[2] An experienced burglar, Luther Whitney, breaks into a billionaire's house with the intent of robbing it.

However, their lovemaking turns violent and Secret Service agents burst in and kill the woman, which Whitney also sees.

He personally witnessed the incident mentioned in the Plot Summary and ran for his life but later came back and endeavored to bring the real criminal to justice.

Publishers Weekly called Baldacci "a first-rate storyteller who grabs readers by their lapels right away and won't let go until they've finished his enthralling yarn.

"[4] Jonathan Kirsch, in the Los Angeles Times, was slightly more receptive, writing that "Baldacci is never subtle, but he succeeds in building up enough suspense to keep us reading, if only to find out exactly how evil all the president’s men (and women) will turn out to be.