Black Eye

Since he gave up his police badge, Shep Stone's tried to make a go of it as a PI. A snoop job here, a shakedown there: work hasn't exactly poured into the rundown bar where he occupies a stool keeping office hours. But one night, Stone walks into his own apartment -- where a murder victim is still warm and the killer is lying in wait for Stone. Fred Williamson (Black Caesar, Original Gangstas) is Stone, whose search for a murderer spins into a spider's web of suspense linking a religious cult, a porno ring, a missing person and a notorious drug underground. Labeled "The Hammer" for his gridiron style, the former pro football star plays Stone with the same hard-hitting directness. From a high-rent high-rise to a shabby amusement park, from alleyways to the beach, Stone sorts out clues, sidesteps a growing number of corpses and shows tough guys what tough is all about.

• crime
• drama