The dead hour

In the brilliant sequel to "Field of Blood, " reporter Paddy Meehan is riding high on the success of solving the Brian Wilcox case. Then she meets a mysterious blonde who later turns up dead. Paddy Meehan is thrilled with her new job: working the police beat at the newspaper. Responding to a late night call, she arrives at an elegant villa, where a calm blonde woman with blood on her mouth answers the door. The woman has already convinced the police to leave, and soon Paddy realizes how: she slips fifty dollars into Paddy's hand and begs her to keep the incident-whatever it is-out of the press. The next morning, Paddy sees the lead news story: The woman has been murdered. Soon after, the body of a suicide is pulled from the river. Was the blonde more than just a spoiled trophy wife? Are the two deaths related? In pursuit of answers, Paddy is drawn into a web of violence and greed.