From the Author

"It's 1953, and in a snow-swept death zone near Mount Everest, English mountaineer Allan Singleton clings to life as he strives for a first summit of Mount Chomoranga. Like George Mallory before him, he vanishes near the summit, leaving his wife to raise their three young children alone in England. Singleton's summit attempt is eclipsed by Edmund Hillary's successful summit of Mount Everest.

The treacherous Himalayan peak is not attempted again until 2002, when a brash amateur mountaineer from Seattle climbs it and claims a monetary prize. Alleging that their father summitted first, before being lost on the mountain, Singleton's adult children sue.

The trial progresses in downtown Seattle, with surprise witnesses, burglaries, threats, and clandestine late-night evidence-gathering. During the course of the trial, unexpected romance and family connections unfold, culminating in a daring trek deep into remote Himalayan villages in search of the truth.

After many physical and emotional challenges, the joyous participants return to Seattle with their lives enriched, bearing an astonishing tale of a Shangri-La and closure to the strangest trial the judge has ever presided over."