Jeffrey Jacobson, Esq., Associate General Counsel, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and former Assistant US Attorney, gave me a general overview of the CARFTF and how it operates, as well as the Stingray program, the proper legal approach to the Kubiak scene, and other legal issues/procedures
Robert Jordan, automotive industry consultant, gave me the background behind the anti-theft ignition locks and safety device that were not present on the 1964 Buick LeSabre. My parents owned one, similar to the storyline, and it was the car I drove when I got my license. I remember quite well the ability to remove the keys while the engine was running. According to Robert, who researched it for me, the ignitions were, indeed, designed this way until 1969, when General Motors was the first carmaker to comply with the new federal law, which went into effect in 1970. It was technically an anti-theft device, but it was enacted, ultimately, as a safety measure. Stolen vehicles were more frequently involved in accidents, 200 times the normal rate. So preventing people from shutting the engine and leaving the keys in the ignition was a safety device that functioned as one designed to prevent vehicular theft.
Kenneth LaMaster, twenty-seven-year Correctional Officer at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth (ret.) and prison historian, educated me relative to prison escape procedure, including lockdowns and emergency bed counts; we also discussed inmate mug shot update intervals and the treatment of homosexual inmates by heterosexual prisoners.
Tómas Palmer, cryptographer, helped me equip Vail with the correct geek stuff. Tómas reviewed the Find/Me app, its explanation and hardware functionality for operational authenticity.
Matthew Jacobson lent his experience with fencing, its physical demands and techniques; he also shared his ideas for, and knowledge of, George Washington University, its buildings, and locations. The George Washington University Columbian College of Arts & Sciences department staff and the GW registrar provided the particulars I needed regarding Phillips Hall, including interior photos of the rooms and lecture halls.
The terrific team at Open Road Integrated Media toiled behind the scenes in the publishing and promotion of my novels. I hesitate to name specific individuals because there are so many who, unbeknownst to me, perform vital tasks to bring my novels to your hands. Of those I’ve worked with closely, I’d like to thank Emma Pulitzer, Lauren Chomiuk, Megan Buckman, Colleen Lindsay, Nathan Barker, Tina Pohlman, and, without question, Jane Friedman and Paul Slavin. It would be tough to find a finer group of publishing professionals in the industry.
John Hutchinson and Virginia Lenneville of Norwood Press worked tirelessly to make my hardcover editions a reality. Pride goes into every novel they publish, and it shows. They love books—and most importantly, they love Alan Jacobson’s books!
My editorial team has gone to battle quite a few times now, and we’ve always come away victorious. The Darkness of Evil is the ninth book of mine that Kevin Smith has edited, which is amazing in and of itself. (See the dedication at the beginning of this novel for more on Kevin’s contributions.) My copyeditor, Chrisona Schmidt, helps me refine the prose and makes sure all the grammatical i’s and t’s are dotted and crossed (and in their proper order). Style manuals make my eyes blur, but Chrisona can quote chapter and verse. The winning goal is to turn out the best product possible, and my team works hard to make that happen. We’ve got many more battles to come.
My agents, Joel Gotler and Frank Curtis, once again lent their agenting and legal expertise/advice, respectively, that has kept me afloat in the brave new world of publishing.
Richard Prati and Steven and Leslie Johnson were instrumental in making Norwood Press’s hardcover of The Darkness of Evil a reality.
My fans and readers are really what it’s all about. Without you guys, my novels would go unappreciated. To that end, my Facebook fan group administrators, Sandra Soreano and Terri Landreth, keep everyone engaged in the “Alan Jacobson universe” and encourage people to post and maintain lively discussions.
I’ve written about my wife Jill in each of my eleven books and her contributions toward keeping me sane throughout the insane process of plotting, outlining, researching, writing, and editing. But in The Darkness of Evil, she made an editorial catch that—in the words of my editor—“saved our bacon.” I don’t eat bacon but I understood the sentiment, and I agree. So the ultimate thanks goes to my soulmate and … um, bacon saver.
About the Author
Alan Jacobson is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of eleven thrillers, including the FBI profiler Karen Vail series and the OPSIG Team Black novels. His books have been translated internationally and several have been optioned by Hollywood.
Jacobson has spent over twenty years working with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, the DEA, the US Marshals Service, SWAT, the NYPD, Scotland Yard, local law enforcement, and the US military. This research and the breadth of his contacts help bring depth and realism to his characters and stories.
For video interviews and a free personal safety eBook co-authored by Alan Jacobson and FBI Profiler Mark Safarik, please visit Jacobson’s website at www.AlanJacobson.com.
You can connect with Jacobson on Twitter (@JacobsonAlan), on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/AlanJacobsonFans), and on Instagram (alan.jacobson).
The Works of Alan Jacobson
Alan Jacobson has established a reputation as one of the most insightful suspense/thriller writers of our time. His exhaustive research, coupled with years of unprecedented access to law enforcement agencies, including the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, bring realism and unique characters to his pages. Following are his current, and forthcoming, releases.
STAND ALONE NOVELS
False Accusations > Dr. Phillip Madison has everything: wealth, power, and an impeccable reputation. But in the predawn hours of a quiet suburb, the revered orthopedic surgeon is charged with double homicide—a cold-blooded hit-and-run that leaves an innocent couple dead. Blood evidence has brought the police to his door. An eyewitness has placed him at the crime scene, and Madison has no alibi. With his family torn apart, his career forever damaged, no way to prove his innocence and facing life in prison, Madison must find the person who has engineered the case against him. Years after reading it, people still talk about his shocking ending. False Accusations launched Jacobson’s career and became a national bestseller, prompting CNN to call him, “One of the brightest stars in the publishing industry.” Note: Detective Ryan Chandler reprises his role in Spectrum (Karen Vail #6).
FBI PROFILER KAREN VAIL SERIES
The 7th Victim (Karen Vail #1)> Literary giants Nelson DeMille and James Patterson describe Karen Vail, the first female FBI profiler, as “tough, smart, funny, very believable,” and “compelling.” In The 7th Victim, Vail—with a dry sense of humor and a closet full of skeletons—heads up a task force to find the Dead Eyes Killer, who is murdering young women in Virginia … the backyard of the famed FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. The twists and turns that Karen Vail endures in this tense psychological suspense thriller build to a powerful ending no reader will see coming. Named one of the Top 5 Best Books of the Year (Library Journal).
Crush (Karen Vail #2)> In light of the traumatic events of The 7th Victim, FBI Profiler Karen Vail is sent to the Napa Valley for a mandatory vacation—but the Crush Killer has other plans. Vail partners with Inspector Roxxann Dixon to track down the architect of death who crushes his victims’ windpipes and leaves their bodies in wine caves. However, the killer is unlike anything the profiling unit has ever encountered, and Vail’s miscalculations have dire consequences for those she holds dear. Publishers Weekly describes Crush as “addicting” and New York Times bestselling author Steve Martini calls it a thriller that’s “Crisply written and meticulously researched,” and “rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion.” (Note: the Crush storyline continues in Velocity.)
Velocity (Karen Vail #3)> A missing detective. A bol
d serial killer. And evidence that makes FBI profiler Karen Vail question the loyalty of those she has entrusted her life to. In the shocking conclusion to Crush, Karen Vail squares off against foes more dangerous than any she has yet encountered. In the process, shocking personal and professional truths emerge—truths that may be more than Vail can handle. Velocity was named to The Strand Magazine’s Top 10 Best Books for 2010, Suspense Magazine’s Top 4 Best Thrillers of 2010, Library Journal’s Top 5 Best Books of the Year, and the Los Angeles Times’ top picks of the year. Michael Connelly said Velocity is “As relentless as a bullet. Karen Vail is my kind of hero and Alan Jacobson is my kind of writer!”
Inmate 1577 (Karen Vail #4)> When an elderly woman is found raped and murdered, Karen Vail heads west to team up with Inspector Lance Burden and Detective Roxxann Dixon. As they follow the killer’s trail in and around San Francisco, the offender leaves behind clues that ultimately lead them to the most unlikely of places, a mysterious island ripped from city lore whose long-buried, decades-old secrets hold the key to their case: Alcatraz. The Rock. It’s a case that has more twists and turns than the famed Lombard Street. The legendary Clive Cussler calls Inmate 1577 “a powerful thriller, brilliantly conceived and written.” Named one of The Strand Magazine’s Top 10 Best Books of the Year.
No Way Out (Karen Vail #5) > Renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in No Way Out, a high-stakes thriller set in London. When a high profile art gallery is bombed, Vail is dispatched to England to assist with Scotland Yard’s investigation. But what she finds there—a plot to destroy a controversial, recently unearthed 440-year-old manuscript—turns into something much larger, and a whole lot more dangerous, for the UK, the US—and herself. With his trademark spirited dialogue, page-turning scenes, and well drawn characters, National Bestselling author Alan Jacobson (“My kind of writer,” per Michael Connelly) has crafted the thriller of the year. Named a top ten “Best thriller of 2013” by both Suspense Magazine and Strand Magazine.
Spectrum (Karen Vail #6) > It’s 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. During the rookie’s first day on the job, she finds herself at the crime scene of a woman murdered in an unusual manner. As the years pass and more victims are discovered, Vail’s career takes unexpected twists and turns—as does the case that’s come to be known as “Hades.” Now a skilled FBI profiler, will Vail be in a better position to catch the offender? Or will Hades prove to be Karen Vail’s hell on earth? # 1 New York Times bestseller Richard North Patterson called Spectrum, “Compelling and crisp … A pleasure to read.”
The Darkness of Evil (Karen Vail #7) > Roscoe Lee Marcks, one of history’s most notorious serial killers, sits in a maximum-security prison serving a life sentence—until he stages a brutal and well-executed escape. Although the US Marshals Service’s fugitive task force enlists the help of FBI profiler Karen Vail to launch a no holds barred manhunt, the bright and law enforcement–wise Marcks has other plans—which include killing his daughter. But a retired profiling legend, who was responsible for Marcks’s original capture, may just hold the key to stopping him. Perennial #1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford compared The Darkness of Evil to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, calling it “smoothly written, intricately plotted,” and “impressive,” while fellow New York Times bestseller Phillip Margolin said The Darkness of Evil is “slick” and “full of very clever twists. Karen Vail is one tough heroine!”
OPSIG TEAM BLACK series
The Hunted (OPSIG Team Black Novel #1) > How well do you know the one you love? How far would you go to find out? When Lauren Chambers’ husband Michael disappears, her search reveals his hidden past involving the FBI, international assassins—and government secrets that some will go to great lengths to keep hidden. As The Hunted hurtles toward a conclusion mined with turn-on-a-dime twists, no one is who he appears to be and nothing is as it seems. The Hunted introduces the dynamic Department of Defense covert operative Hector DeSantos and FBI Director Douglas Knox, characters who return in future OPSIG Team Black novels, as well as the Karen Vail series (Velocity, No Way Out, and Spectrum).
Hard Target (OPSIG Team Black Novel #2)> An explosion pulverizes the president-elect’s helicopter on Election Night. The group behind the assassination attempt possesses far greater reach than anything the FBI has yet encountered—and a plot so deeply interwoven in the country’s fabric that it threatens to upend America’s political system. But as covert operative Hector DeSantos and FBI Agent Aaron “Uzi” Uziel sort out who is behind the bombings, Uzi’s personal demons not only jeopardize the investigation but may sit at the heart of a tangle of lies that threaten to trigger an international terrorist attack. Lee Child called Hard Target, “Fast, hard, intelligent. A terrific thriller.” Note: FBI Profiler Karen Vail plays a key role in the story.
The Lost Codex (OPSIG Team Black Novel #3)> In a novel Jeffery Deaver called “brilliant,” two ancient biblical documents stand at the heart of a geopolitical battle between foreign governments and radical extremists, threatening the lives of millions. With the American homeland under siege, the president turns to a team of uniquely trained covert operatives that includes FBI profiler Karen Vail, Special Forces veteran Hector DeSantos, and FBI terrorism expert Aaron Uziel. Their mission: find the stolen documents and capture—or kill—those responsible for unleashing a coordinated and unprecedented attack on US soil. Set in Washington, DC, New York, Paris, England, and Israel, The Lost Codex is international historical intrigue at its heart-stopping best.
Short Stories
“Fatal Twist” > The Park Rapist has murdered his first victim—and FBI profiler Karen Vail is on the case. As Vail races through the streets of Washington, DC to chase down a promising lead that may help her catch the killer, a military-trained sniper takes aim at his target, a wealthy businessman’s son. But what brings these two unrelated offenders together is something the nation’s capital has never before experienced. “Fatal Twist” provides a taste of Karen Vail that will whet your appetite.
“Double Take” > NYPD detective Ben Dyer awakens from cancer surgery to find his life turned upside down. His fiancée has disappeared and Dyer, determined to find her, embarks on a journey mined with potholes and startling revelations—revelations that have the potential to forever change his life. “Double Take” introduces NYPD Lieutenant Carmine Russo and Detective Ben Dyer, who return to play significant roles in Spectrum (Karen Vail #6).
More to come > For a peek at recently released Alan Jacobson novels, interviews, reading group guides, and more, visit www.AlanJacobson.com.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Alan Jacobson
Select book cover text are set in Caudex. The Caudex font is Copyright © 2011 Hjort Nidudsson.
Author photograph: Corey Jacobson
ISBN-13: 978-1-5040-4170-6
Published in 2017 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
www.openroadmedia.com
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