Murder mystery author Richard `Rick' Castle publishes a book in which he kills off his bestseller series' hero, Derek Storm. On that very day, NYPD detective Kate Beckett questions him about two murders in the exact style of his novels.

Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a nanny in her 20s, who was found dead inside a dryer in the laundry room of an upscale apartment building in Manhattan.

The son of a once wealthy family is found dead in Central Park. As Castle and Beckett are working on the investigation, his friends are trying to stop them.

When a body is found on the pavement wrapped in a rug, Castle and Beckett's investigation leads them deep inside the world of politics. There they discover expensive escorts, corrupt investigators, and betrayal at every turn.

Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a woman found frozen and tangled in steel bars at a construction site. The case leads them to look into another, older case and reminds Beckett of events in her own past.

Richard Castle thinks a murder is a voodoo ritualistic murder when a silver coin is found in the mouth of an adult male murdered victim. When other deaths pop up including a young girl with a silver coin in her mouth, it's up to the team to find the connection.