Chief reporter turned reluctant entertainment columnist, Shayne Winter, is hungry for a hard-hitting headline. All she has to do is convince her grouchy editor at the LA Chronicle to give her a real story; but all he wants her to do is write forgettable snippets and leave the real work to ace reporter, Ben Kosina.

When Hollywood’s hottest starlet, Claudia Gilbert, is found dead, Shayne knows nothing is what it seems. After all, only yesterday Shayne was observing Claudia’s every move, ready to spill the latest celebrity gossip in her column. Shayne discovers Claudia was planning to sneak away on a secret trip, so how did she end up at home, dead?

Despite all evidence pointing to Claudia’s estranged husband being the guilty party, Shayne, unlike Ben, isn’t convinced. Claudia’s whole life and career were orchestrated; couldn’t her death have been too? If Shayne can uncover the truth, she might beat the deadline for a real headline; that is, if she doesn’t end up in the killer’s crosshairs.