Smash Cut - by Sandra Brown (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Blood Moon and "masterful storyteller" (USA TODAY) Sandra Brown comes a classic thriller full of jarring, cinematic twists that will have you on the edge of your seat.

When millionaire Paul Wheeler is brutally murdered in an apparent armed robbery, his family hires high-profile attorney Derek Mitchell to defend the victim's nephew, Creighton. Though the police haven't accused Creighton of the crime, Wheeler's mistress, Julie Rutledge, a prime suspect herself, is convinced Creighton is the killer. Handsome and wealthy, Creighton appears untouchable, backed by a seemingly airtight alibi. But Julie is determined to expose his guilt and willing to risk everything--even Derek's reputation--to prove her case.

As Derek digs into the evidence, he discovers a chilling pattern: a series of killings that eerily resemble infamous movie murders. With time running out, Derek and Julie must unravel the shocking truth before someone else falls victim to a deadly reenactment of cinema's goriest scenes. Who will be the killer's next unwitting costar? They won't know until the final Smash Cut.

Review Quotes

"Brown delivers more than a few thrills and surprises in this taut, satisfying page-turner." -- "Booklist"

"Most crime thrillers come from male authors. But with "Smash Cut", Sandra Brown shows that she's right up with the best of the boys.... [Brown's] dialogue snaps, crackles and pops, and her characters rise above cliche. "Smash Cut" deserves to be this summer's blockbuster thriller." -- "St. Louis Post-Dispatch"

"Packed with surprises and the kind of propulsive plot for which Brown ("Smoke Screen", 2008, etc.) is justly famous, this effort will not disappoint her readers." -- "Kirkus"

"This superlative romantic thriller from bestseller Brown ("Smoke Screen") features a particularly memorable villain, sociopath Creighton Wheeler, who's obsessed with re-enacting scenes from films like "Strangers on a Train" and "Frenzy".... Multiple smash cuts (abrupt scene shifts) lead to a wonderfully frenzied finish." -- "Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of seventy-seven New York Times bestsellers. She has published more than eighty novels and has upwards of eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her work has been translated into thirty-five languages, and four books have been adapted for film. She has serves as president of Mystery Writers of America, and in 2008 she was named Thriller Master, the top award given by the International Thriller Writers association. Other honors include the Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature.