Mastermind: A True Story of Obsession, Survival, and Justice

by Lou Raguse

A crime scene investigator in a heated custody battle is shot while picking up her son, and the only person who wants her dead—her ex, a respected taekwondo master—has an airtight alibi.

Tim Amacher never wanted to let Nicki Lenway go. Upon losing his control of her, Tim shifted his focus to taking away the most important thing in the world to Nicki—their son. A mother would die to protect her child, and in this tumultuous tale detailing a dark obsession, Nicki, a crime scene investigator, must use all of her resources to protect her family. Will her colleagues on the police force be able to sort through the lies, control, and deception to prove who is involved in the plot to murder Nicki? Or will Tim be able to realize his vengeance before he can be stopped?

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 10, 2026

About the author

Lou Raguse is a journalist based in Minnesota specializing in crime and courts. Since 2005, he’s reported for local NBC, CBS, and FOX affiliates in Minnesota, New York, Arizona, and South Dakota.

Early in his career, Raguse developed a niche for crime reporting and has covered national cases such as the murder of George Floyd and the resulting trials, the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the kidnapping and escape of thirteen-year-old Jayme Closs.

Besides countless regional Emmys and other broadcast news awards, Raguse produced an eight-part podcast on the Closs case, 88 Days: The Jayme Closs Story, which won an Edward R. Murrow award and was a top-ten performer on the iTunes podcast charts.

Outside of work, Raguse loves backyard barbeques with his family, playing fantasy football, and hunting down vintage Star Wars toys for his two kids.