Since human civilization nearly destroyed itself 84 years ago, The Curriculum has eliminated all violence by sending citizens on a series of trips back in time to condition out violent thoughts and tendencies. But the peace has just been broken by the first act of violence in the new civilization, a murder confessed to by a young genius. Now the fragile society must prepare for its first great challenge as it attempts to deal with a criminal at the edge of insanity and brilliance.
Observance is a science fiction thriller and mystery that follows Dr. Richmond Marshall, a lawyer and businessman, as he is unexpectedly recruited to defend the criminal at his trial. Teamed with a rising legal scholar named Charlotte Luca, the pair struggles with how to defend a man who has confessed to a crime completely unheard of in their society. As they delve into the crime and the mind of the murderer, they begin to suspect that something far bigger is at play, something that could shatter the very foundations of the delicate peace that humanity has built.
