The Last Election: A Novel of Politics

An election saved his life. Will a campaign now destroy it?

John Quincy Barnes doesn't like politics.

A relentless idealist, he's only willing to take time away from his law practice at Connecticut's most prestigious firm to participate in the political process as a strategist and fundraiser, because he believes that the result of a single election altered his destiny-and saved his life. Nevertheless, he's never even considered putting his name on a ballot until asked to do so by his mentor and father figure, Aidan Coyle. Aidan, Connecticut's most influential party boss, wants Quinn to primary four-term Senator Saul Berg to address the state's growing crisis over income inequality.

The timing of Aidan's plea could not be worse. At work, Quinn has just undertaken the controversial pro bono representation of the mother of a Latino teen shot in nearby East Haven. At home, he's struggling mightily in his marriage to his wife, Brooke, while his daughter, Eliza, and two sons, Pierce and Ben, grapple with the challenges of growing up multiracial.

Quinn is forced to decide whether the call to meet his destiny demands that he risk everything to take on the challenge of a lifetime. And put his idealism up against the monstrous beast that is modern American politics.