The Hearing

Starred review from June 29, 1998
Few thriller writers handle the milieu better than Mills, who in his eighth novel (after 1995's Haywire) once again uses his skills as a journalist (evidenced in The Underground Empire and other nonfiction bestsellers) to bring complicated fictional scenes of crime, law and politics to instant and completely credible life. When Alabama Judge Gus Parham is nominated by the president--his old college friend--for an opening on the U.S. Supreme Court, his new prominence brings a lot of people out of the woodwork, including a 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had and a vengeful Colombian drug dealer who can orchestrate more damage from behind prison bars than most villains on the outside. Add to the mix Helen Bondell, a fascinating, complex woman who runs an alliance of public interest groups known as the Freedom Federation and who at first sees the nomination of Parham, a moderate Southerner, as a bad idea. Bondell wants to keep Gus off the Supreme Court in the worst way--until she realizes that her supposed allies are determined to do so in more ways than she can imagine. Helped by a supportive president with some resourceful aides, a tough DEA agent friend, and Samantha, the delightful and courageous daughter suddenly thrust into their lives, Gus and his wife, Michelle, resist all pressures to withdraw from the race and avoid a bloody Senate hearing. Ensuring that every detail of motivation and landscape rings true, and pacing his story with capable ease, Mills will keep readers captivated through this strong and smartly told story.