A down-to-earth forensics expert has just discovered a crime scene that is out of this world.
In criminal forensics they train you to uncover evidence, no matter how brutal or bizarre the murder. But what if one night you encounter a crime scene so terrifying that no one on earth can explain it?
It begins deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, at the site of a reported shoot-out. Investigator Colin Cellars cannot find a trace of perpetrator or victim—or even confirm that anyone has been killed. As he doggedly pursues the case, he realizes there is far more at stake here than murder. Someone—or something—will stop at nothing to prevent him from discovering the truth. For the truth is not "out there;" it is locked away in Cellars' own evidence file. And the evidence points to a killer far outside Cellars' experience—far outside any earthly experience. But who will believe one maverick cop?
From the New York Times bestselling author of Balefire comes a chilling tale of murder, forensic detection, and vivid speculation that pits a unique crime scene investigator against a culprit who may be unlike any this world ever spawned.
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"A forensic detective, one of the best in the country, has his work cut out for him. All of his oh-so-carefully collected evidence has disappeared, along with the body of a friend and rival. Is it even possible that ETs are involved? No spoilers here for this riveting read."
— Jeanne (4 out of 5 stars)
“First Evidence has great suspense, creepy atmosphere, and convincing nuts-and-bolts realism. Ken Goddard has created an interesting take on an old problem and presented it with a ricochet writing style and commonsense characters.”
— Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author“A stunner. A gritty, compelling novel.”
— Earl Emerson, Shamus Award–winning author“Goddard nicely combines our instinctive fear of things glimpsed at the corner of the eye with the mind’s rational habit of assembling evidence and making logical inferences to lead the reader into unfamiliar and unsettling territory.”
— Thomas Perry, Edgar Award–winner and New York Times bestselling author“[For] readers who enjoy their thrillers served up with a good helping of the supernatural.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review“[A] smart, well-plotted thriller…Those who enjoy a little clever speculation will be quite pleased.”
— Booklist" A potboiler crime/alien quick-read. I had a difficult time with the fact that the crime scene investigators were using film cameras in this day and age, but it was a fun sci-fi thriller nonetheless. "
— Terri, 9/18/2013" Oregon State police investigating UFO's - lots of fun "
— Donovan, 8/1/2013" A page-turner! I could hardly put it down! "
— Wanda, 6/14/2013" SciFi western; one of my favorite genres. "
— Jerry, 6/10/2013" CSI meets the X-Files, I really did enjoy this story, the first in the trilogy series. "
— Bill, 5/2/2013" Interesting book, scary. Alien contact "
— Sandy, 3/15/2013" A thoroughly enjoyable story. The mysterious happenings are finally explained as aliens but the lighthearted writing style and the intriguing questions prompted me to give a higher 'enjoyability' rating than the literary content might warrant. "
— Greer, 2/15/2013" Very long but perfect for audio "
— Wendy, 2/1/2013" This was a fun book. It was intriguing and kept my interest consistently. It was hard to put down! "
— Dianne, 12/15/2012" This is a chilling, scary, spooky plot that got me hooked from the first chapter. It is a spine tingling good read. "
— Lili, 12/12/2012" Almost every character was a caricature, and the science wasn't even that interesting. It would've been slightly better if the aliens had killed all of the main characters. "
— Sori, 8/27/2012" Just re-read this book after a decade. Still as suspenseful and intriguing! "
— Walter, 8/25/2012Ken Goddard is the author of the New York Times bestseller Balefire, as well as ten other novels. He has served as a criminalist in three California police and sheriff’s departments and as an instructor in crime scene investigation and forensic techniques at law enforcement academies throughout the United States, as well as for Interpol. He lives in Ashland, Oregon, where he is currently director of the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, the only full-service wildlife crime laboratory in the world.
Kevin Kenerly, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, earned a BA at Olivet College. A longtime member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has acted in more than twenty seasons, playing dozens of roles.