Spectrum (The Karen Vail Series) (43 page)

Acknowledgments

The best way to understand how something works behind the scenes is to talk with those who do the jobs I’m writing about and visit their places of business: to see, smell, taste, and hear. In essence, I want to experience what they do—and how they do it. With that in mind, I have a lot of people to thank. They each helped me bring
Spectrum
to life with real-world verisimilitude:

Bennett Leventhal
, MD, world-renowned expert on child psychiatry who also happens to be my cousin. Bennett helped me understand Dmitri and the nuances of his thought processes and interactions with others. In addition, his review of the manuscript and astute observations helped make
Spectrum
a better novel.

Lawrence Wein
, detective, NYPD Detective Bureau, for spending months answering unending questions regarding NYPD procedure, ranks and promotions, precinct and squad hierarchy, crime scene requirements—everything NYPD-related—day, night, and in between. He gave me a perspective and a “look inside” of how things work and how the department thinks; it helped me envision a mind-set and a mood, as well as the way my characters should approach a situation—and one another. That was indispensable, as was his review of the manuscript for accuracy. Thanks to
Micheal Weinhaus
, special agent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for introducing us.

Michael Osgood
, deputy chief, NYPD Special Victims Division, for his virtual tours of restricted areas and for giving me a comprehensive view of how the department operates. Mike’s an outside-the-box thinker who knew what I needed to know before I had the chance to ask him.

Mercedes Brown
, detective, NYPD, Bronx Special Victims Division, for her tour of the Fort Apache facility, Special Victims Squad, Major Case Squad, Robbery Squad, Night Watch, and their attendant facilities; for her contacts at NYPD Harbor Patrol, and for her two decades of knowledge regarding NYPD procedure.

The Bronx Night Watch detectives
. Their candid, frank discussions and stories gave me an invaluable insider’s view of the department.

Jon Adler
, investigator for the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan and president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Jon had the unenviable task of arranging tours of Liberty Island and fighting to get me access to security-restricted areas of the statue. Jon was also my go-to guy for eateries, pubs, and other venues in New York City that are frequented by Feds and NYPDers.

Mark Safarik
, supervisory special agent and senior FBI profiler with the Bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (ret.), for his personalized instruction and continuing education regarding serial offenders. As always, Mark’s detailed review of the manuscript was invaluable. On a personal note, we feel that it was both strange and fun to have him appear as himself in
Spectrum
.

Mary Ellen O’Toole
, supervisory special agent and senior FBI profiler with the Bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (ret.), for her assistance with, and information on, psychopathy and its presentation relative to ASD. As I noted in the dedication,
Spectrum
is another Vail novel with Mary Ellen’s fingerprints on it.

Peter Adeo
, patrol officer, NYPD, for being my go-to guy regarding information on Astoria in the mid to late 1970s, on Roosevelt Island in the present, and for pointing me to the right neighborhoods in both areas to scout for my chapters.

Marina Stajic
, PhD, director of forensic toxicology, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, for helping me understand the mechanisms of death regarding chloroform and carbon monoxide, and the procedures used to check body tissues for their presence.

Jonathan Hayes
, MD, senior medical examiner in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York City—and author of two riveting suspense novels. Despite his insanely busy schedule, Jonathan carved out time to answer my questions regarding New York’s ME procedures—and to open the door for me to Dr. Stajic.

Saoud Mohammed
, sergeant, United States Park Police, New York Field Office for arranging behind-the-scenes access and a personal tour of Ellis Island and Darrell Gilliam, officer, United States Park Police, for setting up transportation to the island.

The United States Park Police SWAT
personnel who took me on a personal tour of the statue and Liberty Island, and for talking “operations” with me, the history of previous terrorist attacks on the monument, deployment scenarios, Liberty’s arm and torch logistics, and so on. They wished to remain anonymous.

Tómas Palmer
, cryptographer. Tómas and I joke that Karen Vail would be in deep donkey dung without him. This is not far from the truth. Tómas shared the theory behind the domain awareness system’s radiological sensor, enabling Uzi to work his magic. Thanks to the anonymous individuals who provided information on the domain awareness system and the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative.

Henry Dunphy
, Petty Officer 1st Class, United States Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment San Diego, and
Jetta Disco
, Petty Officer 2nd Class, United States Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment New York, for their assistance with determining law enforcement jurisdiction in Upper New York Bay.

Luis Prosper
, maintenance ranger, National Park Service, for taking me on a virtual tour of the statue’s arm and torch.
Doug Treem
, ranger, for introducing me to Liberty’s arm and basement.

Don Mihalek
, agent, Secret Service, New York Field Office, for his behind the scenes assistance.
Matthew Cippaghila
, United States Park Police officer, New York Field Office, for helping me with Liberty Island access.
John Hnedak
, deputy superintendent, National Park Service, for taking me around Islands 2 and 3, including the abandoned Ellis Island hospital complex.

Chris Schneider
, assistant SWAT team leader Anaheim Police Department (ret.), and
Joe Ramos
, captain (and former SWAT lieutenant/commanding officer), San Diego Police Department, for reviewing my SWAT chapters for correct terminology, procedure, and equipment.

A. David Lerner
, MD, for assistance with the medical issues involved with Vail’s car accident and their impact on her pregnancy.
Andrew Gulli
for help with Greek customs, culinary fare, and terms of endearment.
Stan Pollock
, CPA, for assistance with Deacon’s career requirements and ac-counting irregularity details.

Jeffrey Jacobson
, Esq., for his usual support and assistance on a variety of legal and law enforcement related topics.
Chuck Barrett
, former air traffic controller, commercial pilot, and fellow thriller novelist for background on FAA rules governing the closure of cabin doors.

Dave Rhoden
, 5.11 Tactical’s director of product intelligence,
Joe Dalton
, team leader, NYPD detective task force (ret.), and
Richard Henderson
, detective, NYPD Explosive Ordnance Disposal (and former tactical/rescue/ sniper, NYPD Emergency Service Unit), for their institutional memory regarding the NYPD’s ESU team and the equipment they use, past and present.

To all my fellow Rosedale-ites, thanks for your recollections regarding the old neighborhood:
Michele Petker, Darlene Quartieri, Lynn Cervo, Robin Middleton, John Anthony Porcaro, Sheri Byrne Buckley, Lisa Bergenholtz Saltzberg, Ray Hosey, Michael Lang, Maria Panzarella-Solomonic, Tony Filidoro, Jeff Farkash, Ray Samuelson, Anthony Vitale, Bill Wehner, Linda Higgins, Robert Grano,
and
Jeff Glowatz
(my buddy from way back when).

Kevin Smith
, my editor.
Spectrum
is our seventh book together. Because of the novel’s complexity on so many levels, Kevin served as a vital sounding board and beacon throughout the planning and writing process.

Chrisona Schmidt
, my copyeditor. It’s simple: I love my copyeditor. Chrisona finds the things to which I’ve become blind, straightens up the grammar, and helps me bring you polished, crisp narrative.

C.J. Snow
and
Danielle Jacobson
, tack-sharp proofreaders who have that special ability to see what most of us inadvertently skip over.

My agents,
Joel Gotler
and
Frank Curtis
. In addition to everything “literary” that they do on my behalf, Joel keyed me into the furrier business in Queens and Manhattan in the ’70s, which played a key role in the story. Frank not only kept me out of trouble, but he also fed my obsession for accuracy by assisting me with the nuances of New York City geography.

The hardworking and tireless teams at Open Road, Premier Publishing, and Norwood Press for making sure my work gets into the hands of my readers in an increasingly challenging publishing landscape.

Those readers who are regular contributors to my Facebook fan group (www.FansofAlanJacobson.com): you have my sincere appreciation. In particular, I’d like to recognize
Sandy Soreano
and
Teri Landreth
for their work in administering the group and keeping the conversations lively.

Last, but really most and never, ever least:
Jill Jacobson
for being my love, my life companion, my draft editor, and my research companion. For
Spectrum
we traipsed around, across, underneath, and over New York City in the sweltering heat of July (as if that wasn’t enough, we returned in August), searching for those special places to set scenes. Jill, who holds a Master’s in Special Education, also gave me an early primer on ASD and made sure my depictions rang true.

About the Author

Alan Jacobson is the national bestselling author of several novels, including
Spectrum, No Way Out, Hard Target, Inmate 1577, Velocity, Crush, The 7th Victim, The Hunted,
and
False Accusations
. His novels have been translated internationally and several have been optioned by Hollywood.

Alan’s tireless research enables him to bring realism to both character and story. His seven years of work with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit gave him the creds to create and write his series character, FBI profiler Karen Vail. For video interviews and a free personal safety eBook co-authored by Alan and FBI Profiler Mark Safarik, visit
www.AlanJacobson.com
.

Connect with Alan on Twitter (
@JacobsonAlan
) and on Facebook (
www.Facebook.com/AlanJacobsonFans
).

The Works of Alan Jacobson

Alan Jacobson has established a reputation as one of the most insightful suspense and 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.

False Accusations
> Dr. Phillip Madison has everything: wealth, power, and an impeccable reputation. But in the pre-dawn 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 the ending.
False Accusations
launched Alan’s career and became a national bestseller, prompting CNN to call him, “One of the brightest stars in the publishing industry.” Detective Ryan Chandler reprises his role in
Spectrum
.

The Hunted
> How well do you know the one you love? How far would you go to find out? When Lauren Chambers’s 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
Velocity, Hard Target, No Way Out,
and
Spectrum
.

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)> FBI Profiler Karen Vail is in the Napa Valley for a 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 and vineyards. But 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 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 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.

Hard Target
> 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.

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
The Strand Magazine
.

Spectrum
(Karen Vail #6) > It’s 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. On 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.”

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
.