About this ebook
The Van: A Tale of Terror
John Ball said of this novel: "The series of bizarre and frightful murders described in the pages that follow is based on an actual case, the complete file of which is shattering reading."
The setting for the powerful story is the Los Angeles area. The van, a dark-colored one, basic to much of the horror, was not much of a van.
The many victims whose mutilated bodies were discovered were chosen haphazardly. There were two killers. The Los Angeles sheriff’s office and homicide bureau included many able, well-trained men, used to dealing with murders. But when the tapes the killers enjoyed making were found and played, they were the most horrifying piece of evidence the technicians had ever listened to.
The victims were always young ladies—often very young.
Working with the police department was Dr. Flavia de la Torre, a sociologist who had been given a grant to do a study on the incidence of serious crimes committed by men on parole. She was an attractive woman who was an asset—but who wasn't really aware (were any of them?) of the criminal minds she'd be encountering.
The reader should be prepared, too, as he (or she) reads ahead.
John Ball said of this novel: "The series of bizarre and frightful murders described in the pages that follow is based on an actual case, the complete file of which is shattering reading."
The setting for the powerful story is the Los Angeles area. The van, a dark-colored one, basic to much of the horror, was not much of a van.
The many victims whose mutilated bodies were discovered were chosen haphazardly. There were two killers. The Los Angeles sheriff’s office and homicide bureau included many able, well-trained men, used to dealing with murders. But when the tapes the killers enjoyed making were found and played, they were the most horrifying piece of evidence the technicians had ever listened to.
The victims were always young ladies—often very young.
Working with the police department was Dr. Flavia de la Torre, a sociologist who had been given a grant to do a study on the incidence of serious crimes committed by men on parole. She was an attractive woman who was an asset—but who wasn't really aware (were any of them?) of the criminal minds she'd be encountering.
The reader should be prepared, too, as he (or she) reads ahead.
About the author
The son of a scientist, John Ball was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Milwaukee. He attended Carroll College in Wisconsin. He subsequently worked as a science staff writer on Fortune, a music critic and feature writer for the Brooklyn Eagle, a daily columnist on the New York World-Telegram & Sun, a broadcaster for a Washington radio station, and a Director of Public Relations for the Institute of Aerospace Sciences. His In the Heat of the Night was awarded a Mystery Writers of America "Edgar" for the Best First Mystery Novel of the Year, and since had been followed by The Cool Cottontail, also featuring his African-American detective, Virgil Tibbs. Mr. Ball has also authored a number of notable young adult books. Praise for John Ball "The guy certainly knows his airplanes well and he held my interest very tightly as he developed the story." —RICHARD BACH, author of Stranger to the Ground and Biplane (Rescue Mission) "A nice tight murder puzzle." —Times Literary Supplement (Five Pieces of Jade) "A taut, dramatic yarn." —Charlotte Observer (Five Pieces of Jade) "Tibbs is as much a model of perfection as the late Wimsey... A good detective who actually ratiocinates." —Times Literary Supplement (London) (Then Came Violence) "John Ball knows how to run with a good plot--and this is one of his best." —Kirkus Reviews (Singapore) "A top notch mystery." —News & Observer (The Kiwi Target) "A breathtaking suspense thriller." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer (The Kiwi Target) "The Kiwi Target is the last book that John Ball wrote. We shall miss his inspiration." —Mystery Scene (The Kiwi Target)
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