Last Summer Randy Singer released an unprecedented duo in his non-fiction book, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ, which included coded messages at the beginning of each chapter and tied into his fiction novel, The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney, released at the same time. The latter work told a story of a race against time to decipher these codes in order to save the lives of contestants in the newest reality-based TV show. During the novel, five of the ten codes are broken by boy-genius Wellington Farnsworth, and the other five are then left to the readers to decipher on their own for a chance to win a trip to the Virgin Islands. I was one of four readers to crack the codes and submit them by the September 30^th deadline; however, I did not win the trip. As a consolation prize, I received a free copy of Singer’s latest book, False Witness, which brings Wellington Farnsworth back into action with another code to break.

However, before the story gets to Farnsworth, we meet Clark, a bounty hunter, and his kidnapped wife, Jessica Shealy who are forced to cooperate with the wishes of the Chinese Mafia. Clark is given the impossible task of capturing within 36 hours Professor Dagan, a man who has invented an algorithm that quickly finds the prime factors in any very extremely large number, thereby disrupting RSA internet security as we know it. Because Jessica’s life, respect, and beauty are on the line, Clark pulls out no stops to acquire Dagan at any cost and come to her rescue in an engaging ride through the first 100 pages.

The rest of the story is told four years later when Clark and Jessica, now under the Federal Witness Protection program, are compromised and enlist some law students through the university’s legal-aid clinic to help them. The story follows third-year law student Jamie Brock who knows that something big has dropped in her lap when she is kidnapped and threatened in an attempt to reveal where her client, David Hoffman (formerly known as Clark Shealy) is hiding. Meanwhile, Stacy Hoffman (formerly Jessica Shealy) contacts the charismatic Isaiah Haywood who plays Jamie’s opposite in hopes of contacting the only federal agent they trust, Sam Parcelli, to regain new identities for themselves and bring down the mob. The two students realize that they are in over their heads, and go to their advisor, Professor Walter Snead, for advice, assistance, and a request to act as their supervising advocate. Snead acquiesces on condition that young Wellington Farnsworth joins their team.

Things become even more shrouded in mystery during the case when the three students find that they cannot trust their clients, and as events become even more personal, they slowly realize that they cannot really trust anyone. Not the opposing attorney, not Parcelli, not the government, and not even Snead, as back-stabs, double crosses, and deceit abound between those labeled as “the good guys.”

This novel is appropriately labeled a thriller: it’s short chapters help create a very fast pace that keeps the readers on the edge of their seats through two stories that tied together in an interesting way. The reader is taken on a wild ride of twists that turn and zigs that zag: things are not as they seem, and everyone’s personal security interests lie at stake. The plot is realistic and complex, the characterization is decent and the writing is descriptive, knowledgeable, and succinct. Throughout the novel Singer causes the reader to ask good, thought provoking questions about power, trust, and justice. In the end, things pan out, but unexpectedly.

Yet despite this great story, after I finished reading, I did not feel like the characters were satisfied in the end. Is this a bad thing? I do not think so for this book, I think this was a good move, it was suitably contrasting to Singer’s other books which tend to have better (read: more happy, almost fairy-tale) endings. It was appropriate for this story, and it depicted what happens in real life: if we finally get what we want, what we have been longing and fighting for, does it ultimately bring satisfaction? We might think so at first, but there is still that inherent knowledge within us that gnaws at us and protests otherwise.