{"product_id":"the-manipulator-a-legal-thriller-9781648756337","title":"The Manipulator: A Legal Thriller","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen the scales of justice are tipped, lawyer Thomas Berte's brilliance is put to the ultimate test.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"...a masterful debut novel. Outstanding!\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e --James Chandler, \u003cem\u003e Wall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eMisjudged\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThomas Berte, a Harvard-educated attorney at the peak of his career with a corporate law firm, is catapulted into the legal battle of a lifetime when the U.S. Attorney General offers him the position of Deputy Attorney General. Though a testament to his meteoric rise in the legal field, this career jump seems too good to be true.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepting the role, Tom is charged with a daunting task: bring down Cosimo \"Nino\" Benedetto, the enigmatic leader of an international crime syndicate. But as he digs deeper into his new responsibilities at the Department of Justice, Tom uncovers a disturbing connection between his former law firm--a bastion of his past achievements--and the very underworld empire he's determined to dismantle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackmailed into betraying his principles, Tom is forced to question the foundations of his career and the legal system he has sworn to uphold. The chase for Benedetto becomes a personal crusade, challenging Tom's intellect, ethics, and resolve. This mission, fraught with life-threatening risks and shadowy adversaries, becomes not just a professional endeavor but a pivotal moment of reckoning.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Manipulator\u003c\/em\u003e intricately weaves the high-stakes drama of a man ensnared in the most defining trial of his life, where a stunning conclusion pits the pursuit of justice against the ultimate sacrifice of moral certainty.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e_________________\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Manipulator\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The action is fast paced, with a likable hero...\" \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--Phillip Margolin, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eAn Insignificant Case\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Well written and intricately plotted, Tom Berte is a character worth rooting for.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e --Chad Zunker, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eFamily Money\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Wife You Know\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"...fast-moving...intriguing settings...replete with a lively cast of characters\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e --Joseph Badal, bestselling author and Military Writers Society of America Writer of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Severn River Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/19\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781648756337\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 300","brand":"Dan Buzzetta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51258262945973,"sku":"9781648756337","price":16.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_dca6bed9-360c-4ba7-b63d-9b1e8f12f846.jpg?v=1750814611","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-manipulator-a-legal-thriller-9781648756337","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}