Sandra Brown's White Hot

Sar Hoyle, a successful interior designer in San Francisco, receives news that her brother Danny has died in a tragic fishing accident. She returns to her Louisiana home for the first time in ten years, having fled a decade prior to escape her tyrannical father, Huff Hoyle, the head of Hoyle Enterprises. Upon arrival, she is met by Beck Merchant, the firm's general counsel, who encourages her to reconcile with her father. However, Sar is immediately skeptical of the 'accident' because Danny hated fishing and guns. Her suspicions are confirmed when she hears a voicemail from Danny mentioning he 'caught something big' at their childhood 'pirate hide-out' and meets Danny's girlfriend, Jessica, who believes he was murdered. Sar begins her own investigation, visiting the fishing camp where Danny died. Despite Sheriff Harper's claims of a thorough search, Sar finds a matchbook from a new nightclub, 'The Green Rooster,' suggesting someone else was present. She learns of a recent industrial accident involving a worker named Billy Pollack, who died in a suspicious car crash after threatening to expose the company. Sar discovers that Danny had been looking into Pollack's death and an even older case: the death of Sonny Holzer, a foreman who died 20 years ago. As Sar digs deeper, she is harassed by Slap Watkins, a former employee, and faces increasing hostility from her brother Chris, who is jealous of the attention Sar receives from their father. When Huff suffers a heart attack during a police questioning, the family dynamic fractures further. Sar realizes that Sheriff Harper is in Huff's pocket and likely helped cover up both Pollack's and Danny's deaths. Slap Watkins eventually corners Sar, claiming Harper killed Danny to keep him quiet about Pollack's murder. Before Slap can provide more evidence, Harper kills him in a staged shootout. Sar eventually locates a hidden surveillance camera Danny had installed at the fishing camp. The footage reveals Sheriff Harper murdering Danny. In a final confrontation at the Hoyle estate, a shocking twist is revealed: Beck Merchant is actually the son of Sonny Holzer, the man Huff killed 20 years ago. Beck has spent years undercover, infiltrating the family to find proof of Huff's crimes. Chris admits to orchestrating Danny's murder through Harper to protect the company's reputation. The film concludes with Huff and Chris being arrested for their respective roles in the murders of Holzer, Pollack, and Danny. Sar and Beck, having found justice for their loved ones, decide to pursue a future together in San Francisco.