Elizabeth has just been through a particularly nasty breakup, and now she's ready to leave her friends and memories behind as she chases her dreams across the country. In order to support herself on her journey, Elizabeth picks up a series of waitress jobs along the way. As Elizabeth crosses paths with a series of lost souls whose yearnings are even greater than her own, their emotional turmoil ultimately helps her gain a greater understanding of her own problems...

Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife.

A newlywed couple seek revenge after narrowly surviving a savage attack in rural Louisiana.

Scudder is a detective with the Sheriff's Department who is forced to shoot a violent suspect during a narcotics raid. The ensuing psychological aftermath of this shooting worsens his drinking problem and this alcoholism causes him to lose his job, as well as his marriage.

George Hackett suffers from a recurring dream. His problem is solved by an unconventional psychiatrist. When Hackett tries to help a friend with the same technique, things don't work out. Adapted from a short story by Lawrence Block.

A boyfriend and girlfriend go camping for the weekend and run into an escaped convict.

Bernice "Bernie" Rhodenbarr is a burglar by trade, and she runs a bookstore as well. Her friend Carl Hefler is a dog groomer. After a successful burglary, it's discovered that a dead body was in the house she burgled. As she's the only one who can be placed at the scene of the crime, she has to use her criminal skills to clear her name of the murder AND avoid getting charged with the burglary.