Murdered Justice

Throughout her life, Maggie Lyon has longed to uncover a national scandal, but the dream of investigative journalism was all but dead after spending years ghost-writing cookbooks for her celebrity chef husband.

Separated, but not divorced, the independent Maggie has attempted to reclaim her career in print journalism only to find herself languishing in a newspaper’s Lifestyles section, churning out three columns per week. A notable food writer, she’s asked to cover a rising food star who’ll be cooking for an exclusive gathering in Los Angeles, and Maggie is soon walking through the doors of a mansion dating back to Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Maggie recognizes none of the guests except the last to arrive: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Vittorio Scarpia! The longest-serving justice, he’s been a polarizing national figure for over three decades.

Forced to associate with the women while the men huddle, Maggie cannot wait for the weekend to end. However, Scarpia is found dead on Sunday morning. Aside from being ordered to avoid the Press, guests never question his death from natural causes. It’s not until reports of mysterious visitors, secret societies and induction ceremonies that Maggie takes notice and begins her own investigation.

It’s soon clear that Scarpia was murdered and several guests had motives: the host whose business dealings would eventually reach the Supreme Court; the civil rights attorney whose case is currently pending; politicians in the house; the entrepreneur with the indistinguishable accent. What of the beautiful woman staying in the adjoining bedroom?

Maggie pursues each angle and puts forth her theories. Arrests are made, but has she made a mistake? She doesn’t believe so, but after reexamining the facts, mysterious phone calls resume, old names resurface and a suspect is run down in a New York crosswalk before the killer is revealed!