BLEEDOUT is narrated by two immensely likable characters. Hugh Freyl is a murdered blind lawyer, the scion of Springfield, Illinois's most influential family who recounts his story from the grave. David Marion is Freyl's protégé and a young convicted killer whose release from prison Freyl has orchestrated. When the novel opens, David stands accused of Freyl's murder and although David has spent dozens of Sunday dinners at the Freyls' lavish table and worked at Hugh's wealthy law firm, no one from Hugh's powerful inner circle will stand up for David's innocence. He alone bears the burden of proof. With fury and insouciance just below the surface, he is the perfect scapegoat for their misdoings. Or is he?