Free Serial Killers Uncut by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, J. A. Konrath Page A

longtime alcoholism. Now, fresh out of rehab, Jack must work with Henry on the story of a lifetime in the hopes of repairing his tarnished legacy.

    Paulina Cole.

    Take a dash of Ann Coulter, sprinkle in a little J. Jonah Jameson and top it with a slice of Judith Regan and you have Paulina Cole. Once a colleague of Henry and Jack's at the Gazette, Paulina has since defected to the tabloid-driven rival New York Dispatch where she spends her days carving her own niche by carving up those in her sights. Paulina knows better than anyone that a good story the one with the most juice, and she'll do whatever it takes to get it--even it it means squeezing blood from a stone. Paulina despises Jack, who she considers an old dog in need of being put down, and Henry, a young punk who (unwillingly) rivals her as the town's hottest scribe. So far Paulina has shown no chinks in her thorny armor, but there is a personal side of Paulina we've never seen' and it just might lead to her downfall.

    Curt Sheffield.

    A young black officer with the NYPD, Curt and Henry have become confidants and friends over the last few years. Like Henry at the Gazette, Curt has unwillingly became the face of his department, but his work ethic speaks for himself. Curt has done everything for Henry, including take a bullet for him, but what's a good friendship without a few scars?.

    Wallace Langston.

    The Editor-in-Chief of the New York Gazette and Henry and Jack's boss. Like Jack, Wallace has been in the newspaper industry for decades. He is devastated when longtime colleague Jack's alcoholism becomes a public scandal. Wallace sees tremendous potential in Henry, but knows his young reporter can be impetuous and reckless. Still, Henry has uncovered some of the biggest stories the Gazette has ever printed, and Wallace defended Henry on numerous occasions. Still, facing unrivaled competition from Paulina Cole and the sleazy Dispatch, Wallace knows that the future of the Gazette could very well be in Henry Parker's hands.

    James Parker.

    Henry Parker's father, a cold, abusive man whom Henry has not seen in nearly ten years.
    Raising his family in Bend, Oregon, James Parker considered his son's journalistic pursuits a waste of time, and would constantly heap scorn upon Henry and his own wife, likely to make up for his own failings as a man. James Parker's vitriol drove Henry away from home, but when Henry uncovers a dark skeleton in the family closet, James Parker must face the son who is twice the man he ever was' but still does not know the whole, hard truth about his father.

    The Fury.

    A legendary enigma in the Manhattan underworld who may or may not exist. The Fury's name was first whispered nearly twenty years ago when Jack O'Donnell was reporting on a rash of drug murders in New York City. A low-level dealer named Butch Willingham was brutally executed, but before his death scrawled two words in his own blood: The Fury. It was believed the dealers, all middlemen, were being wiped out under a massive consolidation of New York's criminal underground. Since then, however, the Fury has lain dormant, leading many to speculate that this shadowy figure was a mythical boogeyman. But Henry's estranged brother is found murdered, this dark figure just may be responsible.

    Malloy.

    An shadowy foot soldier in working for an unknown boss. Malloy has striking platinum blond hair, and is more than capable of handling any dirty work (or wet work) thrown his way.
    Malloy follows orders from one person and one person alone, but this seemingly emotionless machine turns out to have a major, and violent, secret of his own.

    Chapter 1.

    It's gonna be a long night.

    Those were the words I spoke to Amanda just as Jack O'Donnell left us, heading back to wherever it was that he'd left months ago. The past few days had left me drained, cold, but seeing Jack was a shot of espresso after a long sleep. I felt strong, invigorated. Strange feelings, considering I was in the middle