Erica Spindler's "Breakneck"

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Erica Spindler is the New York Times bestselling author of over two dozen novels, including Last Known Victim, Copycat, Killer Takes All, See Jane Die, Dead Run and Bone Cold.

Here she shares some casting ideas about a big screen adaptation of 2009's Breakneck:

Breakneck, starring Meryl Streep as Detective Kitt Lundgren and Sandra Bullock as Detective M.C. Riggio- partners on the hunt for a killer more heartless and elusive than any monster they have faced before.

Portraying strong women with delicate balance and humanity, these actors’ toughness and vulnerability are equally believable. While I’m writing, I do form pictures of the characters in my mind, but those images are also of my own creation, blank identities that are shaped as the story develops. These two are nearly exact profiles of what I pictured.

MC is strapped with plenty of the emotional drama in Breakneck, and Sandra Bullock is brilliant for the role. Her strength is palpable, yet hints at a raw nerve just below the surface. MC’s partner, Kitt, has earned her wisdom through mistakes, her tenacity by losing everything and building it back again with sheer will. With her soft yet formidable presence, Meryl Streep is a great match.

As the body count rises, one kill hits MC close to home. Her young cousin Sam Mariano (Shia LaBeouf- love his youthful charm and earnest sincerity) decides to enlist himself as a junior sleuth in the investigation . While Sam is able to persuade the jittery Zoe- spooked by the recent killings targeting coeds like herself- into offering some insight into the case, the two may be more of a liability than any help. Hayden Panettiere could certainly deliver the stubbornness of spirit that Zoe puts on the table.

At the heart of this fast-paced thriller is the relationship between two headstrong women as they struggle to balance their dual roles, to learn to trust, and to walk the fine line between upholding the law — and taking it into their own hands. As M.C.’s life is ripped at the seams and Kitt fights to rebuild her marriage, a murderer is on the verge of striking again.

Unfortunately, I don’t have enough pull in Hollywood to have booked these actors for Breakneck’s video trailer (view at www.ericaspindler.com/videos ). But you can read the smash hit before it ever goes on screen -- Breakneck is available for order now and in stores February 2nd.

Read an excerpt from Breakneck, and learn more about the book and author at Erica Spindler's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue