Chapter 1:
* Summary: Detective Peter Decker introduces the murder of wealthy businessman, Rexford Anders. Peter suspects Anders's wife, Marilyn, due to her suspicious behavior and financial motives.
* Real Example: In the real-life murder case of Irene Garza, the prosecutor suspected the priest of the Catholic church she attended due to inconsistencies in his alibi and evidence of inappropriate behavior towards her.
Chapter 2:
* Summary: Decker investigates Anders's business dealings and uncovers financial discrepancies and shady relationships. He also discovers that Marilyn had a previous marriage that ended in her husband's mysterious death.
* Real Example: In the Enron scandal, investigators uncovered fraudulent accounting practices and offshore shell companies that helped conceal the company's massive debts.
Chapter 3:
* Summary: Decker delves deeper into Marilyn's past and learns about her troubled childhood and relationship with her father. He suspects that her father may have abused her, leading to her current manipulativeness and cunning.
* Real Example: In the case of Casey Anthony, prosecutors argued that she had a history of psychological problems due to childhood sexual abuse, which influenced her actions in the murder of her daughter.
Chapter 4:
* Summary: Decker interviews Marilyn's relatives and former friends, gathering information about her personality and potential motives. He discovers that she is known for her charm and intelligence, but also for her ruthlessness and secretiveness.
* Real Example: In the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, the prosecution presented evidence of Simpson's history of domestic violence and his volatile relationship with Nicole Brown, arguing that these factors played a role in her murder.
Chapter 5:
* Summary: Decker and his team surveil Marilyn, hoping to catch her in the act of committing a crime or providing incriminating evidence. They observe her meeting with a mysterious man and witness her stashing something in a storage unit.
* Real Example: In the case of Ted Bundy, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance on Bundy, following him and monitoring his activities to gather evidence of his crimes.
Chapter 6:
* Summary: Decker obtains a search warrant for the storage unit and discovers a cache of weapons, including a rifle that matches the murder weapon used to kill Rexford Anders. Marilyn is arrested and charged with murder.
* Real Example: In the prosecution of drug kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, law enforcement seized and analyzed evidence from his hideouts, including firearms, electronic devices, and personal documents, which helped to convict him of multiple crimes.
Chapter 7:
* Summary: The trial begins, and Decker presents the evidence against Marilyn, including the murder weapon, her financial troubles, and inconsistencies in her statements. Marilyn's defense attorney attempts to discredit Decker and cast doubt on the prosecution's case.
* Real Example: In the trial of Scott Peterson, the prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including cell phone records and forensic evidence, to build a case against him for murdering his pregnant wife, Laci.
