THIRST FOR MURDER SYNOPSIS Sam and Sarah Richards have come to Central Kentucky to explore bourbon country. Sarah is writing an article on the bourbon industry for her employer, Stinnett Publishing. The bucolic setting takes on ominous undertones, however, as Sarah and her new husband discover a dead body during a distillery tour. The master distiller is lying dead between the stacked ricks of bourbon barrels in the aging warehouse. Sarah's impetuous nature and natural curiosity take over and the pair find themselves embroiled in the mystery. The body count increases as another distillery employee is murdered only hours after Sam and Sarah meet with him. The murderer begins to suspect the couple of knowing more than they do and kidnaps Sam in an attempt to gain information on the investigation. Sarah, pregnant with the couple's first child, enlists the assistance of former detective Mac Osborne. Mac has helped the couple before and readily agrees to look for Sam. Mac teams up with his good friend Eric Hayes from the Kentucky State Police. Their investigation exposes another local master distiller, Adam Nagle, as the kidnapper. Sam determines his life is in danger as he rides in the trunk of the kidnapper's car. What he cannot understand is why he was kidnapped. He recognized his assailant right away and knows Adam cannot allow Sam to escape. Sam is chained to a wall of a rural cabin, but finds an opportunity to escape during one of Adam's absences. Barefoot, cold and hungry, Sam roams the countryside for two days. Although Adam pursues Sam through the rugged terrain, he is unable to recapture his prey. Mac and Eric arrive at the cabin and realize from the evidence that Sam is in extreme danger. Adam is tracking Sam and it becomes a race to find him before his pursuer. A frantic search is launched by the detectives, but Sam manages to find the highway and is aided by a passing motorist. Sam is taken to the local hospital to recover. During his recovery, Sarah discovers she is to receive a sizable inheritance from her late biological father's estate. Her father had fallen to his death as he attempted to murder Sarah the year before. The search for Adam becomes a multi-state manhunt as Adam attempts to flee the country. He is tracked through Tennessee and eventually to Florida where he has lived in the past. Florida Highway Patrol now has jurisdiction, but invites Eric to join them in Florida as they close in on Adam. It is suspected that Adam will attempt to contact and seek assistance from his former associates in Miami. Highway cameras confirm this assumption as Adam is seen driving a car reported stolen. Unaware he has been spotted, Adam attempts to purchase a boat to take him to the Bahamas. He is nearly captured at a Miami marina but eludes the harbor police in a high-speed boat chase. The name of a former associate of Adam's, living in Hollywood, Florida is supplied by Adam's family. The associate is located by the Florida investigators, and they soon convince the man to cooperate with the authorities. He agrees to a meeting with Adam when he is contacted by the fugitive. Adam needs another boat and puts pressure on the former friend to provide it. The two arrange for a face-to-face meeting at a local pub, but Adam has no idea he is being lured into a trap. Adam meets his friend, but is soon alerted by the man's nervous behavior. An easy arrest is made as Adam attempts to flee through a side door. Sam and Sarah are informed of the arrest and drive to Mac's farm to tell him the good news. While there, they surprise their friend with their plans to move to Kentucky and use some of Sarah's inheritance to establish a program to help emotionally damaged children. Mac is ecstatic as he welcomes the young couple to Kentucky.