P.D. Martin - Fan Mail

International acclaim for the novels of P.D. Martin THE MURDERERS CLUB

Martin provides solid entertainment as she takes a high-concept premise and runs with it.

The narrative is fast-moving, the protagonists likable, the police detail and dialogue believable and the serial killers just as evil as they need to be.

Publishers Weekly Just as gripping and original as the first

The Murderers Clubb is certainly a riveting read.

Herald Sun

A taut and terrific debut novel Martin is a real find.

Cant wait to read her next.

Womens Weekly

A great, gripping read.

Womans Day

P.D. Martinticks all the right boxes.

Sydney Morning Herald Martins debut is truly superb, combining enough procedural details to satisfy CSI junkies with humor, emotion and a generous number of chills.

Romantic Times BOOKreviewss [4 stars]

Also by P.D. MARTIN

THE MURDERERS CLUB

BODY COUNT

First Id like to thank the fabulous crew at MIRA Books in the U.S. and Canada (especially Linda McFall, Adam Wilson, the design team and the sales team) and my agent, Elaine Koster.

A huge thank-you goes to retired U.S. cop Jim Tuttle for answering my never-ending questions. Jims knowledge has been instrumental in completing this book, and all deviations from the reality of policing are my mistakes or things I didnt check with him or artistic license! Im so glad he lives in Melbourne, Australia, now!

Also for their professional expertise, Id like to thank Paul Spenceley for all his ideas and help making the IT side of Fan Maill realistic and interesting; and for their insights into profiling, ex-FBI profiler Candice deLong and Victoria Police profiler Deb Bennet.

Id also like to thank Marty and Sharna Alderette for help with some L.A. facts, Aaron Snowberger for my Web site design (www.pdmartin.com.au), Sisters in Crime for their support, Nicole Hayes and Merran Holman for their feedback, and Gil Broadway for the Kung Fu training.

Finally, Id like to thank my family and friends for their support, and thanks to all my readers and Sophie fans.

The voice is deep and smooth. Agent Sophie Anderson?

Yes. I stop typing and give the person on the other end of the phone my full attention.

Its Justin Reid.

The last time I saw Reid was about a month ago, after Id arrested Heath Jordan, his R&D manager and long-time friend. Jordan, using the online ID of AmericanPsycho, had brought together three other killers and formed an online club called the Murderers Club. Collectively, the group had killed seventeen peopleincluding twelve workmen whod built the bunker where the victims were held. Thats some toll. But even so, Reid couldnt accept Jordans involvement; at least he couldnt back then.

How can I help you, Mr. Reid?

Actually, Id like to help you.

I pause, letting him continue, but when he doesnt I prompt him. How so?

I think you might be right about Heath, Agent Anderson.

Its not exactly a revelation to me, but I can imagine what Reid must be going through and I try to be sympathetic. The computer evidence is overwhelming, plus weve got positive visual IDs for the kidnapping charges.

Im referring to the victims who escaped from the bunker and later identified Heath Jordan as their abductor.

Yes. His voice is sad, like even though he believes me, he still hasnt come to terms with it. But murder is hard for most people to understand, especially multiple murders. Id like to help, he says.

Id like to help you find this NeverCaught.

NeverCaught was one of the four members of the Murderers Club, the only one who got away. He remains nameless and facelessall weve got is his online pseudonym. We still havent been able to trace him, and the fact that he slipped through our fingers chills me, especially when I know what hes capable of doing to young women.

He may have already killed again or be selecting a target right now. A cold shudder travels through me as I visualize some of the crime-scene photos of NeverCaughts handiworkwomen stabbed to death in a frenzied attack and then wrapped in plastic and dumped. I want NeverCaught real bad, but its Bureau business, not Reids.

Special Agent Gerard is working on that, I say.

Gerard, a senior consultant in the Bureaus Cyber Crime Division, has also admitted to me that tracking down NeverCaught will be a long haul.

Yes, and Im sure hes more than capable, but weve got a new specialized search engine in testing that I think will help you and Agent Gerard. Were still ironing out all the bugs, but Id happily turn the code over to the FBI to help you catch this killer. He sighs. Maybe it will make up for what Heath did.

My anger is immediate. Nothing can make up for what Heath Jordan did, Mr. Reid. For the lives he took.

Of course Reids on the back foot. II didnt mean it like that.

I cool down a little. I know Im being harsh on Reid

hes an innocent bystander, caught up in this through his employees actions, and now Im giving him a hard time.

Sorry, Mr. Reid. I know youre just trying to help.

Yes. His voice softens. And please, you really must call me Justin. The hint of flirtation that characterized our previous conversations returns.

Okay, Justin, I say, but I make sure my voice is neutral, with no hint of anything other than the professional. Im not sure how this new search engine of yours would help us.

Well, it analyzes Internet-browsing habits to build a user profile. He pauses. Im not sure if you have any information about your killers online behavior, but if you did, this could then be matched against an existing user, and their IP address.

While I have a pretty good grasp of computer basics, its time to hand Reid over to someone who can really speak his language. So far it sounds promising. I know IP

stands for Internet Protocol, and an IP address is a unique identifier electronic devices use to communicate on a computer network, including the World Wide Web. An IP

address is pretty damn specific and should give us a name.

Agent Gerard would be the best person for you to talk to.

Can you hold the line while I put you through?

Sure thing, Sophie. Ill speak to you later. Again the flirtatious voice, this time coupled with the uninvited use of my first name. Reids a powerful man, used to getting his way, used to women falling for him. I want to pull him up, but then think the better of itI dont want to be an-tagonistic toward a man who may help us catch NeverCaught. I hit the transfer button and dial Gerards extension.

Hi, Anderson, he says warmly as soon as he picks up the phone. Whats up?

Ive got a call Id like to put through to you, Gerard.

Its Justin Reid from San Francisco. He says hes got some new search engine that he thinks will help us find NeverCaught. Hes talking about browsing habits and matching a profile against an IP.

Really? The interest in Gerards voice is obvious.

Im not the only person haunted by the one that got away.

Will it help us? I ask.

Yeah. Especially if hes thrown money and resources at the code.

Which Im sure Reid has, I say. Reid may only be in his thirties, but he owns SysTech, the worlds biggest computer security company, which is worth billions.

Exactly. Gerard pauses. Weve got search engines that routinely go through ISP logs and flag any IP addresses that are accessing our target child-pornography sites, but if this search routine is based on browsing habits, thats a little different. Gerard pauses. Ive been working on the case on and off, actually. And not just NeverCaught.