Lisa Black's "Defensive Wounds"

Lisa Black is a real-life CSI and latent print examiner, and her character, Theresa MacLean, holds her old job at the coroner’s office in Cleveland, Ohio. Defensive Wounds is her fourth outing and involves a serial killer working at a defense attorney’s convention at the same hotel at which Theresa’s daughter has a summer job and has met a young man who may prove to be extraordinarily dangerous.

Here’s what she says about casting Defensive Wounds:

My first choice for Theresa has always been Julianne Moore. Beautiful without it being distracting and a little more intelligent than those around her would prefer at times. But I would also love my overall favorite Rachael Weisz, provided she could do a convincing American accent.

Since the action takes place at a convention where defense attorneys keep turning up dead, the set is a hotel—not the most exciting backdrop. But several pivotal scenes take place on the outside observation deck of the iconic Cleveland landmark the Terminal Tower, seven hundred feet up with sweeping views of the city and lake.

Homicide detective Frank Patrick is both the quintessential police detective, down to the mustache, but he is also Theresa’s first cousin so they have a very personal relationship. Timothy Hutton from Leverage might be good, provided someone combs his hair (they don’t, on Leverage). Or maybe Chris Bauer from season 2 of The Wire, though in that case I would have some very un-platonic-cousin-like feelings toward him.

His partner, the understated Angela Sanchez, unfortunately doesn’t get enough to do in the story to attract a well-known actress like Zoe Saldana or Sarah Shahi.

I’m not sure who to nominate for eighteen-year-old daughter Rachael, since I tend to avoid shows with teenagers in them. I love Molly Quinn, who plays the ridiculously perfect child Alexis on Castle, but her coloring isn’t quite right and she’s too sweet. Rachael isn’t flat-out sullen, but has that mercurial moodiness of the average teenage girl.

And as for detective Neil Kelly, to whom Theresa finds herself unexpectedly attracted, none other than the actor I wrote the part for—Mark Sheppard, whose career I have been following since he played firestarter Caretaker Bob in an X-Files episode. He’s been a guest or recurring star in everything lately from Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, Burn Notice, Warehouse 13, Supernatural, to 24, etc. etc. etc. A cutie with an edge, too charming to ever fully trust.

Yeah, this would be a pretty cool movie!

Learn more about the book and author at Lisa Black's website.

My Book, The Movie: Trail of Blood.

The Page 69 Test: Trail of Blood.

Writers Read: Lisa Black.

--Marshal Zeringue