Every crime has a history, and every perpetrator has a story. Some of them are presented here, as personal tensions develop, crimes are plotted and ultimately executed, sometimes planned, sometimes not, sometimes by obvious candidates, sometimes not so obvious. Whomever the perpetrator or the victim, however, depending on the severity of the crime, in New York City the matter could be handled by detectives of the Major Case Squad, a force of brilliant and skilled first-grade detectives who handle the most serious and the most complex crimes that New York has to offer. And the best of these is Detective Robert Goren, a brilliant, eccentric detective who, with his partner and perfect foil Detective Alexandra Eames, spots clues that others might miss and sees connections others wouldn't. And he nearly always gets his target.