Telemystery: CBS Officially Orders Pilots for Backstrom and Beverly Hills Cop

Earlier today we reported on Telemystery pilots ordered by ABC and Fox. Now we have pilot news from CBS … though neither of these potential series is actually "new" news.

CBS is confirming its pilot order for Backstrom, based on a character created by Swedish crime novelist Leif G. W. Persson. Stockholm police inspector Evert Backstrom was introduced in 2005 in Linda … som i Lindamordet (Linda … as in the Linda Murder), the English translation of which will be published next month in the UK (and presumably will be available here in the US later this year). Hart Hanson (Bones) has written the pilot screenplay.

Also ordered by CBS is the television series adaptation of the film Beverly Hills Cop, first announced last September. Brandon T. Jackson stars as Axel Foley's police officer son Aaron, who like his dad (Eddie Murphy's character in the film … who is also expected to appear in the pilot) finds himself walking the Beverly Hills beat. Shawn Ryan (The Last Resort, The Shield) has written the pilot screenplay.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130123)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

Promotional Poster for Justified Season 4

The fourth season of Justified is well underway on FX Networks, but we missed seeing these promotional posters (wallpapers, actually) for the season when they were first released. This one (right; click for larger image) is so stylish that we wanted to share it. (You can find other versions on the series website.)

Based on a character created by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, Timothy Olyphant stars as US Marshal Raylan Givens, who returns to his home town in Eastern Kentucky, bringing his own brand of justice to bear on local criminals. Justified airs on Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT.

Cinemystery: HBO Developing Bored To Death Film

HBO is developing a feature film that would continue the adventures of Jonathan Ames, the fictional version of whom was featured in the HBO series Bored To Death, which aired for three seasons on the cable network. The film's logline: Jonathan, Ray, and George reunite to fight crime, commit crime, lose their minds and fail at love in a Bored to Death feature-length slapstick adventure.

Jason Schwartzman stars as Ames, and his co-stars in the series — Zach Galifianakis as Jonathan's best friend Ray; and Ted Danson as his former editor George) — would reprise their roles for the film. Schwartzman recently told The Hollywood Reporter that Ames was working on the film's script.

The original series was created by author and essayist Jonathan Ames, who recently published a short noir thriller, You Were Never Really Here; more information about that story, below.

— ♦ —

You Were Never Really Here
Jonathan Ames

A former Marine and ex–FBI agent, Joe has seen one too many crime scenes and known too much trauma, and not just in his professional life. Solitary and haunted, he prefers to be invisible. He doesn't allow himself friends or lovers and makes a living rescuing young girls from the deadly clutches of the sex trade.

But when a high-ranking New York politician hires him to extricate his teenage daughter from a Manhattan brothel, Joe uncovers a web of corruption that even he may not be able to unravel. When the men on his trail take the only person left in the world who matters to him, he forsakes his pledge to do no harm. If anyone can kill his way to the truth, it's Joe.

      

Telemystery: Pilots Ordered for Betrayal, The List, and Sleepy Hollow

More Telemystery pilot news to report.

ABC has ordered a pilot for a(nother) soap-styled drama titled Betrayal. (That's barely different from the title of another drama series on the network, Revenge.) Here's the logline: A beautiful but unhappily married female photographer begins a torrid affair with a lawyer for a powerful family. When he turns out to be defending a murder suspect who is being prosecuted by her husband, the relationship and the case begin a spiraling series of betrayals with cataclysmic results for everyone involved.

Fox has ordered a pilot for The List. The logline: When members of the Federal Witness Security Program start getting killed, US Marshal Dan Shaker leads the hunt for the person who stole "the list" — a file with the identities of every member of the program.

Finally, Fox has confirmed an order for Sleepy Hollow, a pilot the networked committed to last July. The storyline is said to be a modern-day supernatural thriller inspired by the 1820 short story by Washington Irving.

Please Welcome Novelist Leigh Hershkovich

by Leigh Hershkovich

We are delighted to welcome novelist Leigh Hershkovich as our guest.

Leigh's new murder mystery is Shattered Illusions (Full Court Press, publication in process).

Today Leigh introduces herself and tells us about the writing and publishing her book.

— ♦ —

There are many truths that a writer must accept in their daily living. They must make a compromise between their "writer-selves" and their "professional-selves" which, I am coming to see, is not easy. Writing and living should not be separate from one another, which makes living that much more intense. When embarking on the journey of writing a novel, those truths multiply, and often times escalate (escalate) out of control, until it is no longer possible to tell the difference between fact and fiction. I have been told by many people, famous authors included, that one can consider themselves a true writer if they are always writing. Cultivating and building a landscape for your story is one thing, but, writing is something of a different caliber altogether. Planning a novel does not make you a writer, it makes you a dreamer. Putting your thoughts to action, pressing the pen to paper (or in some cases, the finger to the keyboard) is what makes you "who you are." Writing does not have to be of the "novel" kind in order for one to consider themselves a true writer. It does not even have to make sense to anyone else in the world, but you. As long as you're writing, that is what counts.

Photo provided courtesy of
Leigh Hershkovich

Now I, by those definitions, am a writer. But, I am so much more than someone who merely commits a word to ink. It's about so much more than the task of creating a word. Writing is, at this time, not yet a profession. It could still be considered a dream. Writing novels is yet to pay off, but it is what I intend to do with my life. Whichever way you look at it though, writing is my life partner and greatest passion. It is the beginning and end to everything I know. It is something that I have always known and I highly doubt this passion will ever dissolve. In my core I am a creator. It pulses through my veins, and it provides with me a direction with which to lead my life.

That being said, I must say that having a passion for something does not make it easier to live with. If anything, it makes it that much harder. It is like living with someone that you absolutely love and adore who you love more than life itself, but who drives you absolutely insane. My relationship with writing is similar. I love it, it drives me, and it molds my being. Yet, sometimes, I want to kick it to the curb and find something else to do with my life. Yet, I can't. I cannot remove this entity from my life. It is part of who I am, and I do not suspect that it will ever change. But my love and deep passion for the written word does not take away from the fact that right now, I'd rather hide under my blanket like a child hiding from a monster under their bed then write this. And that is because, as I write this, I am experiencing new things in the world of crafting a novel that I could have never prepared myself for.

The "truth" becomes that much darker when it is a novel emerging from your spirit. The truths of a writer without a "goal" seem lighter, more at ease. The truths of a novelist are dark, and at times maddening. Worse than the truths that come from within the writers soul are the "truths" that emerge from outside of you. I'm not talking about a self imposed fear that you draw into yourself, but the fear that others, with incessant questioning and high expectations, push on to you. The fear that comes along with taking on a project of such a scale can wipe joy and pride right off the map.

I did not expect people to react to this journey as they have. I assumed that a handful of people would think of this exhibition as a maddening journey. They approached me cautiously, as though I was contagious. They had the "you're doomed" look in their eyes. The look of fear and discontentment that I have been met with whenever the topic of the book comes up. People literally hold on to me as though the world is about to crumble below us and, in quite a desperate tone ask "aren't you scared? Aren't you terrified that your novel will flop and you'll live the rest of your life trying to cover up the fact that you failed?" It's nice to know that the world has my side. But I must not fail to remember that those were the same questions I was met with at the age of sixteen when I began to introduce myself to people as a writer. Such an introduction was usually met with questions of "Oh, are you? And what do you write? Short stories? Articles?" When I would reply that I was yet to write anything that had been published, they scoffed, "oh, that's nice."

The truth is that, yes, I am scared. Terrified. There are days where I cannot look at the manuscript without feeling as though my head will implode from the pressure. It takes a lot to create something so fragile. It takes a very strong person to release part of themselves to the world without crumbling to the ground. I am absolutely terrified. But, that hasn't stopped me; not now, not ever.

My novel, Shattered Illusions, is currently in the publication process through an independent publishing company called Full Court Press. Like many pieces of this journey, I was pulled towards my publisher like a magnet. It was as though someone was standing behind me, lightly, yet powerfully, pushing me in the right direction. Regardless of my fears, or the incessant nagging in my head that I am going to fail, I have been continuously led from one miracle to another.

I began writing Shattered Illusions during my senior year of high school. You could say that it happened by accident. The idea breathed its first breath of life into me when I was least prepared for it. At the time I knew that writing would eventually take me somewhere, but I didn't expect that the road to "somewhere" would begin at the age of seventeen. I figured that I would first attend school, spend years toiling away at crafting my art and then attempt to write a full length fiction novel. Little did I know what life had in store for me. The storyline, though shaky and incredibly unstable at the beginning of its birth, has grown from a small, unimpressive seed to a garden of unimaginable beauty. It has taken me by surprise again and again, and I am proud to have my name mentioned in relation to such a craft.

The idea, as I had mentioned, came by accident. I was rereading "The Angels Game" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (the second in a series of three incredibly powerful novels. If you have not yet had the privilege to enter the world of "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books", I highly recommend that you take the plunge) for the second time. I crossed paths with Shattered Illusions during my second read of Zafon's sequel:

"If I had any observation to make it would be that you've gotten the matter exactly right by constructing the whole story from the point of view of a witness to the events, someone who feels like a victim and speaks on behalf of the people awaiting the warrior savior … Nothing makes us believe more than fear, the certainty of being threatened. When we feel like victims, all our actions and beliefs are legitimized however questionable they may be. Our opponents, or simply our neighbors, stop sharing common ground with us and become our enemies. We stop being aggressors and become defenders The envy, greed, or resentment that motivates us becomes sanctified, because we tell ourselves we're acting in self-defense..." (Page 297.)

That fragment of conversation, delivered flawlessly by the ghostly Andreas Corelli, hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was captivating. What an incredible train of thought and how true! Not only of the fictional characters that possessed the pages of The Angels Game, but of civilization in general. "When we feel like victims, all our actions and beliefs are legitimized however questionable they may be..." How many times in a day had I heard the words of those who, correctly or not, believed that the actions that they took in protecting themselves were indeed legitimate; that the people that they had hurt were hurt in the name of self defense? How many times a day had I done that myself?

How often could I act (cowardly) in the name of my defense? Once I placed myself into the role of the victim, everything was permissible.

The end of the passage hummed the last bars in the sweet symphony that was generating in my mind:

"The first step for believing passionately is fear. Fear of losing our identity, our life, our status, or our beliefs. Fear is the gunpowder and hatred is the fuse …"

I looked up from the book; my mind swimming in a sea of endless thoughts. "I need to make something out of this," I thought to myself. "I must create something out of this." A world in which the heroes are also the criminals and where ordinary people, gripped by fear, become the demons they fear the most. It was a world I was already living in - a world of deception and hatred, not by means of pure evil, but by means of self-pity. I closed the book almost immediately and shunned the idea out of my open mind. I was too young to write a novel, and I was too scared to try.

Now, three years later, the novel is on its way to publication. Though the road is bumpy, and there is still much to be done, I feel a sense of overwhelming pride in how far I have come. This is truly only the beginning. In the three years since I began writing Shattered Illusions, I have been incredibly blessed to come across people who, shaped the course of my life and the course of the novel. From teachers to friends, words of wisdom that were passed on to me by loved ones and strangers alike have given me the fuel necessary to continue crafting myself, and my work.

I do not have a secret to the success that I have been graced with so far. I cannot tell you what the future holds for me in regards to this novel or the novels that I plan to write in the future. Such a thing cannot be predicted. However, I can tell you one thing: allowing others to stand in the way of your dreams shows a true lack of dedication to your craft. If you love what you do, if it is part of who are, and if you cannot see yourself living your life without it, push all other voices out of your head. Ignore every person who does not believe you can do it, and prove them wrong.

— ♦ —

Leigh Hershkovich's writing career began almost at infancy. Born and raised in The City by the Bay, Leigh was never seen without a pen and paper by her side, and was never without a story to share. With her vivid imagination and sharp writing tactics, she has taken the world by storm twice over. Now, with her debut novel Shattered Illusions, readers will get a first time glimpse into her first full fiction attempt.

An avid reader, accomplished pianist, passionate scholar of the language and the arts, Leigh currently resides in New York with her imagination.

You can learn more about Leigh by visiting her website, LeighHershkovich.com, her blog, or by following her on Facebook.

— ♦ —

Shattered Illusions
Leigh Hershkovich

One murder. Four eyewitnesses. An unknown assailant. A victim with a mysterious secret. Bystanders beleaguered by life's losses. A killer at large …

When Sam, a propietor of a local cafe is shot dead on the street, four strangers become the unwitting witnesses to a seemingly accidental crime. As the investigation progresses, this quartest of accidental onlookers find themselves not only haunted by the homicide, but pursued by their own pasts.

The deeper into the death they plunge, each is forced to face the face that the loss of Sam is far from their most devastating. Inner anguish reaches a climax point for Ella, Marco, Sarah and Danny as the answers they want continue to elude them, and the evidence they want to escape refuses to retreat.

Gray Justice by Alan McDermott is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Gray Justice by Alan McDermott as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Tom Gray Mystery; Kobo and iTunes formats).

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Gray Justice
Alan McDermott
A Tom Gray Mystery
Publisher: Smashwords

When a killer walks free from court, the victim's father sees just two options: accept the judge's decision; or take on the entire British justice system.

Tom Gray chooses the latter and his crusade attracts instant worldwide media coverage. It was just what Tom was hoping for, but it brought him a lot more than he bargained for.

    

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

No Peace for the Wicked by Adrian Magson is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature No Peace for the Wicked by Adrian Magson as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Gavin and Palmer Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

No Peace for the Wicked
Adrian Magson
A Gavin and Palmer Mystery
Publisher: Adrian Magson

When tough-minded female investigative reporter Riley Gavin is assigned to find out why two elderly ex-gangsters were murdered on the same day, she is surprised to find herself threatened with the same fate if she doesn't back off.

But Riley doesn't scare easily. And she never ducks an assignment. With the help of laid-back former Royal Military cop, Frank Palmer, she follows a bloody trail from the windswept south coast of England, through the lower reaches of south London, and finds herself facing a nasty death in Spain's gangsters' playground near Malaga. As she digs, she unearths a deadly web of vendettas, double-crosses and hatred in an underworld at war with itself.

The prize at stake for the killers is control of a criminal empire.

For Riley Gavin and Frank Palmer, failing could mean the difference between life or death.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Trick Question by Tony Dunbar is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Trick Question by Tony Dunbar as today's third free mystery ebook (A Tubby Dubbonet Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Trick Question
Tony Dunbar
A Tubby Dubbonet Mystery
Publisher: booksBnimble

Medical lab janitor Cletus Busters is caught red-handed in a restricted area with the frozen head of Dr. Whitney Valentine, one of the lab's most prestigious researchers. Busters won't say much, except that he's innocent. But given his conspicuous record and past as a voodoo guru, all signs point to life in prison.

Calling Tubby Dubonnet!

With the trial less than a week away, Busters' lawyer has made exactly two motions--heading to the bar for several rounds of Wild Turkey and begging Tubby for help.

Meanwhile, Tubby's taken on a new client — a female boxer with an abusive boyfriend — and also has to referee the romantic entanglements of his ex-wife and three teenage daughters.

But as Buster's trial proceeds, and the jury savors the startling evidence (alongside Dunbar's succulent descriptions of Crescent City cuisine), the danger mounts. Revealing the murderer could prove to be Tubby's biggest triumph — or his last case ever.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Tell No Lies by Julie Compton is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tell No Lies by Julie Compton as today's second free mystery ebook (A Legal Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Tell No Lies
Julie Compton
A Legal Thriller
Publisher: Fresh Fork Publishing

Idealistic St. Louis prosecutor Jack Hilliard appears to have it all: intelligence, good looks, a great job, and a solid marriage with his wife, Claire. But he finds himself at a crossroads when, on the same night his boss announces his resignation as DA, his simmering flirtation with his mysterious lawyer friend Jenny bubbles to the surface.

Jack soon learns how easy it is to compromise his values and comfortable life for ambition and desire. Despite Claire's counsel to stand by his beliefs, Jack misrepresents his position on the death penalty to secure the top spot at the District Attorney's office. As the pressures of the campaign mount, he struggles to deny his growing obsession with Jenny, who supports his ambitions at whatever cost. When Jenny becomes the main suspect in a shocking murder, and Jack is the only one who can prove her innocence, he faces an excruciating choice: save Jenny by speaking out, or save his marriage and career by remaining silent.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Party Crashers by Stephanie Bond is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Party Crashers by Stephanie Bond as today's free mystery ebook (A Humorous Romantic Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Party Crashers
Stephanie Bond
A Humorous Romantic Mystery
Publisher: NeedToRead Books

No invitation, no alibi …

A young woman is stressed to the max, selling shoes at Neiman Marcus during a busy holiday season. Also pressing on her mind is the fact that her boyfriend of the last few months is missing, along with her car.

With problems piling on, she manages to make a new friend at work, but too late she realizes her gal pal is a serial party crasher. It's fun — at first. But no one's laughing when a body turns up at an upscale party they've crashed and they're the only people who aren't supposed to be there!

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Sly Fox by Jeanine Pirro is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sly Fox by Jeanine Pirro as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

— ♦ —

Sly Fox
Jeanine Pirro
A Dani Fox Legal Thriller
Hyperion

Westchester, New York, 1976 — Cocaine abuse is rampant, the county courthouse is a boys' club, and men are still legally permitted to beat their wives. Enter Dani Fox, the feisty, ambitious twenty-five-year-old assistant district attorney tired of feeling like an outsider and hungry to bring abusers to justice.

Dani confronts emotionally challenging crime scenes and uncooperative colleagues, facing threats to her safety — and even the safety of her pet pig, Wilbur — in order to protect society's silent victims. Spearheading the country's first domestic violence unit in a shifting legal landscape, Dani must find allies where she can, especially when she discovers a seemingly simple case has some shocking twists. But who can she trust, and which of her colleagues will she end up battling both in and out of the courtroom?

 

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Review: Burning Man by Alan Russell

A Mysterious Review of …

Burning Man by Alan Russell.

Review summary: Probably best described as a police procedural, this crime novel is much more than that, adding a depth of character not often seen in mysteries of this type. A return visit by this very special police unit — a man and his dog — would be most welcome. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Burning Man
Alan Russell
Thomas & Mercer (December 2012)

Publisher synopsis: LAPD cop Michael Gideon and his police dog partner Sirius became reluctant celebrities after capturing a notorious serial killer in the midst of an inferno. For their heroism, they were chosen to head up the newly formed Special Cases Unit. Now the duo tackles out-of-the- ordinary cases, anything deemed unusual or bizarre even by Hollyweird standards.

When a teenager is found crucified in a city park, Gideon and Sirius are handed the bizarre case. Confronting the gruesome tableau and having to work the case worsens Detective Gideon's PTSD, a condition he has tried to hide from others. Gideon's burns may have healed, but the fire haunts him still … in more ways than one.

Eerily prescient since that terrible night of the fire, Gideon has unusual insights into the crimes he investigates, a skill he and Sirius must learn to trust as much as they do each other if they are to solve — and survive — this case.

  

Telemystery: NBC Orders Pilot for Crime Drama, The Blacklist

NBC has ordered a pilot for The Blacklist, a crime drama centered on a most-wanted criminal, who mysteriously turns himself in and offers to assist with investigations into all of his previous associations as long as he is teamed with a rookie FBI agent, one with whom he apparently has no connection.

This is the fifth drama pilot ordered by the network, and joins the medical drama After Hours, the pulp thriller Bloodline, the divorce drama I Am Victor, and the soap thriller The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives.

Cinemystery: David Fincher May Direct Film Adaptation of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl

It's no secret that Gillian Flynn's bestselling novel Gone Girl will be adapted for film. Indeed, the author herself has already drafted a screenplay. But details about the potential cast and director have been few and far between.

Until today.

Word is out that David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is either in talks to direct or has already agreed to direct — the various media outlets are not in agreement — the film. Reese Witherspoon's company is producing for 20th Century Fox. Last summer the actress was thought to be playing the titular character, but little has been mentioned since then.

Gone Girl has been at or near the top of our weekly bestselling mysteries list since it was published last June. More about the book itself, below.

— ♦ —

Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media — as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents — the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter — but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?