Publisher, Harper Audio (May 2009)

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A fallen baseball star must use his new skills as Boston's king of sports radio to outwit a dangerous caller and prove, live on the air, that the hit-and-run that killed his wife was no accident.

Ryan James once had it all. With a beautiful wife and a two-year-old daughter, he was just one minor-league baseball game away from realizing his lifelong dream of playing in the majors when the unthinkable happened: his wife, Chelsea, was killed in a hit-and-run accident while driving to Ryan's last game of the season.

Years later, Ryan is a popular "shock jock" at Boston's top-rated sports radio show, doing his best to raise his daughter alone. But his love for Chelsea endures, his insomnia persists, and the fact that the police never found the drunk who ran her off the road makes closure impossible. Then, on the third anniversary of Chelsea's death, chilling words from an anonymous tipster turn the accident into a homicide: "I know who did it."

As the police scramble, Ryan makes a stunning discovery. The tip, a strangely coded message, may have come from Chelsea's own brother, a young man affectionately known as "Babes", who has an autism-related disorder. But why would Babes have withheld this information for three years? And what finally made him come forward anonymously?

The demand for answers sends Babes on the run. Through a series of shocking on-air conversations with Babes, Ryan and Emma Carlisle, the dedicated prosecutor on the case, unravel a cover-up that reaches back to the night of Chelsea's death and that may implicate one of New England's most powerful families. It's a search that will forever change the lives of Ryan, Babes, and Emma - if they live to tell about it.

About the Author: The first thing you need to know about James Grippando is that he is no longer clueless. This transformation occurred on June 14, 2005, when "A James Grippando Novel" was the clue to number 38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. (The correct answer: Under Cover of Darkness.)

Here are some other interesting things about James, most of which happened while, sadly, he was still clueless…

James Grippando is the national bestselling author of sixteen novels that are enjoyed worldwide in twenty-six languages. His latest releases in the acclaimed series featuring Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck are Last Call (available now in paperback) and Born to Run (now in hardcover.) Intent to Kill, a stand-alone thriller, will be released in May 2009. James is also the author of Leapholes—a book written for young adults, which was a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award.

James’s first job out of law school plunged him headlong into death penalty cases. That experience was an inspiration for his debut novel, The Pardon, a legal thriller that critics heralded as a “bona fide blockbuster.” Before The Pardon, James was a successful trial lawyer in Miami, and he is now Counsel to the law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP.

As a lawyer, James was a frequent volunteer in the Miami-Dade County guardian ad litem program, where he represented neglected children in custody proceedings. As a writer, James lectures frequently to schoolchildren about his book Leapholes and about writing in general. He is an active participant in the “Kids Love a Mystery Program” sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America, and he was the 2005 recipient of the Distinguished Author Award from the University of Scranton. He serves on the Board of Trustees at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish Elementary School, where he takes aspiring young writers with him on research trips to fun places like crime labs. He is also coach of the soccer team.

James lives in south Florida, where he writes beneath a big shade umbrella on his deck, right next to the hot tub and swimming pool. He is married to Tiffany, who holds a degree in English Literature major. They have three children and three cats, and they are looking for a dog.