Brief

A guilty serial killer on death row can't wait to get his hands around the neck of the beautiful attorney who's trying to set him free. However, as one might think, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

What We Liked

This is a strong revenge thriller with a touch of horror, thanks to the constant tension and contained
setting of the prison. Viewers would be hooked by the story from the start: why would a beautiful
attorney want to help a guilty and clearly deranged man get out of prison? The pace moves quickly
thanks to Jessica’s surprising and snappy plan, which the viewer only finds out about towards the last
half of the story. The small cast also helps the viewers keep up with the quick pace.
Film: The contained setting of the story and continual momentum gives potential for a solid film. The
thrilling revenge aspects would draw a wide demographic of (adult) audiences. The central pair and
their bonding over dangerous circumstances would also attract top casting.
TV: The story would be suited for a TV series since the central relationship between Tobias and
Jessica could be developed over multiple episodes. The prolonged format allows for viewers to take
a deeper dive into the events in the show. The viewer could develop more attachment to the story,
finding out how Tobias became the way he is and why Jessica is so intent on helping him.

Synopsis

Tobias Butler spends his time in prison for torturing and killing a family of four - a crime he very much
enjoyed committing. Waiting for his time to arrive, Tobias has made many enemies - his cellmate,
Rooster - an innocent man stuck in prison, who seems to have a big heart, and is reluctantly part of a
gang of Latinos - believes he can trust Tobias with his secrets, but Tobias truly doesn’t care about
anybody else except himself. He is a menacing loner who bids his time in prison reading letters from
people who either want to save his soul or condemn him. He is intrigued when he receives a letter and
photo from a young, beautiful lawyer named Jessica Phang. She wants to get him a re-trial and free
him from prison, but that’s not all — she has feelings for him that she wants to pursue by meeting in
person.
Over a series of letters and visits, Tobias plays along with Jessica and tells her the things he thinks
she wants to hear. Tobias fantasizes about how he will kill her — just as he killed various other
women in his life — and what he will do with the money he’ll take from her in order to begin a new life.
By sharing stories of his childhood with a single drug-addicted mother who let people perform horrific
acts on Tobias as a little boy, he reels Jessica in. She prepares information to show that he’s
innocent, gets him a new court date, and sends him money to make his life easier in prison. Their
letters become more personal and full of love. He asks her for favors, such as having his cellmate
removed; that removal ultimately leads to Rooster being killed by a rival gang member.
Tobias proposes to Jessica, and she accepts. They get married as his court date for a retrial arrives.
Jessica represents Tobias with conclusive evidence, pointing out how the only witness in the case
was an alcoholic. Convinced, the jury acquits him on all the counts he’s facing. To celebrate his
freedom, Jessica arranges a dinner at the finest steakhouse around.
The real motive behind Jessica’s actions becomes known: with her two best pharmacist friends Terri
and Tina, she drugs Tobias and imprisons him in her basement. It turns out Rooster hasn’t been killed
— he’s in on Jessica’s plan, feeding her constant information. As Jessica proceeds to use each of the
ways Tobias tortured his victims as ways to torture him for weeks, she reveals that she is the
daughter of a woman he killed. She has been planning this revenge since she was 12 years old — half
of her live has been focused on torturing Tobias again. Once she’s committed horrific acts upon him,
she leaves him to die in her basement.

About The Author

Jo Michaels is a writer, mother and editor-in-chief at Indie Books Gone Wild. She graduated with a degree in graphic design.