Mitchell & Associates

When millionaire Paul Wheeler is murdered, his family retains renowned lawyer Derek Mitchell to defend the victim's nephew Creighton- although the police have not charged the young man with the crime. Wheeler's mistress, Julie Rutledge, who is also a suspect, believes that Creighton is the killer, despite his rock-solid alibi, and she'll do almost anything in her quest to prove his guilt-even ruin Derek's career. But the more Derek learns of Creighton's darker side, especially his bizarre fascination with movie murders, the more he comes to believe Julie is right. The clock ticks down to a shocking ending as Derek and Julie join forces to find the truth. Has Creighton begun reenacting cinema's goriest scenes? And who will be his unwilling costars? They won't know until the final SMASH CUT.

Star author Sandra Brown returns with a suspenseful, sizzling thriller in which a man of dubious character must confront the sins of his past in order to save himself-and those he loves-from a madman. Dodge Hanley, Derek Mitchell's indispensable staff investigator from Smash Cut, returns as Tough Customer's flawed protagonist. Dodge has used shady means of delivering the goods in the past…but when it comes to aiding the daughter of his former lover, real estate mogul Caroline King, his dogged perseverance knows no bounds. Determined to uncover the truth for Caroline and her daughter, Berry, Dodge teams with a small-town sheriff to track down a depraved man who's obsessed with having Berry-or killing her. This time it's not just Dodge's life at risk. He stands to lose his heart.