Tish Woodward is a rookie newspaper reporter covering City Hall for the Washington Post-Examiner when she is suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. She rides a wave of success investigating a horrific crime while always fearing her sudden rise is just dumb luck. She dreads the world will wake up and realize she lacks the depth and experience to now take on President-Elect Derrick Templeton, a billionaire oil and real estate baron with no political experience. Tish navigates the labyrinth of Washington's political world getting ever closer to the truth, yet she doesn't know whom to trust. This is Washington, of course, where motives are always suspect and allegiances change like the weather-all in pursuit of raw power. She has taken on the most powerful and vengeful man who has ever occupied the White House-and he now has his sights set on her.