Balance of power - Richard North Patterson

Five months into his term, President Kilcannon and his fiancee, television journalist Lara Costello, have decided to marry. But the occasion is followed by a terrible tragedy: a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire. It is a shattering event that consumes Kilcannon and his wife, challenging both their marriage, and his Presidency in such a personal way that Kilcannon vows to eradicate gun violence throughout the US.

In a high-stakes game of politics and legal manoeuvring where ideals collide in the Senate, the courtroom and across the country, President Kilcannon is determined to win at any cost. But in the clash over gun rights and violence, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than the President imagined.