Je morální zabít člověka, jenž zabil? Tuto a jiné otázky si klade mladý právník Adam Hall, jehož dědeček, dlouholetý člen Ku-klux-klanu, je odsouzen k trestu smrti. Sam Cayhall je ve vězení už více než devět let a všechna jeho odvolání byla zamítnuta. A tak ho dělí od smrti už jen vteřiny.
Penguin Readers is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders.