Illusions of Trust

When attorney Russell Palmer agreed to handle the divorce of a beautiful and wealthy socialite, he never anticipated the tangled web of deceit, corruption--and murder--he would be forced to confront.

Russell Palmer, a young New York City attorney, is well-known for taking on unusual and high-risk cases alongside his private detective associate, Robbie Whyte. When the wealthy and alluring Christina Franco approaches him to represent her during divorce proceedings, he finds her story impossible to resist.

As Christina recounts the abuse she has suffered, Palmer's protective instincts kick in. His interest deepens when she mentions a dangerous associate of her husband--someone Palmer has clashed with before.

Soon, a series of events begins to unfold that may or may not be related to Christina and her influential family. There is the apparent suicide of a prominent lawyer. That is followed by a murder for which another of Palmer's clients is charged. Then, a federal investigation into a major pharmaceutical company is tied to Christina's husband.

As Palmer and Whyte work to solve an increasingly complex puzzle, they follow a trail that leads them from New York's underground to the rarified world of the ultra-rich--and even into the halls of Congress. Along the way they encounter a cast of intriguing individuals, including Christina's parents--an influential politician and his reclusive wife; an attractive journalist with a personal interest in Palmer; and a number of others populating their client's world.

As they peel back layers of deceit and corruption at every turn, Palmer and Whyte must navigate a treacherous path to protect their clients--and themselves--while ensuring that justice, in all its forms, prevails.

Author: Jeffrey S. Stephens
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Published: 10/28/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9798895653364

About the Author
Jeffrey S. Stephens is the Amazon bestselling and PenCraft award-winning author of the Jordan Sandor thrillers, Targets of Deception, Targets of Opportunity, Targets of Revenge, and Rogue Mission; the Anthony Walker murder mystery Crimes and Passion; the Pencraft First Place award-winning novel, Fool's Errand; and the Nicholas Reagan thrillers, The Handler and its sequel, Enemies Among Us.

A native of New York City, the author is a successful attorney in private practice, licensed in both New York and Connecticut. For more than forty years, he has lived in Greenwich, where he and his wife Nancy raised their two sons, Graham and Trevor.