True Detective meets Sharp Objects. When reporter Levi Cole returns to his rural Texas hometown to help a colleague and married ex-girlfriend report on a ritualistic murder, he finds out he’s caught in a deep conspiracy that will force him to examine the nature of power and justice.

Suspense / Thriller, Mystery, Detective, Crime, Political,,Suspense/Thriller

Political reporter Levi Cole is forced out of his cushy job in Dallas by anonymous tipsters who highlight fabrications in his old stories. He returns home to regroup and win back a married ex-coworker, Kat Hallaway, by helping her cover the grisly murder of a girl in his rural Texas hometown.

After Kat is kidnapped by a murderous psychopath and killed during a gunfight in a ghost town, Levi turns dark and begins plotting his revenge by teaming up with a corrupt local U.S. congressman in a plot to reach the Governor's mansion in Austin.

The Texas Panhandle and Dallas

No

Overcoming Monster/Villain,,Tragedy

Twist,,Philosophical Questions

Extreme Violence, Incest, Language/Profanity, Nudity, Sexual Abuse, Substance Abuse,Sexual Abuse, Language/Profanity,Incest

Name: Levi Cole

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Secretive, Charming, Complex, Confident, Desperate, Engaging, Manipulative, Narcissistic,Seductive,Desperate,Confident

Name: Kat Hallaway

Age: 33

Gender: Female

Role: Emotional

Key Traits: Badass, Beautiful, Desperate, Sarcastic, Outspoken, Seductive, Sexy, Aggressive, Blunt, Complex, Educated, Engaging, Unapologetic,Aggressive,Sarcastic,Funny,Skillful,Sexy

Name: Ace Anderson

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Role: antagonist

Key Traits: Secretive, Charming, Confident, Funny, Leader, Masculine, Narcissistic,Masculine,Charming,Confident,Decisive,Leader,Manipulative,Skillful,Narcisstic,Villainous

Name: Shawn Nichols

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Role: Antagonist

Key Traits: Uneducated, Aggressive, Complex, Skillful, Narcissistic, Secretive, Unapologetic, Villainous, Crazy, Criminal, Manipulative

This story is a perfect blend of True Detective (first and third seasons) and Sharp Objects: a southwestern noir with complex, flawed characters examining a ritualistic murder in a small town. Deep Background is also a timely look at political corruption and how it can manifest at a local level. It would also fill the void that's been left by Gillain Flynn adaptations. Like the aforementioned titles, this story is screaming to be adapted into a limited series on a paid or streaming service. The ending provides a twist that could lead to a second season but also works as it's own version of journalism winning out.

Rick Treon is the award-winning author of Deep Background and the Bartholomew Beck thriller series, including the novel Let the Guilty Pay and prequel novella Live with the Truth. His short story, The Other Man's Daughter, was published in the Texas High Plains Writers 2020 centennial anthology, With Words We Weave: Celebrating the Past. Rick's essays have been syndicated across Gannett Media and featured on literary websites The Thrill Begins and BestThrillers.com. He has also written for journalism nonprofit Big If True. Prior to writing fiction, Rick worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers in Texas. His journalism career began at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as sports editor of The Daily Texan. He later worked for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Amarillo Globe-News and The Kerrville Daily Times.

Age: 18-34,35-54,55+

Target Gender: Universal

Information not completed

Status: Yes: with a Publisher

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Year Published: 2018

Yes

978-1684331673