In the heat of a presidential race a dark-horse candidate emerges who seems to answer the hopes of the American voters. Is he, perhaps, too good to be true? The tumultuous presidential bandwagon of Thomas Crane, a charismatic but elusive senator from the Midwest, presents reporter Cliff O'Connell with a career-making opportunity that slowly becomes a nightmare. O'Connell's former lover, Robin Winters, now works for the Crane campaign, and that relationship reignites at the same time that the campaign, against all odds, takes off. O'Connell also discovers an unexpected rapport with Crane, who shares his love of history and a humble, small-town background. Digging into the part of Crane's past that refuses to make sense, uncovering layers of truth with a growing sense of unease, O'Connell is caught in a brutal triangle, torn between personal and political passions and his commitment to the truth. His discovery and what he does about it have cataclysmic and unexpected results for himself, Robin, Crane, and a nation. ( )