Contemporary Authors

• Caged ( novel) Minotaur Books (New York, NY), 2018

1. Caged LCCN 2018004438 Type of material Book Personal name Cooper, Ellison, author. Main title Caged / Ellison Cooper. Edition First edition. Published/Produced New York : Minotaur Books, 2018. Projected pub date 1111 Description pages ; cm ISBN 9781250173836 (hardcover) CALL NUMBER PS3603.O582623 C34 2018 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms

• Ellison Cooper - http://ellisoncooper.com/biography/

  Biography
  A dual Irish/American citizen, Ellison Cooper was born just outside of Washington DC where she grew up among senators and supreme court justices. She has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She conducted her fieldwork primarily in Central America where she lived in a tent in the jungles of Belize for nine years while searching for lost Maya ruins. She has also done research in Micronesia, West Africa, and at the University of London, Institute of Historical Research. Ellison’s academic work has been published in a variety of journals including the prestigious Cambridge Archaeological Journal. She has been invited to present her research around the world.

  Before graduate school, Ellison briefly attended Georgetown Law School and worked as a murder investigator for the Washington DC Public Defenders Service where she gained an insiders view of the criminal justice system. In addition, she is a Wilderness K9 Search and Rescue volunteer certified as a Federal Disaster Worker for the Incident Command System.

  Ellison began writing fiction while conducting research on the island of Yap, Micronesia but it wasn’t until she left her job as Assistant Professor to care for her ill son that she actually finished a novel. After multiple rewrites, that novel eventually became Caged.

  Ellison’s short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies including Crime & Mystery from Flame Tree Press, as well as in various magazines such as Interzone and Daily Science Fiction. She now lives in the beautiful Bay Area with her husband and son.

  Why I Wrote Caged
  July 27, 2017 by Ellison Cooper 2 Comments

  Save
  Share
  I have always loved writing and have always spent some of my free time writing, but it was never a serious personal goal of mine.

  Instead, I spent twelve years working toward a career as an academic. I love anthropology, love history, and love the way the human mind works — my Ph.D. allowed me to combine the study of these things. I traveled the world. Got to live in places that few Americans even know exist. There were some detours along the way (law school, professional dog walking, video game writing, etc.) but my real career goal was to become a professor at a small liberal arts university. And I did! I got my dream job as a tenure track professor and got to teach my dream classes about human rights, social justice, international conflict resolution, and best of all, the history of globalization.

  But then we had our son and everything changed. As an infant, he had fairly serious medical issues and my husband and I quickly realized we couldn’t both work full time and help our son get the medical care he needed. So, when my husband got a great job offer in the Bay Area, I quit my Assistant Professorship and we moved away from family and friends.

  Though I loved having the ability to stay home and take care of our son, and he definitely needed full time support, the lack of adult conversation and mental stimulation made me feel isolated. Suddenly, rather than traveling the world, being constantly immersed in heated debate and social justice activism, mentoring amazing students and working to create a place of learning, I spent my days with a two year old at medical appointments. All of a sudden I didn’t have anything to talk about other than poop and playdates.

  Over time, things with our son got better. His medical issues began to resolve and I occasionally found myself having a few moments to do whatever I wanted. In those moments I rediscovered writing. Writing gave me something totally my own. Writing gave me something to think about, something to do in those rare stolen moments when I wasn’t driving to the park, playing with finger paint, or sitting in doctors’ waiting rooms.

  I began writing just for fun, something to fill the space in my over-active mind. Then I started a crime thriller…and got really far into it before realizing I had a lot to learn about the craft of writing fiction. My first attempt will never, ever see the light of day!

  Since I didn’t have the time or money for writing classes, I shifted to writing short stories to work on my craft. I spent two years writing one to two short stories a month and began submitting my work to various magazines. At first I got nothing but form rejections. Then, lo-and-behold, I started getting personal rejections with feedback from editors. And finally, I began to sell short stories! When I finally sat down to write a novel, I knew I wanted to write a crime thriller that allowed me to think about the things I love the most. So CAGED grew out of my true passions — cultural history, neurobiology, and dogs. And that is how CAGED was born.

  Filed Under: Blog

• Big Thrill - http://www.thebigthrill.org/2018/06/debut-author-focus-ellison-cooper/

  QUOTE:
  Ellison Cooper, the author of CAGED, is one of those people I have a hard time believing actually exists. A Ph.D. anthropologist whose life reads like an Indiana Jones movie, she’s battled deadly snakes across Belize and investigated murders in D.C. And then she wrote a novel that grabs you by the throat from start to finish, an FBI thriller that’s faster, more fun, and more immersive than the best crime shows on TV.
  I became a writer after my young son got quite ill. I was a professor at the time and we realized quickly that we couldn’t both work full time and make sure he got the care he needed. When my husband got a job offer that could support us both, I quit and ended up spending a lot of time in hospitals and therapist waiting rooms.
  now I kind of wake up every day feeling like I’m living someone else’s life.

  Debut Author Focus: Ellison Cooper
  1 MONTH AGO by ITW 15 0
  By S.L. Huang

  Ellison Cooper, the author of CAGED, is one of those people I have a hard time believing actually exists. A Ph.D. anthropologist whose life reads like an Indiana Jones movie, she’s battled deadly snakes across Belize and investigated murders in D.C. And then she wrote a novel that grabs you by the throat from start to finish, an FBI thriller that’s faster, more fun, and more immersive than the best crime shows on TV.

  I was lucky enough not only to get an early copy of CAGED but to interview Ellison Cooper herself. And though the main character of her novel, Agent Sayer Altair, is one of the coolest, most kickass women on the page, I think her creator could give her a run for her money—which is no small feat.

  So your publisher’s tagline for you is “ELLISON COOPER IS A BADASS.” You’d have to be pretty badass to think up a suspense thriller like CAGED. What kind of background do you need to write such a fast-paced, hard-hitting crime novel?

  It’s really hard for me to answer this, because I feel like there is a bit of everything I’ve done in CAGED.

  The most obvious influence was my time as an investigator in Washington, D.C. I began investigating Class 1 Felonies in DC in the early 1990s when D.C. was considered the “murder capital” of the United States. Over 450, mostly gang related, murders were committed the year that I showed up at the ripe old age of 24 to work as the legal equivalent of a private investigator for the Public Defender’s Service. The vast bulk of what I did was tracking down and taking statements from witnesses, building a timeline of the events surrounding the murder, and requesting case files in the courthouse. Between all the mundane legwork, I did have a gun pulled on me and I was almost caught up in an ATF raid.

  Ellison Cooper
  The other big piece of my background that influenced CAGED is my academic background. One of my areas of expertise is in cross-cultural neurophenomenology which looks at how our universally shared neurology shapes our experiences and how those experiences act as the basis for cultural systems. Some of my research focused on ancient ritual and religion around the world, and that definitely made its way into CAGED.

  Last but not least, I grew up just outside Washington, D.C. and worked in politics inside the beltway for a few years. My time there definitely gave me an insider’s perspective into national politics (and it was definitely not pretty).

  Wow! Can you give us some examples of how you used all this experience in CAGED?

  Let’s see…one of the main things I learned while investigating in D.C. was that it is always a gut wrenching, heart breaking job. On my very first investigation, I met a little girl who witnessed her father’s murder and realized that everyone is emotionally impacted when someone is killed—from the cops and lawyers to the witnesses and victim’s family. So, I really tried to show that aspect of the investigation in CAGED.

  Parts of the actual plot definitely grew from my research into neurobiology and ancient religion. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that one of the things I studied was psychopomps, which are spirit guides to the afterlife. In America, you have the concept of the grim reaper, but in other cultures there are similar spirits that meet you upon death to bring you to the underworld or across the river of the dead or whatever religious beliefs that culture has about the afterlife.

  I’ll stop there because anything else I might say would be a spoiler for CAGED.

  I could feel the realism of Agent Altair grappling with the case; it’s so clear that you’ve lived it. And I love that you brought in your academic experience—no wonder the world of CAGED felt so large and authentic. Now, I’ve also heard your badassness extends far beyond law enforcement and into worldwide adventure. Can you tell us a bit about that?

  S.L. Huang
  As an anthropologist, I’ve been really lucky to live and work around the world. I spent nine years living off in the jungles of Belize with no electricity or running water. I mastered wielding a machete while scouting and mapping lost Maya ruins. I had to kill a bunch of deadly snakes, encountered jaguars, and had to flee attack turkeys. That was definitely a life changing experience. I’ve also lived in West Africa and Micronesia as well as in London where I worked at the University of London’s Institute of Historical Research. I don’t admit this often, but it was actually the Indiana Jones movies that first got me interested in archaeology.

  That’s amazing. Do you think you might use all that in a future book someday?

  I don’t know how much of my own travels I’ll use. If people love the Sayer Altair series and I get to keep writing them, I would love to have her stumble on a case while visiting her father’s family in Senegal. Or maybe uncover an international antiquities ring while on vacation in Belize.

  I want those books on my e-reader right now! Your life experiences are incredible—I feel like I should be watching a movie about you. And now you’re a writer; how did that happen?

  I became a writer after my young son got quite ill. I was a professor at the time and we realized quickly that we couldn’t both work full time and make sure he got the care he needed. When my husband got a job offer that could support us both, I quit and ended up spending a lot of time in hospitals and therapist waiting rooms. To keep myself busy (and from worrying myself to death), I started writing a novel. I learned pretty quickly that I was terrible at writing fiction and switched to short stories just to work on things like voice and story telling. I finally finished a truly mediocre novel and queried almost a hundred agents but got no offers. When I finally came up with the concept for CAGED, writing felt like a totally different process. It was actually fun! I found an agent and a publisher fairly quickly with CAGED and now I kind of wake up every day feeling like I’m living someone else’s life.

  *****

  SL Huang is an Amazon-bestselling author whose debut novel, Zero Sum Game, is upcoming from Tor. Her short fiction has sold to Strange Horizons, Analog, and The Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016. She is also an MIT graduate, stuntwoman, and firearms expert. Follow her on her website or @sl_huang.

• Red Carpet Crash - http://redcarpetcrash.com/interview-author-ellison-cooper-talks-her-debut-novel-caged/

  Interview: Author ‘Ellison Cooper Talks Her Debut Novel Caged
  RedCarpetCrash July 5, 2018

  Save

  A dual Irish/American citizen, Ellison Cooper was born just outside of Washington DC where she grew up among senators and supreme court justices. She has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She conducted her fieldwork primarily in Central America where she lived in a tent in the jungles of Belize for nine years while searching for lost Maya ruins. She has also done research in Micronesia, West Africa, and at the University of London, Institute of Historical Research. Ellison’s academic work has been published in a variety of journals including the prestigious Cambridge Archaeological Journal. She has been invited to present her research around the world.

  Before graduate school, Ellison briefly attended Georgetown Law School and worked as a murder investigator for the Washington DC Public Defenders Service where she gained an insiders view of the criminal justice system. In addition, she is a Wilderness K9 Search and Rescue volunteer certified as a Federal Disaster Worker for the Incident Command System.

  Ellison began writing fiction while conducting research on the island of Yap, Micronesia but it wasn’t until she left her job as Assistant Professor to care for her ill son that she actually finished a novel. After multiple rewrites, that novel eventually became Caged. Ellison’s short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies including Crime & Mystery from Flame Tree Press, as well as in various magazines such as Interzone and Daily Science Fiction. She now lives in the beautiful Bay Area with her husband and son.

  Check out her website here, Facebook, and Twitter. The book is in stores on Tuesday, July 10. You can listen to the interview below.

  Audio Player

  00:00
  00:00

  Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.
  FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiancé, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who was slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.

  As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession…a killer who is closer than she thought.

• Criminal Element - https://www.criminalelement.com/5-lessons-i-learned-as-a-murder-investigator-comment-sweepstakes/

  QUOTE:
  Investigating murder is an inherently heartbreaking, gut-wrenching job. Something I try to remember when I’m writing about all the people involved, from cops to innocent bystanders.
  Despite the gut-wrenching horror of any murder, the investigative process really is like a puzzle that needs to be pieced together to tease out the truth.
  That human drama coupled with the questions surrounding any murder (especially the who and why) is ultimately why I love reading, and now writing, mysteries!

  5 Lessons I Learned as a Murder Investigator
  BY ELLISON COOPER
  July 13, 2018
  Read Ellison Cooper's exclusive guest post about what she learned as a murder investigator, then make sure you're signed in and comment below for a chance to win a copy of her debut novel, Caged!

  Now that I’ve written my debut crime thriller, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I learned as a murder investigator and how those lessons shaped my writing.

  I began investigating Class 1 Felonies in Washington, D.C., in the early ‘90s when D.C. was considered the “murder capital” of the United States. Over 450 murders, mostly gang-related, were committed the year that I showed up at the ripe old age of 24 to work as the legal equivalent of a private investigator for the Public Defender’s Service (PDS). With nothing but my admission letter to Georgetown Law School, a deep well of idealism about the criminal justice system, and a laminated card declaring me an investigator, I set out into the worst neighborhoods of D.C. to investigate murder.

  Before I went out in the field, the PDS provided me with a few weeks of training in the techniques and legal technicalities of the job. During that training, I learned more about the criminal justice system than I learned in any law school class. For example, a huge part of my job was to make sure I didn’t accidentally take a written statement that implicated our client so that we wouldn’t have to share that information with the prosecution during discovery (basically, when the defense and prosecution have to share information with each other). My first lesson:

  1. The tension between police, prosecutors, and defense lawyers is not a fiction created by TV drama. The adversarial criminal justice system is often genuinely adversarial.
  After training, I was given a partner, and we were assigned three lawyers to assist. On my first day in the field, I spent the entire afternoon playing with a toddler—definitely not what I expected. We needed to get a written statement from the child’s mother about a drive-by shooting she had witnessed, and we didn’t want the little girl to be there during that detailed conversation. So, I took the girl in the other room to play while my partner took the mother’s statement.

  After the interview, we learned that the toddler had actually witnessed the murder firsthand. Even later, I learned that she was the victim’s daughter. That giggling little girl had watched her own father gunned down right in front of her. My first day turned out to be a perfect introduction to my second lesson:

  2. Investigating murder is an inherently heartbreaking, gut-wrenching job. Something I try to remember when I’m writing about all the people involved, from cops to innocent bystanders.
  While I spent some time on stakeouts and interviewing suspects, the vast bulk of what I did was tracking down and taking statements from witnesses, building a timeline of the events surrounding the murder, and requesting case files in the courthouse. Between all the mundane legwork, I did have a gun pulled on me, and I was almost caught up in an ATF raid. Lesson number three:

  3. Investigation involves day after day of tedium punctuated by very brief moments of abject terror!
  My experiences absolutely changed my perspective on the criminal justice system. I struggled with things I saw on both sides of the fence of the adversarial court system, and I realized that I didn’t actually want to become a lawyer (hello Ph.D. in anthropology instead). Despite the flaws I saw in the system, I was awed by the amazing lawyers, police, and judges that I met. Which leads to my fourth lesson:

  4. The criminal justice system works because of the blazing icons of idealism and dedication that make it happen every day.
  Despite the tedium, it really was incredible opening a new file and reading reports, taking witness statements, processing crime scene data, watching autopsies, and compiling all the information gathered during a murder case. So, last but not least, my fifth lesson:

  5. Despite the gut-wrenching horror of any murder, the investigative process really is like a puzzle that needs to be pieced together to tease out the truth.
  That human drama coupled with the questions surrounding any murder (especially the who and why) is ultimately why I love reading, and now writing, mysteries!

  Comment below for a chance to win a copy of Caged by Ellison Cooper!

  To enter, make sure you’re a registered member of the site and simply leave a comment below.

  Caged Comment Sweepstakes: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 years or older as of the date of entry. To enter, complete the “Post a Comment” entry at https://www.criminalelement.com/5-lessons-i-learned-as-a-murder-investigator-comment-sweepstakes beginning at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) July 13, 2018. Sweepstakes ends at 12:59 p.m. ET July 31, 2018. Void outside the United States and Canada and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Macmillan, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

8/13/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1534207647351 1/4
Print Marked Items
Ellison Cooper: (1) Caged (crime thriller,
July, Minotaur Books)
Baihley Gentry
Writer's Digest.
98.5 (July-August 2018): p20.
COPYRIGHT 2018 F+W Media, Inc.
http://www.writersdigest.com/GeneralMenu/
Full Text:
After the death of her fiance, FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair wanted nothing more than to focus on her
research--until she was called to lead a gruesome case.
WRITES FROM: The Bay Area. PRECAGED: I've lived all over the world--in West Africa, London and
the jungles of Belize, running archaeology projects, investigating murders and searching for lost hikers with
my K-9 search-and-rescue unit. Before Caged, I completed one other novel and started [an undisclosed
number of] others. I also wrote and published quite a few short stories as I worked on my writing craft.
TIME FRAME: I began Caged almost two years before finding an agent, [even though] the actual writing
time was only about eight months. ENTER THE AGENT: My agent is the incomparable Amy Tannenbaum
at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. I actually cold-queried another agent at Jane Rotrosen, and she liked Caged
enough to pass it along to Amy. WHAT I DID RIGHT: First, when I started trying to write a novel, I
realized that I wasn't a very good writer [yet]. I shifted from trying to write a novel to writing short stories. I
wrote one or two stories a month, and that is how I learned to write while also finding my own voice and
style. Second, I wrote the book I wanted to read. BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Around 30,000 words into my
first draft, I lost my momentum. I hated everything I wrote and it felt like vomiting up cardboard. One of
the most difficult aspects of writing is hearing that little voice in your head saying, "this sucks," and
knowing how to tell when it's everyday imposter syndrome or genuinely prompting you to take a step back
and re-evaluate. ADVICE FOR WRITERS: Find your own writing process and then trust it to work for you.
NEXT UP: I'm working on the second book in this three-book Sayer Altair series. WEBSITE:
ellisoncooper.com.
Baihley Gentry is the associate editor of Writer's Digest.
8/13/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1534207647351 2/4
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Gentry, Baihley. "Ellison Cooper: (1) Caged (crime thriller, July, Minotaur Books)." Writer's Digest, JulyAug.
2018, p. 20. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A542966441/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ee5db90c. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A542966441
8/13/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1534207647351 3/4

QUOTE:
Cooper leaves no serial killer thriller cliche behind in her debut,
Readers should
be prepared for melodramatic writing

Caged
Publishers Weekly.
265.22 (May 28, 2018): p71.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Caged
Ellison Cooper. Minotaur, $25.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-17383-6
Cooper leaves no serial killer thriller cliche behind in her debut, starting with a lead burdened with a tragic
backstory. FBI special agent Sayer Altair's parents died in a car crash, and her fiance, a fellow agent, was
killed on duty under mysterious circumstances. Sayer's research into the brain patterns of murderers is put
on hold when the emaciated corpse of Gwendolyn Van Hurst, an ambitious senator's teenage daughter who
went missing a year earlier, is found in a cage in the basement of a Washington, D.C., house. The victim's
captor booby-trapped the building, and more than one investigator is either wounded or killed. The search
for the girl's killer gains urgency after Sayer learns another caged captive may still be alive. Readers should
be prepared for melodramatic writing ("As Sayer drifted off to sleep, she vowed to herself that she would
find that girl if it was the last thing she did") and implausible law enforcement decisions (Sayer is content to
wait a day for access to vital government records stored in an office closed for the weekend). Hopefully,
Cooper will do better next time. Agent: Amy Tannenhaum,Jane Rotrosen Agency. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Caged." Publishers Weekly, 28 May 2018, p. 71. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541638782/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=64bfc4fa.
Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541638782
8/13/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1534207647351 4/4

QUOTE:
will have strong appeal for thriller fans
drawn to the psychologically complex, character-driven serial-killer hunts

Caged
Christine Tran
Booklist.
114.19-20 (June 1, 2018): p41.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Caged. By Ellison Cooper. July 2018. 368p. Minotaur, $25.99 (9781250173836); e-book, $12.99
(9781250173850).
When the body of a senator's daughter is discovered, caged, in an abandoned D.C. basement, FBI Special
Agent Sayer Altair and her partner, Vik Devereaux, face a cunning murderer who breaks the standard serialkiller
mold. Behind a bomb-rigged hatch, the perpetrator has left video footage of Gwendolyn Van Hurst's
captivity, allowing the agents to glimpse a hellish scene: the cage elevated in a smoke-filled room, with
images of Mayan mythology projected on the surrounding walls. With the video, investigators find a
photograph of the killer's newest captive. Sayer quickly discovers that the myths are all related to twins and
that the smoke was used to deliver a powerful hallucinogen, but her progress toward linking the bizarre
modus operandi to a viable suspect is plagued by leaks from her own team and by Senator Van Hurst's
steady stream of press conferences. This debut, first in a trilogy, will have strong appeal for thriller fans
drawn to the psychologically complex, character-driven serial-killer hunts of Val McDermid and Jefferey
Deaver.--Christine Tran
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Tran, Christine. "Caged." Booklist, 1 June 2018, p. 41. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546287509/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=394a678c.
Accessed 13 Aug. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A546287509

QUOTE:
Forensic mystery fans who enjoy deciphering clues while peeking inside the mind of a killer will be entertained by this pathologically twisted tale by a first-time author.

Library Journal, 1 Apr. 2018, p. 47+. Cooper, Ellison. Caged. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jul. 2018. 368p. ISBN 9781250173836. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250173850. THRILLER

DEBUT A teenage girl found starved to death in a medieval torture cage, booby traps set to thwart rescue, a leak inside the investigation. For FBI Special Agent Sayer Altair, nothing in this case makes sense. But as a neuroscientist studying the brains of serial killers, she knows only too well how psychopaths can hide in the skins of normal people. As the pool of potential killers shrinks, Sayer has no idea who she can trust. Snares set by the killer wreak havoc on law enforcement during their pursuit, and casualties quickly multiply. Sayer must think outside the box to separate the real clues from those planted to deceive the team, while also dealing with her own demons--the loneliness she feels after her fiance's death and her disappointment in her flailing research. VERDICT Forensic mystery fans who enjoy deciphering clues while peeking inside the mind of a killer will be entertained by this pathologically twisted tale by a first-time author. A good choice for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs. [See Prepub Alert, 1/22/18.]--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

Gentry, Baihley. "Ellison Cooper: (1) Caged (crime thriller, July, Minotaur Books)." Writer's Digest, JulyAug. 2018, p. 20. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A542966441/ITOF? u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018. "Caged." Publishers Weekly, 28 May 2018, p. 71. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541638782/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018. Tran, Christine. "Caged." Booklist, 1 June 2018, p. 41. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546287509/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 13 Aug. 2018. Library Journal, 1 Apr. 2018, p. 47+.

• Big Thrill
  http://www.thebigthrill.org/2018/06/caged-by-ellison-cooper/
  Word count: 1276

  QUOTE:
  fast-paced, twisty thriller.

  Caged by Ellison Cooper
  1 MONTH AGO by ITW 13 0
  By Charles Salzberg

  We might as well get something out of the way right now. There is no Ellison Cooper. That’s right—Ellison Cooper does not actually exist. And yet, she does. How do I know? Because CAGED is a first novel written by none other than Ellison Cooper.

  Sounds like a riddle, doesn’t it? When is Ellison Cooper not Ellison Cooper?

  Allow me to put you out of your misery. Ellison Cooper is the nom de plume of—well, there isn’t much point using a nom de plume if someone like me is going to spill the beans and tell you who Ellison Cooper really is, right?

  So I won’t. But what I will tell you is that the facts of Ellison Cooper’s life are startlingly similar to the facts about another woman, who shall remain anonymous but who also claims to have written CAGED.

  First, let me tell you something about this new thriller.

  Sayer Altair is a Washington, D.C.-based neuroscientist who works for the FBI. (Oddly enough, Ellison Cooper is also a neuroscientist, as is her alter ego, but neither of them work for the FBI, so I’m sure this is merely one of those weird coincidences.) Still reeling from the death of her fiancé, Sayer specializes in analyzing the brains of serial killers. When local police stumble onto a gruesome murder involving a young girl later identified as the daughter of a high-profile senator, Sayer gets a chance to put her knowledge to work as she struggles not only to find the killer but also to find another young girl who, like the earlier victim, is being slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage.

  Meanwhile, the killer, who is evidently carrying out some kind of bizarre scientific experiment, is also quite adept at planting deadly booby traps that are taking the lives of anyone who gets close to solving the crimes. And although I can’t divulge details, I will say DNA plays heavily into the plot of this fast-paced, twisty thriller.

  Okay, now that that’s out of the way, here’s what I know about Ellison Cooper.

  She was born just outside of Washington, D.C., but she has dual Irish and American citizenship because her father is Irish. She says she’d probably be living there now if she “didn’t hate rain so much.” Her mother, trained as a microbiologist, was a stay-at-home mom who tried to write fiction. Her father ran a computer firm.

  “My parents were both intellectually curious and always told us we should follow our bliss,” Cooper says. “As a child, I was a hellion. Today, I’d probably be diagnosed as being ADHD. It got to where I’d eat lunch in the vice principal’s office. I was always a voracious reader. I read anything I could get my hands on. I must have read A Wrinkle in Time a hundred times.”

  Cooper wanted to be an astronaut, but she had terrible eyesight. “It was a crushing day when I found I couldn’t be one,” she says. Although she wanted to be a writer from the time she was a child, she was “mildly dyslexic,” so it didn’t seem to be the right career path.

  Cooper (and her alter ego) has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She spent time in Central America, where she lived in a tent in the jungles of Belize for nine years while searching for lost Maya ruins. She’s also done research in Micronesia, West Africa, and at the University of London’s Institute of Historical Research. Her work has been published in a variety of academic journals, which, if you must know, is why she uses her Ellison Cooper identity to write novels.

  “I’ve written for a number of academic publications under my own name and I didn’t want there to be any confusion,” she explains. “Besides, if I ever go back to teaching, I’m not sure I want my students to be reading my serial killer novels.”

  Oh, Ellison, you don’t know how cool it would have been if any of my professors had spent their free time writing about serial killers. But maybe that’s just me.

  Early on, Cooper thought maybe she should be a lawyer. But the summer before starting at Georgetown Law School, she decided she should do “something crazy,” so she managed to get herself invited to an archaeology site out west. She loved every minute of it.

  After her first semester of law school, just as she was about to take finals, she asked herself, “Why am I here? I hate everything about this. I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.”

  She sent emails to people running archaeology projects and was accepted to one in Belize. Cooper spent three years of field seasons there, mapping sites through the jungle from one city to another.

  Danger lurked. There was that time she encountered a jaguar. “It was a couple hundred yards away and it stared at us as we backed away slowly,” Cooper remembers. And then there were the poisonous snakes and the peccaries, pig-like, medium-sized hoofed animals that can be dangerous.

  “I gained a lot of confidence, out there in the middle of the jungle with nothing but a machete and a compass,” she says.

  After she got that out of her system, Cooper decided to go to grad school, but first she did a stint as a murder investigator for the Washington, D.C. Public Defender Service. After graduation she worked as a professor, and between stretches of academic research on cultural biology, she tried writing novels for fun. She completed an Indiana Jones-like adult fantasy, but she admits that it wasn’t very good and wasn’t really the kind of book she wanted to write.

  Since then, Cooper has honed a writing routine that involves a lot of outlining. “I have a huge whiteboard, and I create a really broad outline,” she says. “I think of it as bumpers. I know who did it and some of the major events, but the book careens between those boundaries. Storytelling is hardest for me. It’s the part of the craft I’m still trying to figure out. I guess I have that imposter syndrome.”

  Cooper says her protagonist, Sayer Altair, isn’t based on anyone in particular, but is rather an amalgam of “traits of women I most admire.” Altair will reappear in the sequel to CAGED Cooper is working on, called Buried.

  Oddly enough, the other Ellison Cooper is also working on a sequel, and guess what it’s called.

  *****

  Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue Federal Disaster Worker. She now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.

• Crime by the Book
  http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2018/6/20/book-review-caged-by-ellison-cooper
  Word count: 1593

  QUOTE:
  CAGED is, unfortunately, just a bit too typical to stand out from the already-crowded serial killer thriller genre. But that’s not to say there isn’t also entertainment value to be found here, especially for readers who are looking for more of a “beginner” serial killer thriller.

  BOOK REVIEW: CAGED BY ELLISON COOPER
  June 21, 2018
  CAGED by Ellison Cooper
  Minotaur Books; 7/10/18
  CBTB Rating: 3/5
  The Verdict: a dark-yet-predictable serial killer thriller, best for genre newcomers

  There are few subgenres of crime fiction as consistently entertaining as a really good serial killer thriller. In fact, no matter your preferred format of crime storytelling, serial killers seem a constant across the board; movies, TV shows, podcasts, fiction, true crime—you name it, there’s a serial killer story that falls under that category. I’m always on the lookout for new, buzzworthy serial killer thrillers to add to my reading list, and that’s how I came to find CAGED by Ellison Cooper, a chilling crime novel releasing from Minotaur Books this July. With a dark premise, complex female lead, and eye-catching cover, CAGED initially ticked all my boxes for serial killer thriller “must-haves.” While I certainly enjoyed CAGED, I would recommend it most of all for readers who are new to the genre; experienced readers of serial killer thrillers are likely to find that the book relies a bit too heavily on genre stereotypes and cliches. There’s nothing hugely, offensively wrong here—CAGED just never quite kicks into the gear I had hoped it would. I’m confident many readers will enjoy CAGED this summer, but I would hypothesize that those who will enjoy it most of all will be the readers dipping their toes into the genre for the first time - not a negative by any means, but a qualification to be aware of. To me, the story of CAGED is most of all a story of unfilled potential: a crime novel with an eye-catching cover and a chilling plot that delivers page-turning entertainment value, but doesn't quite reach the levels of darkness or psychological insight I had hoped it would.

  Plot Summary:
  FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiancé, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who was slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.

  As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession...a killer who is closer than she thought.

  Caged Ellison Cooper.jpg
  I’ll be the first to admit: I can be a bit of a temperamental reader when it comes to familiar plotting in crime fiction. I discussed this a bit in a recent review for THE GIRL IN THE ICE by Robert Bryndza, but I’m actually a complete advocate for and fan of some of the more “standard” crime fiction plotlines; I tend to consider them “comfort reading.” Every so often, I just want to sink into a crime novel that feels familiar, something that can deliver a tried-and-true reading experience. When I’m in the mood for a “comfort read” like that, nothing suits me better than a classic cop vs. killer story. I picked up CAGED hoping for a similar reading experience: something that adhered closely enough to genre standards for me to find it familiar and easy to binge, while still delivering enough chills and shocks to live up to its “serial killer thriller” classification. That can be a fine line to tread, and it’s a very arbitrary one, bound to differ on a read by reader basis—but, unfortunately, CAGED fell a bit too far on the stereotypical side for me to be comfortable endorsing it fully. Don’t misunderstand: there is a lot of good here, and a lot that will suit readers in the market for a lighter, less gruesome serial killer thriller experience, but there’s a heavy dose of reliance on stereotypes, too. Your enjoyment of CAGED will be entirely dependent upon your comfort level with these stereotypes - and your familiarity with them going into the book. By that, I mean: if you haven't already read numerous serial killer thrillers, you're likely to find these stereotypes much less bothersome than will readers who have already spent time with these same themes and character archetypes in other novels.

  So what exactly are these stereotypes I keep mentioning? The most prominent are evident even in the book’s plot description. CAGED follows an FBI neuroscientist, Sayer, who spends her days conducting research on the brains of convicted serial killers. Sayer hopes to find a medical abnormality in the brains of these convicted killers that can help to begin establishing a medical explanation for their deviant behavior. Now, this element of the plot sounded fascinating to me—I love crime novels that incorporate elements of psychiatry. Unfortunately, this piece of the story - one which held such promise - was left largely underutilized. As with so much of this book, there wasn’t anything glaringly wrong here—it’s more a matter of a next step that was never reached. In her personal life, Sayer is predictably detached from her family and isolated from her loved ones. She’s the stereotypical “damaged detective.” Love it or hate it, this is an absolute genre staple—and I, for one, actually tend to love a “damaged detective,” which made my dislike of Sayer all the more frustrating and disappointing. To top off her stereotypical development, there’s just a bit too much melodrama woven into her character to make her believable—readers will find that there is an extremity to all of Sayer's actions and emotions that not-so-quietly undermines the authenticity of her character. The bottom line is this: readers won’t develop the necessary emotional attachment to Sayer to find the challenges she faces - both personally and professionally - sufficiently compelling, because she just doesn’t feel like a real person. So much of this story hinges upon Sayer that the lack of thorough and authentic development of her character did, unfortunately, negatively impact the reading experience for me.

  Caged Cooper.jpg
  Outside of the character of Sayer, however, there is much to enjoy in CAGED. The premise of CAGED is undeniably creepy: the body of a young woman is found starved to death and held captive in a cage, and the FBI soon realizes she is part of a much larger, and more twisted, story. This plot seems built for TV, and I enjoyed much of the cinematic action and pacing the author utilizes. With straightforward plotting and brisk story development, CAGED makes a propulsive reading experience—one built for a weekend binge-read. Though perhaps not the most fundamentally groundbreaking serial killer thriller, CAGED does include one particularly fresh and unusual angle when it comes to the story's villain: Cooper develops a killer who uses ancient mythology to inform his or her M.O. This was a welcome dose of originality; I enjoyed the genuinely intriguing details this element of the story brought to the table. To be honest, though, no piece of this book caught - and held - my attention quite like the book’s finale. Of course, it’s also incredibly hard to discuss this finale without spoiling anything (which, I promise, I will never do!) - so bear with me while I try and explain. The finale of CAGED packs a punch, and if there were ever a place for a surprising twist to happen, this is (obviously!) it. Though a bit far-fetched, the conclusion to CAGED delivered the tension and suspense I had been hoping for, and tied the story together with the kind of drama that seems made for an adaptation to the big screen. The finale will frustrate readers who are unwilling to suspend reality in favor of entertainment value, but readers looking for something just-plain-fun will find it satisfying and nail-bitingly tense.

  Was this a mixed reading experience for me? Yes, it was, and if you’re an avid reader of serial killer thrillers, I’m betting it will be for you, too. CAGED is, unfortunately, just a bit too typical to stand out from the already-crowded serial killer thriller genre. But that’s not to say there isn’t also entertainment value to be found here, especially for readers who are looking for more of a “beginner” serial killer thriller. CAGED is certainly dark and chilling in moments, but there is a fundamental lightness (relative to other serial killer thrillers!) that will make it a more approachable example of the genre for those not wishing to dive into the deep end right away. If your interest in CAGED has been piqued, I would recommend putting a copy of CAGED on hold at your local library before spending your hard-earned money on it.

• Washington Times
  https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/9/ellison-coopers-caged-punctuated-with-believable-t/
  Word count: 588

  QUOTE:
  Cooper’s relentless energetic storytelling elevates “Caged” beyond the typical serial killer novel as the author weaves in real science to create some unique twists. Cooper also wisely avoids the overly gruesome details that mar many serial-killer novels as she makes her story more about people and their personalities.

  Ellison Cooper's 'Caged' punctuated with believable twists
  This book cover image released by Minotaur shows "Caged," by Eliison Cooper. (Minotaur via AP)
  This book cover image released by Minotaur shows “Caged,” by Eliison Cooper. (Minotaur via AP) more >
  Print
  By OLINE H. COGDILL - Associated Press - Monday, July 9, 2018
  “Caged” (Minotaur Books), by Ellison Cooper

  The FBI’s hunt for a serial killer fuels Ellison Cooper’s intense debut that introduces FBI special agent and neuroscientist Sayer Altair.

  Cooper’s relentless energetic storytelling elevates “Caged” beyond the typical serial killer novel as the author weaves in real science to create some unique twists. Cooper also wisely avoids the overly gruesome details that mar many serial-killer novels as she makes her story more about people and their personalities.

  The prickly Sayer makes a fine heroine for this new series. Sayer usually is the smartest person in the room, with a complicated background that adds texture to the story. Her career takes priority as she grapples with the pain of losing loved ones, leaving her incredibly lonely. Her spur-of-the-moment decision to take home a little dog found at a crime scene is a start to caring about others once more.

  Sayer would rather be continuing her research into the brain patterns of murderers, but her supervisor, FBI Assistant Director Janice Holt, forces her to put that work on hold to take charge of a high-profile investigation. The body of ambitious Sen. Charles Van Hurst’s daughter, Gwendolyn, who disappeared a year ago, has been found locked in a cage in a Washington, D.C., house. The senator, a potential presidential candidate, tries to hijack the investigation, holding press conferences and naming suspects who are merely witnesses. Sayer doesn’t have time to play politics or soothe egos as she learns another young woman may be held in a different location.

  Cooper punctuates “Caged” with believable twists that take myriad paths as it leads to a realistic conclusion. She indulges Sayer with a few character cliches - she has a problem with authority and vows more than once that she will find the next victim “if it was the last thing she did.” But Cooper also imbues Sayer with a distinctive voice and a “burning pitch” for justice. Sayer’s connections to her Senegalese background and her white grandparents on her mother’s side are deftly woven into the story.

  SPONSORED CONTENT
  This Amazon Upgrade Is Even Better Than Prime
  This Amazon Upgrade Is Even Better Than Prime
  Honey
  6 Luxury Cars So Awesome It's Hard to Believe They Cost Under $50K
  6 Luxury Cars So Awesome It's Hard to Believe They Cost…
  Faqeo
  60 Retro Photos That Captured More Than Expected
  60 Retro Photos That Captured More Than Expected
  groovyhistory.com
  Top Cardiologist: "This Is Why You Have Less Energy After 50"
  Top Cardiologist: "This Is Why You Have Less Energy…
  Health Headlines
  Recommended by
  This FBI agent should provide much fodder for future novels.

  ___

  Online:

  http://ellisoncooper.com/

• Criminal Element
  https://www.criminalelement.com/review-caged-by-ellison-cooper/
  Word count: 1051

  QUOTE:
  If you like dogged detectives and (extremely) weird, super creepy killers, you can’t go wrong with this strong debut. Cooper’s crisp prose keeps the tension high throughout, and the last sequence is nightmare inducing. Plan on losing sleep because of this one.

  Review: Caged by Ellison Cooper
  BY KRISTIN CENTORCELLI
  July 14, 2018

  Caged
  Ellison Cooper
  Sayer Altair Series

  July 10, 2018

  Caged by Ellison Cooper is a debut police procedural and the first in a new series featuring FBI Agent Sayer Altair.

  FBI Special Agent (and neuroscientist) Sayer Altair really just wants to work on her special project: proving that serial killer brains are physically different from normal ones in hopes of finding a way to keep the violent behavior from arising in the first place. However, she’s been told that she can only work on that in her spare time, which is about to disappear because a corker of a case is coming her way.

  A week after a 9-1-1 call comes in from what seemed to be a confused young girl, the cops get another call about the same house. They didn’t come across anything unusual when they visited the house a week earlier, but this time, they find much more than they bargained for. It’s bad from the moment they knock on the door and smell the unmistakable stench of a decaying body. They sweep the house but find nothing, so they prepare to go down into the basement, with disastrous results:

  The smell grew stronger and became more acidic in the kitchen. Wilson’s eyes watered and he gestured toward a door. Most likely led down to the basement. A shiny new slide bolt stood out against the grimy walls of the town house.

  With a nod, Mike slid the bolt. The door swung open and a wave of rancid air ballooned out, enveloping the cops. They both took an involuntary step back and flung their arms up over their noses, guns forgotten.

  Through his shirt sleeve Mike called out, “Let’s just get down there and find the damned body so we can get out of here!”

  He stepped down onto the first stair, looked down as though he’d just stepped on something, and said, “What the—” at the same moment a shotgun hanging just inside the door went off.

  Standing directly behind Mike, Wilson was shielded from the full blast. A few pellets hit his left arm and the left side of his face, but it hit Mike head on.

  His partner screamed in pain and instinctively jerked away. With flesh sloughing away from his face and chest, the muscle-bound cop backed into Wilson and both men toppled onto the floor.

  Sayer is now on the case, partnered with agent Vik Devereaux of Crimes Against Children, and what they find is horrifying. In a cage suspended from the ceiling of the basement is the body of a young woman, along with a puppy that is still alive. They find out that she may have been held there for as long as three months before she was killed, and that it’s been about a week since she finally died. It doesn’t look like she was sexually assaulted, but she might have died of severe dehydration and starvation. It’s a horrible way to die, and Sayer is determined to find the monster who would have done this.

  It won’t be easy, as the killer didn’t leave any physical evidence. But there is a video, and it’s a doozy. Strange glyphs are projected onto the walls, and it shows the girl’s last moments:

  Her fingers fluttered. Her chest rose and fell. Rose and fell.

  “She’s still alive here,” Sayer whispered, not trusting her voice.

  “Watch,” a robotic voice boomed from the speaker, making them all jump. “The moment she moves beyond the veil.”

  Sayer watched, unable to look away. The girl’s hand lifted slightly, up then down. Her chest rose and fell rose and fell. A barely perceptible tremor shook her body. Then nothing.

  The image cut off, leaving the room dark.

  The details of her death are bad enough, but the team soon finds out that she’s Gwendolyn Van Hurst, the daughter of Senator Charles Van Hurst from Georgia. It’s a public-relations nightmare, and Sayer’s boss trusts her to handle the manner delicately. The Senator, however, seems bound and determined to make that as hard as possible. Frankly, he’s a jerk. He’s nasty to the team and immediately wants to go public with details they’d like to keep close to the vest in hopes they don’t spook their killer. The Senator gets his press conference, though, and it becomes evident that there’s a leak somewhere. Sayer is told to contain it or she’s off the job. It really does seem that fate is throwing every obstacle in the way of these investigators.

  However, a break leads the team to catacombs beneath Mount St. Sepulcher in Washington, D.C., and a book that seems to chronicle Gwen’s death. It’s horrific but provides an important look into the mind of who they’ve dubbed the Cage Killer. Even more important, it points to the existence of another girl in a cage, one who might still be alive. Now, they’re in a race against time to find a girl who is probably very near death and a killer whose motives are beyond anything they could imagine.

  Sayer is a likable and driven protagonist with a fraught past—both of her parents were killed in a car accident, and her fiancé and fellow agent, Jake, was killed on the job. If you like dogged detectives and (extremely) weird, super creepy killers, you can’t go wrong with this strong debut. Cooper’s crisp prose keeps the tension high throughout, and the last sequence is nightmare inducing. Plan on losing sleep because of this one.

• Jenn's Bookshelves
  http://www.jennsbookshelves.com/2018/07/06/review-caged-by-ellison-cooper/
  Word count: 483

  Review: Caged by Ellison Cooper
  July 6, 2018 Jenn Mystery/Suspense, Review, Thriller 1

  WP Greet Box iconXWelcome Googler! If you find this page useful, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.
  Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress Plugin
  I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

  Review: Caged by Ellison CooperCaged by Ellison Cooper
  Published by St. Martin's Press on July 10, 2018
  Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Women Sleuths
  Pages: 368
  Format: eARC
  Source: the publisher
  Sayer Altair is an neuroscientist working for the FBI; her research has her studying the brains of serial killers. She's devoting nearly all of her time to this research, so when she's called away to a scene discovered by DC metro police, it must be important.

  There, she discovers the body of a young woman kept in a cage, slowly starved to death. Details of the scene allude to a serial killer, and Sayer is quickly made lead on the case. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a senator, everyone on the case is thrust into the spotlight. A leak in the FBI means the press are often a step ahead of Sayer, putting even more pressure on this horrific case.

  Another young girl is taken and Sayer and her team must rush to put the details together before yet another innocent girl loses her life. Slowly, she begins to realize that the killer has a dangerous obsession, one that has appeared in cases before. As she uncovers more details, she is horrified to learn that the killer has been right beside her this entire time....
  I’m all about trying debut thrillers. I was drawn to this one to due to the setting (Washington DC metro) and the science behind the main character’s research. A student of psychology and criminal justice myself, I’ve always been drawn to the psychological and physiological “motives” of serial killers.

  What kept me captivated was the truly unique motive of this killer; the killings were truly just a means to a truly bizarre end. Additionally, I appreciated that two of the lead characters were female, a trend in thrillers that I’m pleased to see increasing. While there are aspects of this book that I wish were delved into a bit more, I do understand that this is a debut. I do hope Cooper plans to follow Sayer’s character in another book; her character is one I’m not quite ready to part ways with yet!

  All in all, a truly captivating (though, I’ll give you a warning, a bit dark!) read! Highly recommended.

Word Count