The Nomination

A nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court will stop at nothing to hide a dirty secret in this finely crafted thriller from Tapply (1940–2009). While serving in Vietnam, where he won a Bronze Star and lost an eye, future Massachusetts judge Thomas Larrigan fathered a daughter, then abandoned her and her mother, Li An. Instead of withdrawing from the nomination process, Larrigan engages the services of a hit man to eliminate those who know of his past, including the child's mother. Now dying of multiple sclerosis after a successful movie career, Li An, who became the actress Simone Bonet, wants to clear the air by writing a memoir. Shifting between San Francisco and Boston, the action culminates in a nail-biting finale in upstate New York. Tapply, best known for his Brady Coyne mystery series (Outwitting Trolls, etc.), displays the plot discipline and character savvy that distinguished his writing career and his many fans are going to miss. (Feb.)