Rook Calder thought his first challenge after law school would be finding a job. Instead, the most powerful law firm in New York summons him for a terrifying interview-and offers him an opportunity no inexperienced lawyer should receive.
Philanthropist Adrian Voss has been accused of being the Glassmaker, a serial killer whose carefully staged murders have terrified the city. For reasons no one will explain, Voss insists that Rook help defend him. Then evidence from the latest murder appears to connect Rook himself to the crime.
Searching for answers, Rook enters a maximum-security prison to question an imprisoned serial killer who knows far too much about the Glassmaker. He also recruits Augustine Gage, a brilliant, feared, and long-retired trial attorney, to serve as his second chair.
With investigator Mara Venn beside him, Rook follows the evidence from the polished offices of an elite law firm to the darkness of a high-security prison and into a courtroom where every witness conceals something. As the pressure mounts, Rook uncovers a conspiracy built on buried identities, manipulated memories, and secrets tied to his own past.
To prove his client's innocence, Rook must discover why he was selected for the case-and whether the defense was chosen before the crime was ever committed.
The Second Chair is a fast-paced legal thriller filled with courtroom suspense, psychological danger, serial killers, hidden identities, and unpredictable twists.