Hit and Run: A Thriller

Moreton's tepid novel of political intrigue begins with an I Know What You Did Last Summer set-up: Harvard students Nick Calevetti and Steven Adler are driving to Boston in a thick fog. Nick, a rich kid, hits a pedestrian, then finishes off the injured man with a tire iron and convinces Steve to keep it a secret. It's no surprise that soon Steve is in jail, accused by Nick of being the killer. Meanwhile, two computer software companies are set to square off in the Supreme Court over a gazillian-dollar lawsuit. A nominee to the court, Judge Getty Fairfield, is, if approved, in position to decide the case. Steve's hard-working father, Allan, worked for Fairfield years ago and knew he had an affair with a Russian spy. Unable to scrape up enough money to hire a high-priced defense lawyer, he tries to sell his information to Fairfield's enemies. Characters rush to and fro, complications beget more complications and people are killed. The writing is fine, but there are too many bad guys to keep track of, and even the good guys are morally compromised. By the end, readers will be forgiven if they no longer care whether the almost forgotten son, Steve, ever sees the light of day again.