<p>Dutch O'Brien is one tough cookie.??You have to be if you're a private detective working the not-so-angelic streets of Los Angeles. But after a broken love affair nearly leads to a nervous breakdown， Dutch realizes that even she needs to take a break--so she finds what she thinks is a slow-paced， stress-free job as a technical consultant for the popular TV series， STONE， PRIVATE EYE. But while the TV show is a guaranteed cure for insomnia， life on the set is far from sedate--thanks to arrogant， amorous star Buck Stevens.<br />

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Amy Westin， the young， ambitious actress who plays Buck's daughter on screen， halts their off-screen affair (&quot;If you dusted Amy for prints， you'd find Buck's in all the wrong places&quot;). Buck flies into a rage but remains clearheaded enough to make a play for Dutch. That night， in her apartment， Dutch receives a package from an unknown admirer: a flowered hatbox scented with roses. Inside， wrapped in pink tissue， is Amy Westin's severed head. And a note: &quot;You're next.&quot; <br />

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<em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p>