When doubt is cast on a presidential election, it sets off an "intricate, skillfully spun" tale of intrigue in this near-future political thriller (Publishers Weekly). At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the CIA has been disbanded and a secret society has taken hold of powerful positions across Washington. After a long and contentious campaign, President Bedford Lockwood is celebrating his reelection. But the revelry is cut short when it's discovered that his over-zealous aides may have tampered with the vote. On the eve of the Inauguration, Lockwood's rival-the archconservative Franklin Mallory-presents evidence of fraud. When Lockwood refuses to take the oath of office, it sets in motion a series of events that may destroy him, his party, and the Constitution. From this catastrophic crisis, acclaimed author and former Washington journalist Charles McCarry weaves a smart, tense, and eerily prescient political thriller.