One in the chamber

A deadly Supreme Court confirmation battle forms the backbone of this over-the-top political thriller from Peguero (With Prejudice) . On the night of the 2024 presidential election, an unnamed narrator, whose hands are covered in a senator's blood, confesses to murder in a congressional committee room. The story then flashes back three months, when Cam Leann is introduced as the newest intern on the staff of Iowa Democrat Bill Williams, one of six powerful senators on the Judiciary Committee known as the "Gang of Six." Cam quickly makes friends with other Gang of Six staffers, including the charismatic Liz Frost and playboy Randy Lancaster. Not only is a contentious presidential election looming, but the sudden death of the Supreme Court's octogenarian chief justice has created a vacancy just weeks before the polls open. When the president nominates conservative Black judge Frederick Wright, it divides the Gang of Six. Cam's crew fractures as well, the fissures eventually leading to the murder teased in the book's opening pages. Peguero tosses in plenty of details pulled from real-life confirmation hearings and recent presidential elections, but they seem out of place amid the outlandish plot twists, which fail to make up for a weak central mystery. Even Scandal fans will find this far-fetched. Agent: Michael Nardullo, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Mar.)