Day of Wrath

The city’s criminal courthouse is an unlikely place to find an ambitious state supreme court justice.

Insiders call it “the Zoo” because it’s “full of animals,” the dregs of the city’s underbelly.

Its dockets are hopelessly clogged and its jail packed, with defendants waiting up to a year for sentencing.

With no sign that any new judges are likely to be assigned, the overburdened justices can only fall further and further behind.

Supreme court judge James “The King” Tingle knows what it’s like at the criminal courthouse.

But he’s less interested in the law than he is in serving his own self-interest…

Assigned to take charge of the court, he enthusiastically sets about quickly and methodically clearing its dockets — but with his own peculiar brand of production-line justice, one with which many of the criminal court judges disagree, but to which they are afraid to object.

The assignment is just what Tingle needs to move into the political limelight…and through some judicious underhand deals, it provides the perfect opportunity to make enough money to set him up for life.

If anything goes wrong, it won’t be Tingle who takes the fall, making the plan seemingly fool proof.

But a plan that began as a simple stepping-stone to power savagely backfires and the judges of the criminal court are caught in the middle of an ugly terrorist plot…

A small band of terrorists, calling themselves the World Liberation Army, invades the courthouse during the judges’ monthly meeting, demanding the release of two of their soldiers and threatening everyone who stands in their way.

The judges, prosecutors, probation officers, and countless innocent bystanders are caught up in a ruthless and horrifying vortex of violence…and not everyone will escape unscathed.

Day of Wrath is a fast-paced thriller that provides an intimate insider’s glimpse into a world of power and what tempts, corrupts, and, on rare occasions, ennobles the men and women caught in its addictive web.

Praise for William J. Coughlin

“Combines a compelling insider’s knowledge with a powerful storyline. If you want to learn about the way it really is inside a courtroom and also be royally entertained, read this book …William Coughlin is habit-forming.” — James B. Patterson, Edgar Award-winning author of The Thomas Berryman Number

“Enjoyable, informative … a well-written page-turner that gives insight into backroom judicial politics.” — Stanley Shapiro, producer and author of A Time To Remember

“A humdinger! An irresistible story … and an exciting tapestry of the day-to-day running of criminal court … William Coughlin really knows his stuff!” — William J. Caunitz, author of One Police Plaza

William J. Coughlin has combined a career as a United States administrative judge in Detroit with that of a best-selling novelist. His four previous highly acclaimed and successful novels are The Twelve Apostles, His Father’s Daughter, In the Presence of Enemies and Shadow of a Doubt .