It was as terrifying as it was implausible. Layton Stolz, a humble laborer, concealed a burning core of monomania and suppressed violence. Against all odds, Stolz is swept into the presidency of the United States. Coverup leads to murder as he consolidates authoritarian power.

Ballard Whitmore, a young teacher falsely imprisoned for sexual misconduct, narrowly escapes assassination. Will high-spirited female reporter Sandy Duckworthy's desperate exposé, laying bare the corruption of a president who lost his grasp of reality, save him in time?