Absolute Power by David Baldacci

A beautiful wealthy man's wife lies dead, victim of an apparent burglary-murder.  But things aren't as they seem.  The burglar, far from being the murderer, had watched in horror from concealment as she was killed.  Even worse was the manner of her death.  The woman had been involved in an illicit affair with the President of the United States, and he was responsible for her death.

Afterwards, the coverup begins.  The Secret Service heads up the conspiracy of silence; their loyalty bought by the fact that the bullets that killed her came from their guns when she attacked the President while defending herself.  The President's staff was in agreement with the concealment as their jobs depended on the President remaining in power.

That left the discovery of the truth to others.  Luther, the burglar, had plans to reveal the truth while staying safe.  He trusted one man, Jack Graham, a former public defender who had been engaged to his daughter.  Kate, his daughter, had grown up to be a prosecuting attorney, due in large part to her reaction to having a criminal for a father.  Helping the team was one lone policeman who didn't quite believe the trail of manufactured evidence left behind by the experts.

This was David Baldacci's first novel, and as that alone, is well worth the read for fans of his work.  The suspense that characterizes his work is in evidence here, and the plotting is complex.  This book is recommended for thriller/suspense readers.