Libby Hellmann's "A Shot To Die For"

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Libby Fischer Hellmann is the author of the award-winning amateur sleuth series featuring Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman.

Here she develops some ideas about the casting for a film adaptation of the latest volume in the series, A Shot To Die For:

I’m a former film-maker myself, and no one was more surprised when I “came back to words” and wrote four novels. But I haven’t completely given up the ghost – my protagonist, Ellie Foreman, is a documentary film producer, and she’s always producing some sort of show in each book. In fact, I’ve often thought about who might play Ellie and the other characters in the series.

A Shot To Die For is the fourth Ellie book. In it, Ellie is at a rest stop near the resort town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she’s producing a video when she witnesses what appears to be the work of a Chicago-area sniper. She does her best to stay out of the investigation, but when the victim's family prevails upon her to investigate, Ellie feels compelled to do what she can. That decision leads her into the twisted lives of Lake Geneva's gentry, as well as a relationship with one of the suspects that might be amorous — or dangerous.

I think Marisa Tomei would be a wonderful Ellie. Or Ashley Judd. Another good candidate would be Teri Hatcher. As for Jake Foreman, Ellie’s father, I’ve always seen him as Ben Kingsley. By the time they actually get around to making the movie, Dakota Fanning ought to be old enough to play Rachel, Ellie’s daughter. And her new love interest, Luke, should be played with just a touch of the sinister by Clive Owen or Daniel Craig.

Read more about Libby Hellmann's novels and short stories at her website. She also blogs at "The Outfit."

The Page 69 Test: A Shot To Die For.

--Marshal Zeringue