First Evidence [Hardcover]

Ken Goddard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

From the New York Times bestselling author of Balefire comes a chilling tale of murder, forensic detection, and vivid speculation, pitting a unique crime scene investigator against a culprit who may be unlike any this world ever spawned....

As an experienced crime scene investigator, Colin Cellars has had to contend with missing evidence before. But never has he encountered such a chaotic crime scene as the one at a remote cabin nestled in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest--site of a reported shoot-out. Cellars cannot find a trace of perpetrator or victim. He can't even confirm there has been a murder, much less that the cabin's owner--and the presumed victim--could be his long-estranged former best friend. But something violent and inexplicable has happened, and each time he approaches the scene seeking clearer evidence, eerie occurrences confound the case further.

Cellars is determined to unravel the contradictions, enlisting his closest friends to aid him. As attempts to block his investigation become increasingly vicious, Cellars realizes his life--and those of his friends--are at risk. There's far more at stake here, he's certain, than murder. Someone--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's own evidence file. But it will do him no good unless he has the vision to see what it really means...before it's too late.

Ken Goddard infuses his high-voltage narrative with the depth and authentic detail that only a crime scene expert can. In this riveting thriller, he takes the reader step-by-step through a forensic investigation--and straight into the terrifying heart of the unknown.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ken Goddard is a forensic scientist and criminologist, and so it comes as no surprise that his high-tech thrillers take place in a world of chemicals, formulas, and scientific evidence. Yet First Evidence goes beyond science.

Colin Cellars is a senior crime-scene investigator for the Oregon State Patrol. After the apparent murder of his longtime friend Bob Dawson, Cellars uses the latest cutting-edge equipment to collect the bullets, blood, and other physical evidence. But this is no ordinary murder case--a series of weird, unexplainable events take over. Shadowy shapes lurk in the woods around Dawson's cabin; a lovely woman who looks exactly like the girl he used to know many years before reappears; an envelope full of pebbles moves on its own across a desk; corpses and cop cars disappear from one place and reappear elsewhere. All too soon we realize that we're out of the real world and into The X-Files. The truth may be out there, but most of Goddard's scientific sense is long gone. Still, readers who enjoy their thrillers served up with a good helping of the supernatural will enjoy First Evidence.

From Library Journal

Crime scene investigator Colin Cellars thinks that murder has been committed. But there's no culpritAand no body. From the author of best sellers like Double Blind.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553108646
• ISBN-13: 978-0553108644
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #415,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-read" book if you love mystery!, July 10, 2001

By 

Laren Barton (Southwest WA - USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Evidence (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed Balefire and decided to read more by this author. I read "First Evidence" and found I could not put this book down...stayed up until 4 a.m. and that rarely happens with a book for me. What more can I say? If you love mysteries and a touch of sci-fi, you will surely enjoy this story. I finished it and ordered copies of his other books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Blend of Sci-fi and mystery, October 9, 2000

By 

Old Fisherman "Jim" (Orange, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Evidence (Mass Market Paperback)

Colin Cellars, forensic detective for the Oregon State Police, is called out to a "shots-fired" crime scene. It turns out that the body belongs to a friend he hasn't seen in 15 years but the crime scene itself makes no sense. Complications mount as the body disappears, evidence is lost, deputy sheriffs go missing, and Colin is being stalked by shadowy beings. However, when Cellar's long-lost love is kidnapped Cellars must find a way to free her while protecting both of them from the beings who mean to kill them.

Great plot. The idea itself is very clever and it's certainly clear that Mr. Goddard knows crime scenes and evidence collection. However, what was missing for me was good writing. I felt the characters are never developed and remain cardboard with a few becoming stereotypes. The dialog is very stilted and doesn't ring true and interactions between the characters always seem to have them saying "What?" and then having to repeat what was just said.

And I absolutely hate it when the main character keeps doing stupid things to advance the plot. He keeps returning to the cabin in the woods, by himself, always when it's getting dark or a storm is brewing, and he keeps getting stalked by the mysterious beings. It's like in the old horror movies when the heroine is alone in the haunted house and she hears a noise in the next room and just HAS to see what made it.

Would I recommend this book? With reservations. I did skim a lot but I'll have to admit the plot intrigued me enough to finish it just to see what these creatures would turn out to be. If you like plot-driven novels you might like this. Honestly though, I thought the book didn't live up to its premise. Reading the book jacket I thought it was going to be very interesting how an earthling tracked down an extra-terrestrial killer. Wasn't much like that at all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spooky as heck at times -- great fun!, August 29, 2000

By 

Meg Brunner (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Evidence (Hardcover)

Scary thriller about a crime scene investigator, Colin Cellars, who is called out to a murder scene at a hidden cabin in the woods. When he arrives, the two officers waiting for him are visibly shaken and extremely terrified, constantly watching the edge of the woods while telling Cellars that the two officers there before them are missing and their radios don't work. Cellars sends them off to get help while he begins collecting evidence. Inside the cabin he finds the mutilated body of a person who might be his old friend, Bobby. He also is attacked by someone or something he can only see in the shadows. When he escapes, he returns to the station and finds out the two cops he'd sent for help are now missing too. Determined to find out what is happening, Cellars keeps returning to the cabin. But each time he tries to find clearer evidence, something even spookier happens and confuses everything even further. I couldn't put this book down, even when nighttime rolled around and the combination of the story and the dark gave me the screaming heebie-jeebies. I was a little disappointed by the ending, which seemed too sudden and too convenient, but the rest of it was so great I barely minded. Recommended!