- A famous author who apparently hanged himself, a charitable gift for helping put a man on death row, a nagging feeling, a health program for the squad room, a suicide chat room, an evasive witness, a mother who insists her son is innocent, and a man who fell from a roof make for another week of mysteries and distractions in Jane's and Maura's investigations.—David Foss
- The squad investigates the apparent suicide of a successful author, Ethan Slater, who is found hanging in his study. Maura notes that the ligature marks around his neck aren't consistent with a suicide. They also note that the manuscript for his new book is missing. They conclude it was a murder. Slater's physician from a stint rehab center is also killed. Det. Frost meanwhile is ill at ease after learning that Quentin Morris, convicted of killing a fellow prep school student, has recently lost his last appeal. This was a State police investigation but Frost had questioned Quentin and had taken a liking to him. He asks Maura to review the file. It turns out both cases are connected. Meanwhile, Maura and Angela enthusiastically support Lt. Cavanaugh's get fit and eat healthy program much to Jane's annoyance. Jane is also upset when she learns who her mother is dating.—garykmcd
- Hit author Ethan Slater died hanged not unlike his last novel plot, but it's a craftily staged 'suicide' and his just-finished manuscript is missing. Prodded by his mother, Frost seeks Maura's help to reexamine the dorm murder case against fellow rare black kid in a prestigious prep school Quentin Morris, for which victim's grateful boyfriend Bradley Palmer and his father Eric make a generous donation to the police fund. Jane isn't nearly as enthusiastic to be put in charge of precinct calisthenics as Maura to preside over yoga, as instructed by Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh, whose affair with mother Angela is exposed literally as he has a minor stroke in his underwear at Rizzoli's.—KGF Vissers
- Ethan Slater, the author of "Suicide Boy" tries to work on a follow up to his book, called "Murder Boy." He finishes and takes a swig of booze.
Later, Juliet knocks at his door and comes in to find him strung up from a noose.
At the station, Jane is annoyed to find Lt. Cavanaugh has ordered a "Week of Health." Among other things, it means no coffee. Maura is all for it. He suggests Jane, Maura and Angela serve as "wellness captains."
Jane is thrilled to get notice of a high profile suicide -- it means they can stop and get coffee.
On the way out, Merrick Palmer and his son Bradley stop Detective Frost, who arrested Quentin Morris, who killed Bradley's girlfriend, Katrina. Quentin's final appeal was denied yesterday and they have a $25,000 check for the Police Athletic League in Frost's honor.
When they leave, Frost feels bad that Quentin's appeal was denied.
At Slater's crime scene, Frost calls him a "steam punker," someone who revered Victorian era designs with a punk twist. "Suicide Boy" was about his addiction, depression and suicide attempt.
He left a note in his typewriter: "I can no longer live with the lies."
His new manuscript is missing, he was found by his editor. Korsak recognizes the noose knot as complicated and Maura says it's not consistent with the marks on Slater's neck.
Back at the café, Angela is handing out quinoa wraps.
Vonda Morris stops Frost, insisting her son Quentin didn't kill Katrina. She asks him to look at the case again, even though it's outside their jurisdiction. Frost apologizes, but says the evidence against him was "overwhelming."
In the morgue, Maura collects samples of a sticky substance on Slater's neck. They find his blood alcohol was .18. He didn't have a broken neck, he was strangled then hung. He was murdered.
Upstairs, Frost is worried about Quentin Morris, even though it wasn't his case.
Slater emailed, but didn't have a cell phone. He dedicated his book to his editor, Juliet, and seemed to be in a relationship with her. She was in a sailing club and might know how to tie the noose knot.
Cavanaugh busts Jane for not leading physical activities, so she makes everyone run in place.
Jane and Korsak interview Juliet. Ethan called her two days ago to say the book was done -- three months late. She says they weren't really involved.
Maura meditates in her office. Frost comes in with Quentin Morris' files. His DNA was found on Katrina. Maura agrees to look over the files.
Frankie is worried about their mom because she's gardening.
Korsak reads about a woman Slater made a suicide pact with in his book, named "Sadie." They find a man named Kevin Baker called 911 the same day Slater tried to kill himself to report his sister Tamara had slit her wrists. Kevin has a website blaming Slater.
Frost and Maura go over his interview with Quentin, he swears he didn't do it. Frost relates to him because he also was one of only a few black students at an elite white prep school. On the tape, Quentin admits he and Katrina were together and says her friend Anne knew about it.
On the trial tape, Anne says she saw Quentin leaving Katrina's room the night of the murder. She blames Quentin for the murder, but doesn't confirm they were together. Frost and Maura think Anne has more to tell.
Jane and Korsak talk to Kevin Baker, who thinks Slater profited from his sister's death. He was working when Slater was killed.
At home at night, Maura tries to help Jane meditate. They're interrupted by a disheveled Angela, coming to Maura for help. They find half-dressed Cavanaugh on her patio. He passed out from not eating -- he skipped Angela's healthy food.
Jane demands answers from her mom, but gets none. Angela takes Cavanaugh home.
The next day, they watch an online interview with Slater. He says "we all have to stop hiding and do the right thing. That's all I can say right now."
After trying to kill himself, Slater did 90 days of rehab at Breyer Mental Health Center, run by Dr. George Breyer.
Frost and Maura talk to Anne, who's very nervous. She says Quentin wasn't "one of us." She says he and Anne were involved, but she still thinks he killed her. She went to the bathroom, came back and saw Quentin leaving Anne's room.
Down in the café, Cavanaugh tells Angela she's great but they shouldn't have started going out. Frankie offers to punch his lights out.
Korsak finds that Breyer was supposed to go out of town, but is missing. They trace his cell phone to a construction site at the hospital and find his body. There's a torn piece of paper by his hand.
In the morgue, Maura finds a sticky substance on Breyer's hands.
Upstairs, they find the paper near Breyer was from a personal check. They think he was lured to the top of the roof with the promise of a pay-off.
Frankie reports seven patients were at Breyer's hospital the same time as Slater.
Frost checks surveillance and finds no one but Quentin entered or left Anne's dorm room. Jane and Korsak urge him to go to the prep school and look into it.
Jane texts Korsak to come to the café, she wants dating advice about Cavanaugh. He says Cavanaugh lost his son and wife in a fire a long time ago and hasn't had a serious girlfriend since.
Down in the lab, they look at Slater's typewriter ribbon to reconstruct his manuscript. Maura gets the lab results, ID'ing the sticky stuff as Balsam fir sap -- the same sap found on Katrina's rock climbing things. It's not found in the area, only in the Berkshires.
Frost comes back with a grappling hook. He found marks from one on her dorm room window. There are photos of Katrina climbing with Bradley, he has the Slater noose knot on his ropes.
They also find grappling marks on Slater's balcony. But what is the connection between Katrina, Slater and Breyer?
In the lab, Maura says Slater had only recently started his manuscript. They read a line from it: "He told me after a group session while he ate a turkey sandwich, that he'd beaten Katrina to death because she cheated on him."
"Bradley Palmer showed up the same day I did at Breyer Mental Health Center, but I'd take my suicide attempt over what he did. He killed his girlfriend."
They think Bradley killed Slater and Breyer to keep them quiet and that Slater only just finished the manuscript because Quentin's final appeal was denied. He planned to publish the book to expose Bradley Palmer.
Frost compares the check he got from Palmer's father to the scrap found near Breyer -- it looks the same.
Frost, Korsak and Jane confront the Palmers, arresting them both.
Later, at the bar, they expect Quentin will be home by the end of the week. Jane surprises everyone by ordering red wine instead of beer, for her health.
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