C# – How to set custom JsonSerializerSettings for Json.NET in ASP.NET Web API

[Update]
I've just realized why you weren't receiving results back... you have a missing line in your Deserialize method. You were forgetting to assign the results to your obj :

public static T Deserialize<T>(string json)
{
    using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(json)))
    {
        DataContractJsonSerializer serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(T));
        return (T)serializer.ReadObject(ms);
    } 
}

Also, just for reference, here is the Serialize method :

public static string Serialize<T>(T obj)
{
    DataContractJsonSerializer serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(obj.GetType());
    using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
    {
        serializer.WriteObject(ms, obj);
        return Encoding.Default.GetString(ms.ToArray());
    }
}

Edit

If you want to use Json.NET here are the equivalent Serialize/Deserialize methods to the code above..

Deserialize:

JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(string json);

Serialize:

JsonConvert.SerializeObject(object o);

This are already part of Json.NET so you can just call them on the JsonConvert class.

Link: Serializing and Deserializing JSON with Json.NET

Now, the reason you're getting a StackOverflow is because of your Properties.

Take for example this one :

[DataMember]
public string unescapedUrl
{
    get { return unescapedUrl; } // <= this line is causing a Stack Overflow
    set { this.unescapedUrl = value; }
}

Notice that in the getter, you are returning the actual property (ie the property's getter is calling itself over and over again), and thus you are creating an infinite recursion.

Properties (in 2.0) should be defined like such :

string _unescapedUrl; // <= private field

[DataMember]
public string unescapedUrl
{
    get { return _unescapedUrl; } 
    set { _unescapedUrl = value; }
}

You have a private field and then you return the value of that field in the getter, and set the value of that field in the setter.

Btw, if you're using the 3.5 Framework, you can just do this and avoid the backing fields, and let the compiler take care of that :

public string unescapedUrl { get; set;}

An alternate solution using the JsonProperty attribute:

[JsonProperty(NullValueHandling=NullValueHandling.Ignore)]
// or
[JsonProperty("property_name", NullValueHandling=NullValueHandling.Ignore)]

// or for all properties in a class
[JsonObject(ItemNullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore)]

As seen in this online doc.