Elizabeth Heiter's "Seized"

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 newest novel, Seized:

Seized, the third book in my Profiler series, follows FBI profiler Evelyn Baine as she travels to a remote area of Montana for a routine prison interview. The trip turns anything but routine when fellow agent Jen Martinez insists Evelyn check out a local cult of survivalists, insisting there’s something more going on with the group, and convinced the FBI is overlooking a serious threat. When they arrive at the compound, the agents are taken hostage and Evelyn soon realizes Jen was right. She needs to get the information to the outside world, but if the FBI breaches the compound, Evelyn will be the first casualty. If they don’t, the group may unleash an attack that will leave the entire country shattered.

If Seized were to be made into a movie, here’s my dream cast:

FBI profiler Evelyn Baine: The young, biracial agent finds herself trapped inside a cult filled with anti-federalist white supremacists, but that doesn’t stop her from nosing around, trying to collect information for the FBI. If anyone can pull off the strong, determined heroine, it’s Thandie Newton (and she happens to look almost exactly the way I imagine Evelyn!).

FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle "Mac" McKenzie: He’s an operator on the FBI’s only full-time tactical response unit, so when agents are taken hostage inside a dangerous cult with a stockpile of weaponry, Mac and his team are called in. Surrounding the compound, waiting for the call to action – and hoping that if he does get to go inside, he’ll find love interest Evelyn Baine still alive – I picture Hugh Jackman playing Mac. Imagine him in Wolverine mode (only replace the metal claws with an FBI-issued sub-machine gun), but keep a little of the actor’s Aussie charm, because Mac is a definite charmer!

FBI agent Jen Martinez: When Jen thinks she’s onto something with a case, she’s persistent. No matter how many times her supervisor warns her to stay away from this cult, she’s convinced they’re a bigger threat than anyone realizes, and she’s not going to let them get away with anything on her watch. I imagine her as Cameron Diaz. Diaz is a little young, but could definitely play Martinez with the sort of spunk and determination needed to push her way onto the property of a cult of survivalists!

FBI profiler Greg Ibsen: He’s Evelyn’s mentor at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, and when the cult takes hostages, he’s called in to provide a profile for the FBI and help develop strategies on how to defuse the situation. When he initially arrives, he has no idea his partner is inside the compound with Jen. I imagine Greg a bit like Edward Norton, who could pull of Greg’s mix of professional FBI profiler, dedicated family man, and over-protective mentor.

Visit Elizabeth Heiter's website.

My Book, The Movie: Vanished.

The Page 69 Test: Vanished.

The Page 69 Test: Seized.

--Marshal Zeringue

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