A brilliant reporter probes into thc dark

past of a candidate for the U.S. Senate

and comes up with the story of a life-

time--only to find that it threatens the

very survival of his newspaper.

Every step that Jimmy Darcy takes

into the labyrinth of corruption sur-

rounding Congressman Michael Santini

seems to raise new personal and ethical

dilemmas. Santini s ex-mistress be-

comes Darey s source and then his lover.

When hc refuses to give her name in

court, his own publisher and editors,

afraid that a libel judgment will mean

the end of the financially troubled paper,

reassign him to an inconsequential

night shift.

In disgrace, and obsessed with ven-

geance, Darcy follows up another lead

on Santini that yields an even more ex-

plosive expose. But Darcy has nowhere

to print the story and few allies on the

paper. In desperation hc turns to the

newspaper s sophisticated new computer

system...

From the publisher s penthouse to the

clamor of the pressroom, this novel lays

bare the passions and fascination of jour-

nalism. It shows decisions being made

and compromised by power struggles,

weakness, and ambition at a big-city

newspaper.