David Orsini's
Schemes, Disguises, and Traps

Lauren Winters, a young woman from a privileged yet turbulent background, draws Bryce Thompson, an angry and bitter man, into a scheme that eventually includes more than one hundred million dollars as well as murder. Bryce Thompson is her lover. But he is unacceptable as a potential husband, because of a past that has been defined by early poverty and later tarnished by scandal. To secure her inheritance, Lauren must marry a man from her own class. She plans to marry Aaron Dowling, a minister’s son who has won the respect of his wealthy uncle, Liam, and is on his way up. According to the plan that Lauren and Bryce devise, Bryce will murder Aaron a year after his marriage to Lauren. He will make the murder look like the work of a robber. Eventually, Lauren and Bryce will begin a new life in Hawaii. When Lauren unexpectedly falls in love with Aaron, the plan becomes a scenario of disguise, betrayal, and revenge. Aaron proves to be as devious as Lauren and just as dangerous as Bryce. A further complication involves Liam’s son and Aaron’s cousin, Gavin Dowling, who closely resembles Aaron and in some ways is his alter ego and nemesis. Gavin stands in the way of Aaron’s receiving his inheritance in a timely manner. Only if Gavin dies early will Aaron receive the hundred million dollars that Liam has left him. Otherwise, he has to wait fifteen years before he gets the money. The clause in the will becomes a temptation for Aaron. If Gavin died, Aaron would quickly become a very rich man. Now Lauren weaves a double plot. She persuades Aaron to arrange an incident in which Bryce, believing that he is killing Aaron, will murder Gavin instead. What finally happens is filled with tension and violence.