Democratic party rising star Abrams (Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America) is more Brad Meltzer than Scott Turow in her debut legal thriller. Avery Keene, a law clerk to Supreme Court justice Howard Wynn, is stunned to learn that her boss is in a coma, and that he has named Avery his legal guardian. With Wynn the potential swing vote in a number of key cases, his medical condition has major implications, and Avery's status is contested by the judge's estranged second wife, who vows to turn off life support if Avery is granted this authority, which includes power of attorney. When Avery seeks out Wynn's nurse, who left a cryptic message on her voicemail in accord with the jurist's instructions, she finds the woman murdered. More deaths follow as Abrams pulls back the curtain gradually to reveal evil machinations in the highest corridors of power, and the action builds to an over-the-top denouement at the Supreme Court. Fans of the TV drama Scandal may feel at home, but Abrams's many political supporters may be disappointed that she didn't choose to ground her plot in real-life issues. Agent: Linda Loewenthal, Loewenthal Co. (May)

Progressive activist, nonfiction author (Our Time Is Now), and romance writer (as Selena Montgomery) Abrams ventures into thriller territory here. Avery Keene is a young law clerk for irascible, brilliant Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn, who's often the swing vote in big cases. When Wynn begins to act strangely in public and then slips into a coma, Avery learns he has appointed her as his legal guardian. He has also left intricate clues pointing to a conspiracy involving a case before the court, the proposed merger of a U.S. biotech company and an Indian genetics firm. Using her knowledge of chess, French philosophers, and the law, Avery and her hastily assembled cohort, which includes Wynn's estranged son, begin to piece together the puzzle. Soon she and those she loves are in the cross-hairs of the FBI, the media, and a menacing Homeland Security agent. The language in this novel is often overly ornate, which slows down the narrative; the heroine is a little too good to be true; and some plot points are far-fetched, even for a thriller. VERDICT Although it's not successful as a thriller, the book's plethora of female role models, including a woman chief justice, and its "inside DC" look at political skullduggery make Abrams's novel a well-informed political and legal narrative.--Liz French, Library Journal

A progressive superstar pens her first political thriller. Anyone who follows the news knows Abrams as a politician and voting rights activist. She's less well known as a novelist. Using the pseudonym Selena Montgomery, Abrams has published several works of romantic suspense. Her new novel begins when Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn falls into a coma. His clerk Avery Keene is shocked to discover that her boss has made her his legal guardian and granted her power of attorney. The fate of one of the most powerful men in the world is in her hands--and her life is in danger. Abrams gives us nefarious doings in the world of biotech, a president with autocratic tendencies and questionable ethics, and a young woman struggling to unravel a conspiracy while staying one step ahead of the people who want her out of the way. Unfortunately, the author doesn't weave these intriguing elements into an enjoyable whole. Abrams makes some odd word choices, such as this: "The intricate knot she had twisted into her hair that morning bobbed cunningly as she neared her office." The adverb cunningly is mystifying, and Abrams uses it in a similar way later on. There are disorienting shifts in point of view. And Abrams lavishes a great deal of attention on details that simply don't matter, which makes the pace painfully slow. This is a fatal flaw in a suspense novel, but it may not be the most frustrating aspect of this book. For a protagonist who has gotten where she is by being smart, Avery makes some stunningly poor decisions. For example, the fact that she has a photographic memory is an important plot point and is clearly a factor in Justice Wynn's decision to enlist her help. When she finds a piece of paper upon which is printed a long string of characters and the words "BURN UPON REVIEW," Avery memorizes the lines of numbers and letters--and then, even though she knows she's being surveilled, she snaps a shot of the paper with her phone, thereby making the whole business of setting it on fire quite pointless. More of a curiosity for political junkies than a satisfying story of international intrigue. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Known for her deft political organizing and passionate racial justice advocacy, Abrams is also the author of the nonfiction best-seller, Our Time Is Now (2020). She now displays her considerable talent for fiction in this gripping legal thriller. Justice Howard Wynn, an irascible lion of the Supreme Court, falls unexpectedly into a coma. His nurse fields a mysterious phone call, then disappears. Shadowy figures from Homeland Security, the FBI, and the international biotech industry confer urgently about a pending court decision with potentially earth-shattering consequences on which Justice Harris will be the swing vote. Coincidence? Not bloody likely. Yet who can untie this deadly knot of deception and global skulduggery? None other than Avery Keene, Justice Harris' brilliant and tenacious law clerk, who knows a thing or two about impossible odds. Assigned the unenviable task of serving as Justice Harris' legal guardian, Avery must also figure out who is plotting her boss' demise and why. With the help of her med school roommate, a young lawyer, and Wynn's hunky son, Avery tracks down fiendishly intricate clues leading to a horrifying secret that implicates powerful and dangerous people. Will Avery solve the final conundrum before it's too late? Will this delightful multiethnic Scooby-Doo gang prevail, or will they fall to the forces of ultimate evil? Will there be a sequel? Stay tuned, dear reader, stay tuned.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The buzz is loud and wholly deserved for this shrewd and exciting legal thriller by prominent voter-rights activist and best-selling Abrams.