False Accusations Jacobson, Alan (books successful people read .TXT) 📖

The 7th Victim

What reader wouldn’t like a character who is tough, smart, funny, very believable, and compelling? That’s how literary giants Nelson DeMille and James Patterson describe Karen Vail, the first female FBI profiler. 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 the Virginia/Washington, D.C. region—the backyard of the famed FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. Named one of the Top 5 Best Books of the Year (Library Journal), The 7th Victim is a psychological suspense thriller that packs a powerful ending no reader will see coming. Learn more about The 7th Victim.

Crush

FBI Profiler Karen Vail travels to the Napa Valley for a vacation—but the Crush Killer has other plans. Vail and Inspector Roxxann Dixon lead a task force to find the architect of death who leaves his victims in exclusive wine caves and vineyards. Crush is not only a twisting and compelling read, but it brings the wine country to life in a story that Publishers Weekly describes as “addicting” and New York Times bestselling author Steve Martini calls a thriller that’s “Crisply written and meticulously researched,” and which “rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion.” Learn more about Crush.

Velocity

A missing detective. A bold serial killer. And evidence that makes FBI Profiler Karen Vail question the loyalty of those she has entrusted her life to. Squaring off against foes more dangerous than any she has yet encountered, shocking personal and professional truths emerge—truths that may just 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!” Learn more about Velocity.

Inmate 1577

When an elderly woman is found raped and brutally 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 called Inmate 1577 “a powerful thriller, brilliantly conceived and written.” Learn more about Inmate 1577.

Hard Target (late 2011)

An explosion pulverizes the president-elect's helicopter on Election Night. It soon becomes clear that the group behind the assassination 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. Hailed by political thriller master Vince Flynn as “a smart, complex novel that explodes from the page,” and by Lee Child as “a great thriller” that’s “fast, hard, and intelligent,” Hard Target is a ticking time bomb that makes you think while keeping you clinging to the edge of your seat. Learn more about Hard Target.

For a peek at recently released and new, soon-to-be released Alan Jacobson novels, go to www.alanjacobson.com/books.html.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A book of this nature required input and technical information that could only be provided by those practicing in the field. Sincere thanks goes to Victor Reeve, manager of the California Criminalists Institute (CCI), and Fred Tulleners, program manager of the CCI, for allowing me extensive use of the Bureau of Forensic Services Library, as well as for permitting me to audit the classes and labs reserved for criminalists, FBI agents, sheriffs, and other law enforcement personnel.

Thanks as well to Nancy Edralin of the Department of Justice, Division of Law Enforcement, for helping me establish contacts within the many departments of the Division of Law Enforcement. Terry Spear at CCI kindly counseled me on the intricacies of DNA testing. John Dehaan, Impression and Arson analyst at CCI, assisted me with the fine points of lip print analysis. Chuck Jones, Manager of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Operations Unit, provided information on the process involving impropriety and penal code violations relative to the California State Crime Lab. Criminalist Mike Saggs assisted me with information on blood alcohol clearance rates.

Thanks also to Special Investigator John McVey of the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office for his time and information. In New York, Police Officer Norene Murray graciously expounded the workings and structure of the New York City Crime Lab and its forensic investigators.

Extensive assistance was provided by Professor Joshua Dressler, McGeorge School of Law, who literally wrote the book(s) on criminal procedure. I thank him for the many hours he afforded me.

Also at McGeorge, Professor Joseph Taylor, former Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney for Sacramento County and former Supervising Deputy District Attorney for Ventura County, provided valuable insight into the mind of a prosecutor. His prompt, helpful replies to my endless follow-up phone calls and e-mails were very much appreciated.

In addition, thanks to Michael Sands, McGeorge’s former Director of The Center for Legal Advocacy and a criminal defense attorney with invaluable experience in high-profile cases, helped me view the case from a defendant's perspective. He devoted many hours to this project, including reviewing and critiquing the manuscript. Without Don Aron, Esq., I wouldn’t have made the acquaintance of the above professionals.

Paul Joncich, anchor-reporter for KOVR-TV, gave me a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes look at television news reporting. To a first-class individual and a top-rate newscaster, thank you.