David Baldacci's high-impact novel tells of an embattled group of men and women fighting the forces of lethal corruption that operate at the heart of the Secret State. Danny Buchanan is a top Washington lobbyist who once earned a vast fortune serving the interests of giant corporations. Appalled by the desperate poverty he witnessed on his global travels, he decided to use his political genius to help the world's poor. With the loyal aid of his assistant, the attractive and committed Faith Lockhart, Danny works tirelessly and in secret to redress the balance of power. But Robert Thornhill has rather different ideas of public service. A ruthless top-ranking veteran of covert CIA activity, he discovers the secret of Danny's political influence and is determined to destroy him...