The hyper-fab Maggie Mars discovers the dangers of screenwriting in Kalian's snazzy sequel to 2006's As Dead as It Gets
. After tantrum-throwing diva Allegra Cort, the star of Maggie's new movie Murder Becomes Her
, is bludgeoned to death with her own Oscar, the cops find Maggie's prints on it, making her a prime suspect. Baffling spirit messages from TV psychic Mitzi Elgin, who's Allegra's friend (and Maggie's dad's girlfriend), attempts on Maggie's life and another shocking murder keep Maggie on her toes as she delves into Allegra's past. Maggie is no relation to TV sleuth Veronica, but their similarities don't end at last names and hobbies: Maggie's sticky intermittent relationship with LAPD cop Joe Camenetti is highly reminiscent of Veronica's teen romantic angst. The Hollywood collaborators behind the Kalian signature, veteran TV/film writer/producer Irma Kalish and Naomi Gurian, former executive director of the Writer's Guild of America, West Coast branch, keep things moving at a clip entirely suitable for TV adaptation. Stay tuned! (Aug.)
