lone wolf with a warped sense of patriotism? Did Thorne stage the spectacle to evoke sympathy, justifying troops on American streets and his war on dissent? Were Styles and Kilbrough lovers?
Follow the trial’s twists and turns, from the West Wing to the courthouse to the court of public opinion, to see if anyone can bridge the gap between the search for truth and the quest for power. The fate of the nation rests on the jury’s decision.
About the Author
Truscott Jones practiced trial law for 25 years, the last ten as founder and senior partner of his own firm. He sold his practice, leaving to teach government and world affairs to students at a public high school. Amidst both careers, always the political nerd, Jones worked at two national conventions, crunching delegate rules for presidential candidates on a pair of campaigns, and as surrogate speaker and debate-prep partner for a sitting U.S. senator. Learn more by visiting and following his Amazon Author Page.