Marina Evans's "The Cheerleader"

Marina Evans is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing. During her time with the Cowboys, she cheered under her maiden name/nickname, Rena Morelli. She lives in Arizona now but thinks about her days in short-shorts often. Death of a Cheerleader (UK title) and The Cheerleader (U.S. title) is her debut thriller.

Here Evans dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

Every author dreams of what a “movie” cast for her book would look like, so this is so much fun! First off, The Cheerleader is a campy, splashy whodunit about fame, ambition, and a gameday murder. We meet Jentry Rae Randall in the prologue—the cheer captain of the Dallas Lonestars who is brutally killed in the locker room moments after she dances on the field. She is blonde, gorgeous, spunky, and positive, and I’m picturing Michelle Randolph of Landman fame for the part.

Then, in the book we have Royce Holt, the upcoming quarterback for the Lonestars. He’s fit, charming, and driven, so I think Austin Butler would be amazing. Then there is Nikki Keegan, an ambitious documentarian who conducts her own under-the-radar investigation of the murder. However, on the side, she is also collecting footage for an unauthorized true crime series. She’s no nonsense, natural, and smart, and I believe Riley Keough would be sensational in this role. Finally, we have our second female protagonist, Shaunette Simmons. She’s a rookie Dallas Lonestars Cheerleader who was best friends with the deceased cheer captain before their horrendous falling out. Jenna Ortega or Rachel Zegler would fit the part perfectly.

As far as a director, I would love to have Greta Gerwig of Barbie fame! She is tuned into the goal of female empowerment, and she’s also an advocate for the struggles of being front-and-center in the digital age. I can always dream!

Visit Marina Evans's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Verlin Darrow's "The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow"

Verlin Darrow is a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Darrow is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow:

Since the protagonist of The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow—Kade Tobin—is the leader of a spiritual community who may or may not have a sketchy background, casting would be challenging. On the one hand, an actor would need to have enough gravitas to make it believable that seekers would follow him and respect his teachings. On the other hand, he’d need to be able to at least hint that there was more to him than just the beneficent guy he seems to be at first. In other words, the part would call for someone who could project complexity—be a bit of a mystery in and of himself. After all, this is a story of murder, and everyone’s a suspect.

I suppose a classically trained English actor well-versed in an American accent would work. Forgetting ages, I’m thinking of people like Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart, and Peter O’Toole. Each of their voices has a commanding or self- assured element, and I respect their abilities to play diverse roles.

The detective who works with Kade—Bill Cullen—could be played by a number of people, including Walton Goggins, Colin Farrell, Vincent D’Onofrio, or Jon Tenney (he was on The Closer, and usually isn’t the main character in films. I picked him because we grew up four houses apart and he has a generic look to him.) I wouldn’t want the detective role played in a distracting, powerhouse fashion, so the actor would need to rein in his performance. Cullen is a slow and steady guy who’s easy to underestimate.

The prosecutor in the extended trail scenes could be played by Rhea Seehorn. It’s easy to settle on just one choice with this one. She portrayed just the right proportions of competence, vulnerability, and showmanship in Better Call Saul.

I’m not sure about the defense attorney. Like Detective Cullen, he’s not impressive at first, but he turns out to be an excellent trial lawyer. We only know him as a member of Kade’s flock for most of the book, complicating the casting. Who could appear to be both spiritual-minded and good at arguing? Beats me.

In The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow, a lot of quirky community members are questioned as suspects. Some examples: an illegal Basque immigrant, an African-American former Buddhist nun, a fugitive hiding out as the community’s chef, and the prosecutor’s daughter. Of course, the details about these folks aren’t known at the outset. I can picture the faces of various character actors who would be right for many of these characters, but I don’t know their names or how to find out.

Visit Verlin Darrow's website.

Writers Read: Verlin Darrow (May 2023).

My Book, The Movie: Murder for Liar.

The Page 69 Test: Murder for Liar.

The Page 69 Test: The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth.

Writers Read: Verlin Darrow (April 2024).

My Book, The Movie: The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sherry Rankin's "The Dark Below"

Sherry Rankin grew up in New Jersey where she became an early and avid reader of mystery fiction. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and currently lives in Abilene, Texas where she has taught writing and literature at a local university for twenty years.

Her novel, Strange Fire, was shortlisted for the 2017 Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize and won the 2017 CWA Debut Dagger Award.

Her debut thriller, The Killing Plains, was published by Thomas & Mercer as a super lead title in February 2025.

Here Rankin dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Dark Below:

The Dark Below is set in a small West Texas town on the northern rim of the Concho Valley—an austere landscape of scrub and cattle, scattered with abandoned Cold War infrastructure and the kinds of memories that never quite stay buried. The body of Chase Loudermilk, a student at the local community college, is discovered in a derelict, flooded missile silo on his family’s property. His death appears to be a suicide, but Teddy Drummond, his criminology professor, is unconvinced.

A former detective with a complicated home life, Teddy quit the force five years ago after a hostage negotiation ended in tragedy. Since then, she’s tried to live quietly—to be a good mother to her two children, to maintain an uneasy truce with her ex-husband, and to avoid the ethical and emotional quagmires she once navigated daily. But she also misses the excitement and sense of purpose police work once gave her.

Chase’s death doesn’t sit right with Teddy, and she allows herself to be drawn into an investigation that forces her to confront old guilt and divided loyalties—and to work alongside the woman who hates her most.

Teddy carries her own deep reservoir of personal grief, which she keeps carefully contained, throwing herself into work at the expense of her relationships. She has sharp professional instincts but feels profoundly uncertain as a mother and a friend. My dream casting for Teddy would be Emily Blunt. She has a rare ability to project intelligence and resolve without hardness, and she excels at conveying inner conflict through stillness and restraint. She could play Teddy as I imagine her—weary, capable, and quietly relentless.

Opposite her is Raina Bragg, Teddy’s former best friend turned bitter adversary. I can easily imagine her played by Kim Dickens—someone who can embody toughness, resentment, and the need to assert authority over a woman she both distrusts and feels eclipsed by, while still carrying a deep undercurrent of moral outrage and private grief.

I’d love to see Paul Dano as Pastor Mark McKissick, and Thomasin McKenzie as Teddy’s strong-willed daughter, Julia. Aaron Eckhart would be a perfect fit for Alan, Teddy’s ex-husband—a man who prides himself on being the “reasonable” parent. And Gary Oldman would do a masterful job as Teddy’s manipulative and alcoholic father, Milton.

Lorraine Toussaint would be ideal in the role of Berna Robles, the town veterinarian and Teddy’s mentor and confidante. She carries authority and restraint effortlessly, and could depict Berna as someone with a deep interior life who rarely feels the need to explain herself. Finally, I’d love to see Teddy’s love interest, Rick Castillo, played by Michael Peña, who could bring a strong, quiet decency to the role.

Visit Sherry Rankin's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Killing Plains.

The Page 69 Test: The Killing Plains.

Q&A with Sherry Rankin.

--Marshal Zeringue

Megan Chance's "The Vermilion Sea"

Megan Chance is the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including Glamorous Notions, A Dangerous Education, A Splendid Ruin, Bone River, and An Inconvenient Wife. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest.

Here Chance dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Vermilion Sea:

The Vermilion Sea was lot of fun to write. It’s not only historical fiction, but it’s also got a bit of paranormal and some horror thrown in for good measure. Given that it all takes place on a specimen-collecting luxury cruise on the Gulf of California, and there’s nowhere for the guests or the scientists to go once things begin to go horribly wrong, it’s a locked-door story as well.

Since we’re dealing with the realms of the fantastic here, and weird creatures and big weird atmosphere energy, for a director, I’m going to pick Guillermo del Toro, though honestly it would have been fun to see what Alfred Hitchcock would have done with the tension in the book as well.

When I was writing, I had distinct actors in mind. For the main female protagonist, marine biologist Billie McKennan, I pictured British actor Emily Beecham, who starred in the Netflix series 1899 (RIP 1899. I loved you with my whole heart). For the character of James Holloway, the rich benefactor and owner of the cruise ship Eurybia, I pictured Dan Stevens. For his wife, Victorine Coustan Holloway, Blake Lively. For the maid, Maud, who is in tune with all things creepy on the ship, I cast Courtney Eaton, who plays the teen Lottie on the series Yellowjackets, and who has a pretty creepy mien of her own. And for Billie’s ex-husband, Roland Ely, I had in mind Luke Pasqualino, from the BBC’s The Musketeers, but with shorter hair. For James Holloway’s best friend, Oliver, honestly, I had no one particular in mind. Readers (and moviegoers) can fill that role however they imagine.

The Gulf of California would be a wonderful and strange place to set a movie. It would be fun to see this book become one.

Visit Megan Chance's website.

My Book, The Movie: A Splendid Ruin.

The Page 69 Test: A Splendid Ruin.

Q&A with Megan Chance.

The Page 69 Test: A Dangerous Education.

My Book, The Movie: A Dangerous Education.

Writers Read: Megan Chance (February 2023).

Writers Read: Megan Chance (January 2025).

My Book, The Movie: Glamorous Notions.

The Page 69 Test: Glamorous Notions.

--Marshal Zeringue

Laura Jensen Walker's "The Alphabet Sleuths"

Bestselling, award-winning author Laura Jensen Walker is the Agatha and Lefty-nominated author of more than 20 books including Murder Most Sweet, Hope, Faith & a Corpse, and Death of a Flying Nightingale.

A rabid Anglophile since being stationed at an RAF base with the USAF in her twenties, Walker lives in Northern California with her Renaissance-man husband and two rescue terriers, where she drinks tea and dreams of England.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Alphabet Sleuths:

“Claire Reynolds hadn’t planned to kill a man that day, but stuff happens.”

In the opening of my mystery featuring four women of a certain age, you meet main character Claire, the C-member of the self-proclaimed Alphabet Girls: Atsuko, Barbara, Claire, and Daphne. When Claire accidentally kills a man who was strangling retired cop Daphne, the gal pals must get rid of the body—a member of the local crime family—without anyone knowing. Especially the police. After Claire discovers another dead body in their California retirement community, the Alphabet Girls become the Alphabet Sleuths to track down the killer.

While writing this story about four women in a retirement community, naturally, TV’s The Golden Girls came to mind. Widowed Claire in her innocence and naïveté, reminded me of Rose, played so wonderfully by Betty White. Except Claire has a silver pixie cut ala Jamie Lee Curtis.

But Jamie Lee is such a badass I’d cast her in the role of retired cop Daphne.

Claire, I see more as a cross between Annie Potts and Mary Steenburgen.

Barbara, the tucked and plucked beautiful blonde beauty queen and retired actress (and the oldest member of the Alphabet Girls) is Jane Fonda all the way.

That leaves the A-member of the group, Atsuko Kimura. An older Michelle Yeoh would be perfect as Atsuko.

I’m a huge old movie buff, so if I was casting this movie during Hollywood’s Golden Years, these are the actresses I’d pick:

Atsuko – Anna May Wong

Barbara – Lana Turner

Claire – toss-up between Irene Dunne and Greer Garson

Daphne – Barbara Stanwyck or Joan Crawford

Visit Laura Jensen Walker's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Will Shindler's "The Bone Queen"

Will Shindler has spent most of his career working as a broadcast journalist for the BBC. He also spent nearly a decade working on a number of British television dramas, working for both the BBC Drama Series Department, and Talkback Thames Television as a writer and script editor. He has been writing novels since 2020, including the five-book critically acclaimed DI Alex Finn series: The Burning Men, The Killing Choice, The Hunting Ground, The Blood Line, and The Cold Case. He currently combines reading news bulletins for BBC Radio London with his novel writing and has previously worked as a presenter for ITV West, a reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and as one of the stadium presenters at the 2012 London Olympics. He lives in London.

Here Shindler dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Bone Queen:

Before I wrote The Bone Queen, all of my novels were police procedurals. I’d always tried to make them as realistic and gritty as possible, so for this book I deliberately set out to do something different. I wanted to write in a new style, to experiment with a different kind of prose and a looser, more atmospheric form of storytelling. Hopefully the hills of Athelsea Island are a little more evocative than the streets of south London, and the line between reality and fantasy a little more blurred. For that reason, when I think about directors, I’m drawn to perhaps someone like Alfonso Cuarón or Guillermo del Toro - which should give you a sense of the tone I’m aiming for!

The story follows Jenna, a recovering alcoholic, as she searches for her runaway teenage daughter, Chloe. The clues she uncovers suggest Chloe may have travelled to the fictional island of Athelsea (with sincere apologies to the Scilly Islands, which I’ve geographically displaced just off the coast of Cornwall). Jenna is accompanied by her glamorous younger sister, Hattie, who is carrying a significant secret of her own.

With my previous books, I’ve never really given much thought to casting. It’s not that I object to the idea, but I find that once you start picturing specific actors, the characters can lose some of their individuality - something I like to preserve while I’m writing. For the purposes of this exercise, though, The Bone Queen has three major female roles which would require some heavyweight casting….

I briefly considered widening the net and casting non-British actors - Sadie Sink as Chloe, for example, was a tempting idea - but in the end I’ve limited myself to a trio of Brits.

For Jenna, I’d want someone who can combine toughness with real vulnerability, so my choice would be the mighty Suranne Jones. For readers outside the UK who might not be familiar with her work, there’s plenty to discover, but I’d particularly recommend the 2009 drama Unforgiven.

There are no shortage of strong contenders for Chloe, Jenna’s teenage daughter, who becomes obsessed with the legend of the Bone Queen. My pick - provided she’d be willing to dye her hair bright pink - would be Florence Hunt, who played Hyacinth in Netflix’s Bridgerton.

And finally, as Jenna’s younger, unflappable sister Hattie, I’d cast Aimee Lou Wood, best known for Sex Education and countless roles since.

So that’s my dream director and dream cast. My only request is that they invite the writer along for the first day of principal photography!

Follow Will Shindler on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mara Williams's "The Epicenter of Forever"

Mara Williams drafted her first novel in third grade on a spiral notebook—a love story about a golden retriever and the stray dog who admired her from beyond the picket fence. Now she writes about strong, messy women finding their way in the world. Williams is the author of The Truth Is in the Detours and The Epicenter of Forever. When not writing or reading, she can be found enjoying California’s beaches, redwoods, and trails with her husband, three kids, and disobedient dog.

Here Williams dreamcasts an adaptation of The Epicenter of Forever:

I don’t begin my drafting process by fan-casting my characters, so it’s always a struggle to develop a cast once the book is written. The characters feel like real, specific people, and it’s easy to eliminate every option due to one slight dissimilarity or another. However, I do visualize the landscape, scenes, and action in my head, often using mood boards along the way to help capture the aesthetics. This book was easier to cast than some of my others, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to envision anyone else as these characters now that I’ve cast it.

Summary: The Epicenter of Forever is about a woman who returns to the scene of her greatest loss to convince her ailing, estranged mother to come home and seek treatment—but instead falls for a man whose identity is anchored to the place that broke her. It’s about romantic and familial love and about healing all the wounds that hold us back.

Scene: Springtime in Grand Trees, California, a fictional town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas with a mountain lake, a summer camp property, and several groves of Giant Sequoias.

Eden Hawthorne (thirty-something former ballerina turned nonprofit fundraiser): It would be a dream to see Rachel Brosnahan in this role. Her comedic timing is incredible, and she has pitch-perfect chemistry with her co-stars and could really sell a love story.

Caleb Connell (thirty-something single dad and jack of all trades): I see Brandon Sklenar as Caleb. He is an impeccable face cast based on physical description and does the best romantic smolder out there.

Cassie Moreno: (thirty-something marketing executive): America Ferrera would play the loyal and unfiltered best friend so well.

Nicolette Hawthorne: (Eden’s mom, sixty-something painter): I would love to see Andie MacDowell in this role. Her elegance and reserve would be just the right fit. She and Rachel Brosnahan would make a dynamic mom/daughter pairing.

Abby Connell (Caleb’s teen daughter): McKenna Grace has the necessary spunk to play the precocious teen.

Len Hawthorne: (Eden’s dad, sixty-something literature professor): Richard Gere would be my dream cast for this role. He has such a literature-professor vibe, with his white hair and glasses, and would play the role of Eden’s soft-spoken dad so well.

Visit Mara Williams's website.

Q&A with Mara Williams.

The Page 69 Test: The Truth Is in the Detours.

My Book, The Movie: The Truth Is in the Detours.

Writers Read: Mara Williams (August 2025).

--Marshal Zeringue

Robert Dugoni's "Her Cold Justice"

Robert Dugoni is a critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author, reaching over 9 million readers worldwide. He is best known for his Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and Her Deadly Game. His novel The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell received Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, and Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. The Washington Post named his nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary a Best Book of the Year.

Dugoni's new novel is Her Cold Justice, the first Keera Duggan title.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

I actually had two actresses in mind to play Keera Duggan when I wrote the first book. Caitriona Balfe, who is Irish-born and is great at playing actors torn between family loyalty and personal demons, both of which are in this series in spades. The other is Claire Foy who often plays smart characters with complicated lives. She also looks like how I imagined Keera Duggan.

I would love to see Idris Elba play JP. His English accent would be perfect, he is the right age and he is brilliant.

And for Patsy Duggan I thought of Albert Finney when I wrote the book, but alas he is gone. Then I saw Brendan Gleeson in an Irish movie and thought, perfect. The two others who would be fantastic are Ray Winstone or Kenneth Cranham. Gleeson and Winston have the physiques to be former boxers, as Patsy was when he was younger. All of them have that burning interior which Patsy displays in the courtroom. Smart and tough as nails.

Visit Robert Dugoni's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: Wrongful Death.

The Page 69 Test: Bodily Harm.

My Book, The Movie: Bodily Harm.

The Page 69 Test: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: The Eighth Sister.

The Page 69 Test: The Eighth Sister.

My Book, The Movie: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: The Last Agent.

My Book, The Movie: The Last Agent.

Q&A with Robert Dugoni.

The Page 69 Test: In Her Tracks.

Writers Read: Robert Dugoni (March 2024).

The Page 69 Test: A Killing on the Hill.

My Book, The Movie: A Killing on the Hill.

The Page 69 Test: Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

My Book, The Movie: Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

Writers Read: Robert Dugoni (October 2024).

--Marshal Zeringue

Laura Carney's "My Father's List"

A writer and magazine copy editor in New York, Laura Carney has been published by the Washington Post, the Associated Press, The Hill, Runner’s World, Good Housekeeping, The Fix, Upworthy, Maria Shriver’s The Sunday Paper, and other places. She has worked as a copy editor in national magazines—primarily women’s—for twenty years, including Vanity Fair, GQ, People, and Good Housekeeping.

Here Carney dreamcasts an adaptation of her memoir, My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free:

My memoir My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free has been optioned for TV and we're still having conversations about it. But when the notion that it might be a movie first came into play, I envisioned Brie Larson playing the role of the newlywed journalist at midlife who lives out the 54 unrealized dreams of her late free-spirited father, who died at the hands of a distracted driver when she was 25. I felt she had the right zaniness, athleticism and depth for the part, and she strikes me as nerdy and intellectual in real life. She also has a certain innocence about her.

As for who might play my dad, I've often felt Jim Carrey would be the right choice, as far as matching my dad's energy. Appearance-wise, someone like Kyle Chandler would be a good fit.

I'm not sure which director I'd like to see do the movie version, but maybe Greta Gerwig?

Oh, and I think Amy Poehler to play my mom and Bill Hader would be a good choice for my husband (though he's expressed he'd prefer Justin Timberlake....because of his amazing dance moves).

Visit Laura Carney's website.

The Page 99 Test: My Father's List.

--Marshal Zeringue

Andromeda Romano-Lax's "What Boys Learn"

Born in Chicago and now a resident of Vancouver Island, Canada, Andromeda Romano-Lax worked as a freelance journalist and travel writer before turning to fiction. Her first novel, The Spanish Bow, was translated into eleven languages and chosen as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, BookSense pick, and one of Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year. Her next four novels, The Detour, Behave (an Amazon Book of the Month), Plum Rains (winner of the Sunburst Award), and Annie and the Wolves (a Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction Book of the Year) reflect her diverse interest in the arts, history, science, and technology, as well as her love of travel and her time spent living abroad. Starting with The Deepest Lake (a Barnes & Noble Monthly Pick and Amazon Book of the Month) and continuing with her new novel, What Boys Learn, Romano-Lax has swerved into the world of suspense fiction, although she continues to write historical and speculative fiction as well.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of What Boys Learn:

To play Abby, my single mother character worried about whether her teenage son was involved in the deaths of two schoolmates, I nominate Elizabeth Olsen (Eternity, WandaVision, Avengers, Love & Death). Abby is struggling, stressed-out, and hopefully sympathetic. She also has a brother in prison and secrets in her past. Ideally, the reader will understand most of her choices yet still wonder if they know the whole story. Olsen manages to pack emotional nuances into every performance. She can be charming, sly, sincere, solemn, or murderous. If she won’t play Abby, I am willing to keep writing characters until we hit upon one that excites her. (Kidding, but I really do love Olsen.)

To play Benjamin, I need a young actor who hold his cards close to his chest—an actor who can seem troubled, duplicitous, nonconformist, intelligent, and either guilty or non-guilty. The Stranger Things actors are getting older but I still think one of the youngest, Noah Schnapp, who played Will Byers, could pull it off. If not him, someone like him—better yet if he’s a complete unknown.

Visit Andromeda Romano-Lax's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Spanish Bow.

The Page 69 Test: The Detour.

Writers Read: Andromeda Romano-Lax (February 2012).

The Page 69 Test: What Boys Learn.

Writers Read: Andromeda Romano-Lax.

--Marshal Zeringue