Caged: A Novel

by Ellison Cooper

Overview

“A pathologically twisted tale…for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.”—Library Journal

FBI Special Agent Sayer Altair would rather conduct research on criminality than catch actual criminals. But when she’s offered a chance to work on the high-profile Cage Killer investigation in Washington, D.C., she can’t refuse.

During Sayer’s work in the field, clues emerge connecting one of the female victims to Sayer herself. Is someone trying to send her a message? Has the past come back to haunt her? Now, the deeper Sayer is drawn into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, the closer she comes to crossing paths with the killer. Sayer may be the only one who can crack this case. But before she can seek justice for the victims, she must find a way to save her own life…

“A lightning bolt of a read…unputdownable.”—San Jose Mercury News

“Cooper’s relentless energetic storytelling elevates Caged beyond the typical serial killer novel as the author weaves in real science to create some unique twists.”—Associated Press

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250173843
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/30/2019
Series:	Agent Sayer Altair , #1
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue Federal Disaster Worker. She now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.

Ellison is the author of Caged.

Editorial Reviews

"Cooper’s relentless energetic storytelling elevates Caged beyond the typical serial killer novel as the author weaves in real science to create some unique twists." - Associated Press

“Forensic mystery fans who enjoy deciphering clues while peeking inside the mind of a killer will be entertained by this pathologically twisted tale…A good choice for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.” – Library Journal

"... will have strong appeal for thriller fans drawn to the psychologically complex, character-driven serial-killer hunts of Val McDermid and Jefferey Deaver." - Booklist

"A dark and mesmerizing debut. Ellison Cooper channels equal parts Kathy Reichs and Thomas Harris in this fiendishly clever thriller that pits and up and coming FBI agent against an exceptionally cold and calculating killer. You will read till the bitter end . . . then sleep with the lights on!" - Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author

"Caged is a pulse-pounding twisted thrill ride that will keep readers guessing - and plotting revenge - right up to its satisfying conclusion." - Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author

"I started this and couldn't stop. Excellent, fast and smooth." - F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author

"Smart, Fast, well-crafted, and intricately plotted, CAGED hooked me by the lip and reeled me right into an intelligent, fast-paced race to the end. I don't gush about many books, but Ellison Cooper has made her debut with a remarkably written novel." - W. Michael Gear, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author

". . . A lightning bolt of a read . . . unputdownable . . ." - San Jose Mercury News

From the Publisher

05/28/2018
Cooper leaves no serial killer thriller cliché behind in her debut, starting with a lead burdened with a tragic backstory. FBI special agent Sayer Altair’s parents died in a car crash, and her fiancé, a fellow agent, was killed on duty under mysterious circumstances. Sayer’s research into the brain patterns of murderers is put on hold when the emaciated corpse of Gwendolyn Van Hurst, an ambitious senator’s teenage daughter who went missing a year earlier, is found in a cage in the basement of a Washington, D.C., house. The victim’s captor booby-trapped the building, and more than one investigator is either wounded or killed. The search for the girl’s killer gains urgency after Sayer learns another caged captive may still be alive. Readers should be prepared for melodramatic writing (“As Sayer drifted off to sleep, she vowed to herself that she would find that girl if it was the last thing she did”) and implausible law enforcement decisions (Sayer is content to wait a day for access to vital government records stored in an office closed for the weekend). Hopefully, Cooper will do better next time. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly