Now, in Under the Color of Law, Kevin Kerney is back in Santa Fe, newly installed as police chief, when a U.S. ambassador's estranged wife is found murdered in her multi-million dollar home. Before he can mount a proper investigation, an FBI antiterrorism team arrives, takes control of the inquiry, and forces Kerney to watch from the sidelines as the crime scene is sanitized, potential witnesses disappear, and the case is cleared with trumped-up evidence. Warned off, put under surveillance, and threatened with reprisals under the rubric of national security, Kerney balks at accepting the whitewash and begins a soft probe that points to a covert intelligence coverup. Convinced that unscrupulous government agents are acting outside the law, Kerney begins his own clandestine hunt for a hard target that will lead him to the truth about the Terrell homicide, knowing full well he might not survive the chase.