Karen Vail series Archives - Alan Jacobson

The Darkness of Evil (Karen Vail #7)

novel1 — Thu, 08 May 2025 17:59:16 +0000

Jasmine Marcks thought her nightmare ended when her father—the ruthless killer of fourteen—was locked away. But terror has a way of returning. After she pens a gripping memoir about life as the daughter of a serial murderer, a cryptic letter from prison shatters her fragile sense of safety. FBI profiler Karen Vail knows this is no coincidence—and she must enlist the expertise of a legendary retired profiler to stop a new wave of horror before it's too late. Praised by #1 New York Times bestseller John Sandford, this pulse-pounder is an intense psychological ride packed with suspense and shocking revelations.

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Red Death (Karen Vail #8)

novel1 — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 05:04:06 +0000

Amid Hawaii’s idyllic paradise, middle-aged women are dying under suspicious circumstances. The medical examiner has found nothing that suggests anything other than natural causes, but Honolulu Detective Adam Russell isn't buying it. He requests the assistance of FBI Profiler Karen Vail, who concludes that a highly efficient and elusive offender is at work. But how do you catch a killer who doesn't appear to come into contact with his victims? "A unique and imaginative plot" (Catherine Coulter).

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Spectrum (Karen Vail #6)

novel1 — Fri, 30 May 2014 04:17:48 +0000

It’s 1995, the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail—and the rookie cop is immediately put to the test: A young woman has been murdered. There are no forensics. No witnesses. And the manner in which she was killed is unlike anything the department has seen before. The offender shows no signs of stopping, however, and over the ensuing 19 years, the case that becomes known as “Hades” takes many unexpected twists and turns—as does Vail’s career. Spectrum is a terrific entry into the award-winning, long-running series.

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No Way Out (Karen Vail #5)

novel1 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:18:56 +0000

When an exclusive London art gallery is bombed, renowned FBI Profiler Karen Vail is dispatched to England to assist with the 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 United Kingdom, the United States—and herself.

With his trademark spirited dialogue, page-turning scenes, and well-drawn characters, USA Today bestselling author Alan Jacobson (“My kind of writer,” per Michael Connelly) has once again crafted an intelligent, twisting thriller destined to be talked about long after the last page is turned.

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Inmate 1577 (Karen Vail #4)

novel1 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:56:21 +0000

When an elderly woman is 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 called Inmate 1577 “a powerful thriller, brilliantly conceived and written.”

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Velocity (Karen Vail #3)

novel1 — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:44:36 +0000

Velocity, the third novel featuring FBI Profiler Karen Vail (after Crush), is a high octane thriller that Michael Connelly describes as "Relentless as a bullet." In keeping with Alan Jacobson's page-turning style, Velocity is a memorable work with rich, believable characters and an intricately plotted story that's well-researched and fitting for today's times. It's more than a novel. It's a mind-bending emotional roller coaster...

A new killer is on the loose, seemingly related to the one Vail encountered in Crush. But this killer turns out to be like quicksand, pulling her deeper into a world she's never before experienced...forcing her to face off against foes more dangerous than any she's ever encountered.

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Crush (Karen Vail #2)

novel1 — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ordered to take time off after a shooting in front of the White House, FBI Profiler Karen Vail travels to the Napa Valley for R&R. But hours after arriving, she stumbles upon a dead body in the deepest reaches of an exclusive wine cave. Convinced that the victim is the work of a serial killer, Vail offers her profiling skills to the local sheriff's department. Adding her to the Major Crimes Task Force, however, has an unintended consequence: it raises the ire of the Crush Killer, and things spin out of control, resulting in a rousing climax that has dire consequences for Vail and her colleagues. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Crush an "Action-packed story (with) plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion…a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done."

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The 7th Victim (Karen Vail #1)

Tom Tull — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:40:01 +0000

In FBI Profiler Karen Vail's debut novel, Vail battles the Dead Eyes killer--and personal demons--in the profiling unit's backyard. Vail discovers that the seventh victim holds the key to all that stirs this killer...the key that unlocks secrets too painful for Vail to bear, secrets that threaten to destroy her career. For Vail, the truth lies at the heart of a lie. Meticulously researched over seven years with the FBI profiling unit, The 7th Victim is packed with twists and turns--and a shockeroo ending you won't see coming. Real-life FBI profiling legend Robert Ressler said that "The 7th Victim redefines the genre...with dead-on accuracy. Alan Jacobson has not only written a gripping, twisting thriller, he's created a must-read book."

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Crush-Velocity bundle (Vail #2, 3)

novel1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:31:15 +0000

Crush and Velocity, two books originally intended to be one (800 page) novel, are now reunited, as national bestselling author Alan Jacobson originally intended when he conceived of the groundbreaking story. Researched meticulously with over three dozen experts in multiple disciplines and with government access that required clearance from a congressional subcommittee, Crush and Velocity take you behind closed doors into a world most people do not know exists. Both Crush and Velocity were optioned by Hollywood, and Velocity was named one of the “Top 5 Best Books of the Year” by Library Journal.

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