Miss Sarah Wylde is a successful writer of mysteries who takes up residence in the sleepy little community of Christina Lake. She has left the hustle and bustle of San Francisco to find an idyllic spot to overcome a case of writer's block. As her agent is expecting a new book, Sarah hopes that the change of environment will do her good. For unexpected reasons, Christina Lake turns out to be the perfect remedy for her next bestseller.
Sarah gets inspired by her nextdoor neighbor, a big hunk named Michael Ellory, who is the son of the town's wealthiest captain of industry. By ogling Michael and photographing him secretly, Sarah is transported to write that "after such a long, long time, I feel totally alive." Then, Michael is unceremoniously murdered, his body washing up from the local reservoir. Surprisingly, Sarah is fingered as the number one suspect. As art imitates life, she how has a ready-made narrative for her book! But she also must prove her innocence.
In "The Boy Next Door," the police reach a new level of incompetency. The small police force fails to take seriously the evidence that Sarah produces, including photographs and a list of substantial debts incurred by Michael that she found on a scrap of paper. Instead, the police confiscate Sarah's laptop and believe that the draft of her fictional story is incriminating evidence.
At this point, Sarah takes charge by drawing on her storehouse of knowledge about crime. She conducts her own investigation that leads to a shady mayor whose wife was sleeping with Michael. The key to unraveling the mystery may be the black Mustang driven by someone intent on chasing Sarah down and possibly killing her.
In addition to the quick-thinking Sarah, there were other intriguing secondary characters in the film. The husband-and-wife proprietors of a local book store help Sarah run down clues. Lewis, the convivial owner of a coffee shop has a photographic memory of the kinds of coffee drunk by his regulars. This will figure in solving the mystery. Even the gossipy neighbor Marie, who will never let Sarah forget that she gave her some delicious muffins, helps to evoke the small-town feeling that has been the source of America's next number one book in the area of crime drama.
Sarah gets inspired by her nextdoor neighbor, a big hunk named Michael Ellory, who is the son of the town's wealthiest captain of industry. By ogling Michael and photographing him secretly, Sarah is transported to write that "after such a long, long time, I feel totally alive." Then, Michael is unceremoniously murdered, his body washing up from the local reservoir. Surprisingly, Sarah is fingered as the number one suspect. As art imitates life, she how has a ready-made narrative for her book! But she also must prove her innocence.
In "The Boy Next Door," the police reach a new level of incompetency. The small police force fails to take seriously the evidence that Sarah produces, including photographs and a list of substantial debts incurred by Michael that she found on a scrap of paper. Instead, the police confiscate Sarah's laptop and believe that the draft of her fictional story is incriminating evidence.
At this point, Sarah takes charge by drawing on her storehouse of knowledge about crime. She conducts her own investigation that leads to a shady mayor whose wife was sleeping with Michael. The key to unraveling the mystery may be the black Mustang driven by someone intent on chasing Sarah down and possibly killing her.
In addition to the quick-thinking Sarah, there were other intriguing secondary characters in the film. The husband-and-wife proprietors of a local book store help Sarah run down clues. Lewis, the convivial owner of a coffee shop has a photographic memory of the kinds of coffee drunk by his regulars. This will figure in solving the mystery. Even the gossipy neighbor Marie, who will never let Sarah forget that she gave her some delicious muffins, helps to evoke the small-town feeling that has been the source of America's next number one book in the area of crime drama.