Frank Tedeschi's niece is dead, one of thousands of victims of a terrorist attack, which has been laid at the feet of "Islamic radicals" by a right-wing US government. Frank-based on a chance encounter-is one of the very few people who question the government's explanation. He's a Vietnam veteran who wants nothing more than to live without further controversy or conflict. Can he and his grieving brother Rob, a detective with the NYPD, obtain the necessary evidence to uncover the truth in the face of scorn and incredulity? Can they overcome their long-term estrangement to work together, given that they are putting their lives in danger? In Last Gasp-a novel that resonates with today's politics-the answers to these questions unfold in a way that mingles personal and societal issues and intertwines the past and present while moving relentlessly forward.