The 7th Victim - Hardcover

Alan Jacobson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1593154941 ISBN 13: 9781593154943

Publisher: Vanguard Press, 2008

Synopsis

With FBI Profiling Unit's Special Agent Karen Vail on the case of the Dead Eyes Killer, his seventh victim unlocks dangerous secrets that threaten both her career and life, forcing her to decide if uncovering the truth is worth the price she may eventually be forced to pay.

About this title

Book Description

The Dead Eyes Killer lurks in the backyard of the famed FBI Profiling Unit. His brutal murders, unlike any others previously seen, confound the local task force, despite the gifted profiling skills of Special Agent Karen Vail. But along with Vail‘s insight and expertise comes considerable personal and professional baggage.

On leave pending a review of her assault on her abusive ex-husband, Vail must battle forces determined to bring her down, as she fights to find Dead Eyes before he murders more young women. But the seventh victim is the key to all that stirs this killer...the key that will unlock secrets perhaps too painful for Vail to bear. These are secrets that threaten to destroy her, secrets that will bring down her storied and promising career. For Karen Vail, the truth rests at the heart of a lie. And uncovering it could get her killed...

From the Author

The 7th Victim was supposed to be Karen Vail's lone novel. I did several years of research with the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, which included working closely with two senior FBI profilers; attending numerous FBI training conferences; editing four published FBI research papers on serial offender behavior; and making repeated trips during a 15 year span to the FBI Academy and BAU facilities. This unprecedented access provided me with the knowledge and experience necessary to create Karen Vail and her supporting cast of characters. It also gave me an understanding of what the profilers do and how they do it--and what the killers do, and how (and why) they do what they do.

My goal is always to tell a compelling story that draws you in and holds your attention for the duration of the novel--while keeping true to the subject matter. Eighteen years ago, one of the profilers told me to "make sure I got it right" to honor the victims, and to show respect for the tough job the profilers have. I told him I wouldn't have it any other way.

As a result, my Karen Vail novels are reviewed by my two friends, the profilers I've worked with for 18 years now, to make sure the information related, and the actions the killers and profilers take, are credible and "real." The way I look at it, the only fictional aspects of my novels are the characters I create and the stories I choose to tell.

As I wrote earlier, I thought Karen Vail would "star" in one novel, The 7th Victim--and that would be it. But my publisher sat me down in NYC one day and told me that the early buzz surrounding Vail was tremendous--and that they wanted me to make her a series character.

I did not give them an immediate answer. I went back to my office and sat and thought about how I could make Karen Vail a continuing character. I wanted her to remain special, and the stories to remain page-turners...I didn't want to get bored writing her, because that'd mean you'd be bored reading her.

Once I had determined how to keep Karen Vail fresh, I called my publisher and told them I was willing to test the waters and see how it went. I started writing Crush--and couldn't stop. I knew then that Karen Vail was a character who could thrive in a series. I was extremely pleased with Crush, and then went on to write Velocity (a novel that's received a number of honors), and now, Vail's latest adventure, Inmate 1577.

Karen Vail lives on and thrives--but it all began with The 7th Victim. It's a novel that one of the (real) founding fathers of the Behavioral Analysis Unit said, "sets a new standard for serial killer novels," and, "Like 'Silence of the Lambs' did 20 years ago, The 7th Victim redefines the genre."

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Drop me a note and let me know what you think--check out the video interviews with one of the profilers on my alanjacobson.com website...then join the Fans of Alan Jacobson Facebook page.

Best, Alan

About this edition

• Publisher: Vanguard Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1593154941
• ISBN 13: 9781593154943
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 420