Elizabeth Heiter's "Vanished"

Elizabeth Heiter likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists, and a little bit (or a lot!) of romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations, and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range.

Here Heiter dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Vanished:

Vanished, the second book in my Profiler series, follows an FBI profiler who travels back to her hometown hoping to solve the decades-old disappearance of her best friend when the serial criminal who took her - the Nursery Rhyme Killer - resurfaces. When I wrote Vanished (and Hunted, the first book in the series), I had clear visions of how I imagined the characters. If Vanished were to be cast for a movie, this is who I’d imagine playing the roles:

FBI profiler Evelyn Baine: She’s a young, biracial woman in a male-dominated field, but that’s never stopped her from going after what she wants. When her best friend’s case comes to the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit for profiling, Evelyn insists she be assigned. Not only does Thandie Newton look almost exactly the way I picture Evelyn, she can definitely play a hard-nosed profiler with a traumatic past.

FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle “Mac” McKenzie: He works for the FBI’s only full-time tactical response unit, and when it comes to work, he’s all business. Otherwise, he likes practical jokes and the day he met too-serious Evelyn, he couldn’t help teasing her; since then, his feelings have gotten more complicated. I’ve always pictured Hugh Jackman as Kyle. Think the Wolverine with an FBI-issued sub-machine gun instead of metal claws, mixed with a little bit of the Aussie charm the actor displays in interviews.

Rose Bay Police Chief Tomas Lamar: He’s the controversial police chief in a small town facing down the worst memory in its history for a second time, when the Nursery Rhyme Killer returns. He’s also got a daughter the same age as the victims. There’s a little bit of Denzel Washington in his single-minded dedication to doing his job, no matter the challenges.

FBI profiler Greg Ibsen: Evelyn’s mentor at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, Greg is easy-going, but deeply protective of his mentee, especially when she throws herself into cases where she has a personal connection. I picture him a bit like Ed Norton, who could go from serious, professional FBI agent to dedicated family man, to easy-going office favorite in a matter of seconds.

If I’m going to envision a cast for the movie version of Vanished, I figure I might as well dream big!

Visit Elizabeth Heiter's website and watch the book trailer for Vanished.

--Marshal Zeringue