Design Crime

Versace. The very name conjures up images of outrageous glamour and bold sexuality, opulence and daring. All of course true, but only half the story. Versace is also the legacy of a great creative genius from a poor, backward part of southern Italy who transformed the fashion world through his intuitive understanding of both women and how a changing culture influenced the way they wanted to dress. House of Versace shows how Gianni Versace, with his flamboyant sister Donatella at his side, combined his virtuosic talent and extraordinary ambition to help create celebrity culture.

Lurking beneath the progressive activism and sex positivity in the 1970 to '80s, a dark undercurrent of violence rippled across the American landscape. With reported cases of sexual assault and homicide on the rise, the FBI created a specialized team - the “Mindhunters”, better known as the Behavioral Science Unit - to track down the country's most dangerous criminals. And yet narrowing down a seemingly infinite list of potential suspects seemed daunting at best and impossible at worst - until Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess stepped on the scene.

The discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a Miami beach chair) naturally piques Dexter's curiosity and Miami’s finest realize they’ve got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business.

As the Kiwi summer draws to a close, a family outing to the beach takes a deadly turn when a lifeless body washes up on shore. Grace is devastated to recognize the victim, Ricky, who worked in her friend’s bakery. But when the supposed drowning victim is rolled over, a shocking truth is revealed—he was murdered. Drawn into finding the murderer of the cheerful baker, Grace picks at the tangled web of secrets that surrounded Ricky.

Freelance graphic designer Remi Painter is fresh off of another close brush with death. To re-focus, he enters a design contest that promises some notice and a cash award. He shows to the event, where he expects to receive the coveted honor. Remi hopes that his story of persistence in the field and quality competition, despite his condition, epilepsy, will inspire those in attendance. Just as Remi is preparing to accept his honor and tell his story, however, he has one of the worst seizures he's ever had.

Looking back on his career, freelance graphic designer Remi Painter is proud of his many contributions. There are occasional days, however, where he wonders how life without epilepsy might have gone. Whether it would have been quite the fight. For that matter, whether it is time to try something new. What if a treatment for epilepsy already exists out there somewhere? It's an innocent question, a deep longing for Remi and many others with seizures. Until the day he happens upon a remedy no one is meant to discover.

Tired of staring at the blank page? Have you lost your way through your story's second act? Want a road-map for your Nanowrimo novel? Struggle no more. The Plot Machine: Crime builds on the story-design principles of The Plot Machine, focusing on the most popular crime genres: caper, revenge, thriller, investigation, and legal. The unique characteristics of each genre are described as well as a step-by-step approach to their plotting. All genres are not the same. Each has its own plotting requirements. Crank up The Plot Machine: Crime, and design better crimes faster.

Hearkening back to classic series like Lux Radio Theatre and Mercury Theatre On the Air, The Mutual Stage presents all-new adaptations of films and stage plays sourced from the public domain. Director/producer Pete Lutz has assembled an Oscar-worthy cast to bring you his adaptation of the hit 1963 film Charade. Get set for comedy, adventure, and romance as we tell the story of a recent widow whose husband stole a quarter of a million dollars. Now his partners want that money back!

Jogging through Chicago's Lincoln Park, Dr. John Caleb comes upon a group of fanatics setting a police car on fire - with the officer inside. Caleb rescues the man but as Chicago heats up in the most brutal summer on record, it becomes clear that this is the first of a series of deadly arsons. As Detective John Thinnes races to find the culprit and Dr. Caleb sets a trap for a murderer, both men are nearly incinerated in the killer's final act.