The Perfect Marriage

Jessica and James Sommers, the happily married couple at the center of this intriguing thriller from Mitzner (A Matter of Will), are grateful for the luxurious Manhattan lifestyle that James’s job as an art dealer provides them. Jessica’s teenage son from a previous marriage, Owen, has survived a serious bout with leukemia, and James has developed a close relationship with him. Then on a visit to the pediatric oncologist, tests show Owen’s cancer has recurred. The Sommers can’t afford the treatment that offers them their one hope, which their insurance won’t cover because it’s experimental. Desperate, James enters into a shady art deal with Reid Warwick. That same day, Jessica visits James’s office, only to find her husband has been murdered. Lt. Gabriel Velasquez of the NYPD has several suspects, including Reid, Jessica’s ex-husband, and James’s ex-wife, but he’s stymied. Each suspect has an alibi, and no security footage is available. Blood other than James’s was found at the scene, but the suspects all refuse to give DNA samples. Some tricky legal maneuvering ensues as the suspense builds. Fans of clever police procedurals will be satisfied. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)