The Last Justice by Anthony J. Franze, a Mysterious Review.

Review: When five Supreme Court justices are assassinated by a lone gunman, and the Chief Justice killed by friendly fire in the exchange, an investigation into how this could have possibly happened is quickly begun while Congress races to seat six new justices in The Last Justice, a debut thriller by Anthony J. Franze.

Solicitor General Jefferson McKenna, the government's top lawyer and a post sometimes referred to as "the tenth justice", is named to head a multi-agency investigation into the tragedy. But inexplicably, clues — and worse, dead bodies — seem to point directly to McKenna as being involved. Now, he must not only identify a killer but somehow prove his own innocence at the same time. On the run with his deputy and friend, Kate Porter, at his side, they begin to uncover dark secrets and corruption at the highest levels of the government. But just how high remains elusive.

The inner-workings of the Supreme Court are themselves something of a mystery, and while McKenna and Porter are seeking the truth, the author takes the reader on a backstage look at how this august group conducts business. Somewhat messier, and certainly more in the public eye, is how Congress goes about the business of naming a justice to the court … or in this case, six justices.

But it's the action-packed storyline that will keep readers turning the pages, trying to anticipate how it will all come together in the end. This is a solid debut that is not only thrilling but illustrates how strong — but also paradoxically how fragile — the government can be in the face of a national crisis.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Last Justice.