The Cinderella Murder: An Under Suspicion Novel

MWA Grand Master Clark uses the main characters of her thriller I’ve Got You Under My Skin for this engaging collaboration with Burke (If You Were Here). The novel launches a series centered on Under Suspicion, a TV show that purports to re-enact (and often solve) cold cases. One such case is the 20-year-old “Cinderella Murder.” Susan Dempsey, a UCLA theater student with a talent for computer programming, missed her father’s birthday party to audition for a part in director Frank Parker’s latest film, but she never made it to the audition. Her body was found the next day in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon Park, 10 minutes from Parker’s house. Laurie Moran, the producer of Under Suspicion, decides to bring all the potential suspects together with Susan’s friends and family to see whether new evidence will come to light. The plot occasionally stumbles—Laurie’s romance with Alex Buckley, the criminal defense lawyer who narrates the show, feels shoehorned in—but these few slips do not detract from the authors’ expert grip on their narrative. Agent: Robert B. Barnett, Williams & Connolly. (Nov.)