Stephen Abell After the death of her police officer husband Detective Mary Ann Cooper - "Coop" - (Fenn) is reluctant to take leave and throws herself into her work, much to the distress of her young daughter. On the night of her husband's death, he was called out to a domestic disturbance at a local writer's home. Sharing his thoughts about the man and the situation with Coop, she is left with the impression that the writer is not to be trusted. So when she hears about a possible murder at the house she rushes to the crime scene and inserts herself into the case. This is where the twists and turns begin.This is a very clever mystery tale. However, there are times when it feels as though the writer, Lindsay James (Keith Shaw) struggles with some of the plot twists and their culmination. Which is a shame as it adds a sloppiness to the project. Though the courtroom scene is very well structured as you get to see how a writers mind can rework the facts to meet a different scenario. Loved this section of the story. Then you get the ending which feels rushed and spoils the mood and aura of the film.The director, George Mendeluk, is adept at creating atmosphere, though a little more tension at times wouldn't have gone amiss. Also, a change of pace would have been good. There are a couple of scenes that would have improved from a different approach, especially the two in the woods.I liked Fenn as the cop on a mission, she did well in portraying her. Fenn has had a lot of hits and misses in her career, this one is a hit. The rest of the cast also do a good job with their characterisations. Though, I wouldn't have chosen Regehr to play the writer, Seth Harmon. This character calls for a cool and cocky air to him, Regehr gets nowhere near to these traits. Then when he starts to break, Regehr struggles with pulling off this psychological side. Though, this could be what the director envisioned and asked for. However, I cannot help but think how much better the film would have been with a stronger bad guy.This is a movie I'd recommend all mystery and thriller fans and whodunnit pundits to watch, at least once. Once the plot twists have been exposed then the power of the film has been expunged.

a_chinn Laughably bad Lifetime Channel thriller about determined cop Sherilyn Fenn trying to prove that a famous mystery writer is actually a murderer. Oh, and Fenn's character is an aspiring mystery writer herself who also happens to be getting over the recent death of her husband. This made-for-cable movie has so many cliches I can't even begin to list them all (a detective told to lay off the case, a defendant serving as their own attorney in court, a cop having their badge taken away, etc. and so on and so forth). The only reason I watched this film is that I'd set my DVR to record anything Sherilyn Fenn appears in, and although she does her best with what she's got, this film is a mess beyond saving. And full disclosure, I watched this film on my iPad picture-in-picture, which is really all it deserved.

yawnoc13 Spoilers beware, readers. Every film student, every future film maker, should run out and locate a copy of this movie. It is a masterpiece of inept, hole ridden, movie making of the very worst kind. Yes, grab a copy of this utterly absurd piece of far fetched junk and it will demonstrate, as you sit with you jaw dropping towards the floor, how not to make a movie! The acting is in a class of it's own. See the mad writer go to pieces (along with the plot). See the henchman who is only short of being called Igor! Or is that Egor? See the near retirement chubby cop allow the defective detective into the evidence room without supervision thus allowing her to liberate valuable evidence from the cop shop. See the worst use of a E. Hemingway photo in the history of visual storytelling. I could go on but please discover for yourselves the many delights this gem contains, it may not make you happy but it will certainly make you a better film-maker-writer. Enjoy!

terirec Presumed Dead starred Actor Duncan Regehr as crime-writer Seth Harmon.In the opening scene Seth was seen chasing after Paige with a bloody kitchen knife. Then Seth was charged with Paige's murder by Detectives, Seth testified in his own defense and was found innocent. Paige was actually being hidden in the woods by Seth, his chauffeur Tyson and a hunter, The detective who believed that Seth had been guilty didn't give up trying to prove his guilt. Paige confides in one of the Detectives named Maryanne that Seth had killed her mother, and that Paige had actually written a book that Seth took the credit for. It was presumed that Paige was dead so I believe that the title fits,