Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Bonnie Von Stein survived. Lieth was not so lucky. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired to have her and her husband killed. Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead guilty and testified at the trial of James Upchurch, who was convicted and sentenced to die. Several years later, however, his sentence was vacated and Upchurch is now serving a life sentence.

While heading to the town where his sister, Marci, lives, big-city banker Bill Campbell is robbed by a woman who takes everything he has, including his clothes and a business document worth millions of dollars. Bill eventually reunites with Marci, who is in a tizzy because she thinks their stepfather has been killed. While trying to determine if his sister is right, Bill must also get back his valuable paperwork.

Nick writes a scathing biography of feared Russian mobster Ivan the Terrible that threatens to destroy the hit man's world, leading to an all-out war between the two men that culminates in torture and murder.

A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.