Jack Swyteck, a brilliant Miami defense attorney, has spent years rebelling against his overpowering father, Harry, now Florida's governor. When, on the eve of an execution, the governor denies Jack's request for a stay and allows the death sentence against Jack's client to be carried out, all hopes for a reconciliation seem dashed. But events will soon place father and son in extreme jeopardy. Jack will be tried for a murder he didn't commit, and the governor will face political ruin - the climax of a revenge campaign waged by someone close to Jack's executed client. As the walls begin to close in on the Swyteck family, a paradox presents itself: neither father nor son can help the other without harming himself. And even if the two can find a way to overcome their tormentor's manipulation, they must still face one final ploy that will raise the stakes to far more perilous heights.