This year, 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of my debut novel, Bloody Point. In celebration, each month we’ll feature the backstory of one of my twelve novels. Here’s the story of #3, Words of Conviction.
As I began writing novels, I was blessed to have many FBI agents help me learn about law enforcement in general and the Bureau in particular. I always said to them, “Don’t tell me anything secret!” They didn’t—there was plenty for me to learn that was public knowledge.
My friend Sharon was a Bureau forensic psycholinguist. She studied language in the context of crime. For example, by analyzing the words used in a written threat or a kidnapper’s note, she could generally tell whether the writer was male or female, what level of education he or she had, and often what part of the country the person grew up in.
She could also tell when a person was lying. One day, we watched a video recording of a politician at a press conference. He claimed to be Christian, but he’d been accused of having an affair. I was sure he was innocent. He seemed so sincere.
Sharon played the tape several times, pointing out to me places where his language or his demeanor indicated probably deception. I was sure she was being cynical, overly suspicious. But no—I was naïve. Within a week of that press conference, the politician admitted the truth.
Sharon helped me write my third book, Words of Conviction. When a senator’s five-year-old daughter is kidnapped, Special Agent Mackenzie Graham uses the language in the ransom notes to try to identify the kidnapper. Agent John Crowfeather has his doubts about working with her, and that technique. What follows is a race against time as the agents try to work together and save the little girl.
I had a lot of fun writing Words of Conviction with Sharon’s help. I’ve never looked at words the same way again.