Eight weeks ago, 30-year old Daphne Goodney stabbed her three children to death with a kitchen knife She had just turned the weapon on herself when she was apprehended by the police. Did she do it deliberately, or is she insane? District Attorney Mike Musoli has charged her with murder because, “not everyone who has psychological problems commits a crime.” His assistant -- Lauren Hanson, whom he has appointed to prosecute the case – appears to have a few psychological problems of her own! She fairly seethes with rage, insisting that the murders were deliberate and the suicide attempt was faked. Gino D’Angelo – a reporter for news-radio station WMLT, with an elderly Cocker Spaniel for a companion and a taste for jazz and opera – has covered the case since the first morning of the New Year, when a report of a disturbance in the area known as Poverty Row came blasting over the newsroom’s police scanner. When he learns that his friend, attorney Valerie Valente, has known Daphne since high school, and has now been retained to defend her, Gino sets out to learn the truth about the woman who was last heard telling her oldest child that they were “all going to heaven together.” Using a combination of investigative reporting, a bit of brazenness, sheer luck, and a piece of information supplied by a the man who founded the first radio station in Mohawk County back in 1939, Gino and Valerie manage to piece together a scenario worthy of a Greek tragedy. But, does it all add up to a finding of insanity? Could Mike Musoli and Lauren Hanson be right after all? The answer comes at the end of a devastating day in court, as the two attorneys battle over Daphne’s fate while her still-grieving husband struggles to understand what happened and why, and Gino and his media colleagues look on with a mixture of sorrow, shock, and horror. Along the way, Gino interviews a homophobic writer who talks like Foghorn Leghorn and claims to channel God Himself, covers several court cases ranging from a grandmother’s death at the hands of a drunk driver to the arraignment of a juvenile who may be responsible for the torture- murder of two young women, and courts the news anchor from a TV station in the next county; or is she courting him?

When two bodies are discovered in the trunk of a burning car, reporter Gino D’Angelo is assigned to cover the story. He and fellow reporter Arlene Hoggart, along with their attorney friend Valerie Valente – all of whom readers may remember from Santacroce’s debut novel, “Cracks” – are soon involved in a double murder that seems to be baffling the police, until a clue from a surprising source leads to some suspenseful, high-energy courtroom drama. Along the way, Gino and Arlene cover the rise (and fall) of a sleazy porn king, the mayor of Milltown’s insane (and illegal) scheme to save the city from bankruptcy, and a series of arson fires that have been plaguing the area known as Poverty Row for the past two years. As if this weren’t enough, the two reporters also begin to sort out their feelings for one another.

What does it take to ruin your career and your life ? Most people think a person would have to do something truly awful to lose their entire professional reputation in a single incident. But for a small crowd of Utica academics and artists, it only takes a single word.

What really happens when you practice witchcraft? Brenda thinks she's found the answer to the loneliness and disappointment she's been feeling since her divorce. All she has to do is embrace Wicca and follow the path of the witch. She soon begins casting her cares away as she casts her spells. But who is Brenda really serving? Who really shows up when you announce your intention to manipulate the world to your will?

Heidi turns to a chat room to help cope with the pain of her recent divorce. While chatting as "Adalee," she meets another lonely chatter. But are things as they seem?

Utica musician Quin Sartini loves hearing from local fans offline and online. But not every "fan" has good intentions.

Heather Toth thought her new job would just be a fun side hustle, something to bring in extra cash while getting a chance to work with the love of her life. But fifty-something Heather feels like she's back in high school. Shouldn't the bullies have outgrown choosing targets by now?