The Crimson Ecliptic

by Ben Coran

Ares has the kind of life most people long for. However, he hasn't yet fulfilled his one desire in life: to become an untraceable serial killer. When he begins committing murders, he suddenly unleashes the monster within, murdering his unsuspecting victims in a unique pattern according to their zodiac signs. Through preparation, he becomes a killer who is well versed in all of the world's most deadly murderers and their tactics, a killer who researched the methods of law enforcement and honed his ability to avoid detection, a killer who knows how to eliminate all evidence from the scene. He even sends messages and ciphers for police and a national news reporter, Marshall Conway, to report on the air as a playful ploy, thinking the law will never be able to trap him. Will the FBI ever catch up to Ares and his evil ways? And just how do they capture someone who, after delivering the bodies to them, leaves no evidence? Author Ben Coran's breakthrough story, The Crimson Ecliptic, is a perfect mixture of The DaVinci Code, Criminal Minds, and Dexter. The first novel of the Black Series, it is a nonstop thrill-ride that will leave you breathless at every turn of the page.

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2012

About the author

Ben Coran is a writer and journalist and has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines. Ben has a degree in Psychology and has researched serial crime both academically and through interviews with real convicted killers and the incredible men and women in law enforcement who catch them.

Having never considered writing, it was a complete surprise when the main character in the first novel, The Crimson Ecliptic, appeared in Ben's mind as he was on his way to a real estate listing appointment in 2006. After spending a week jotting down notes and ideas, Ben began research. Reading every book available on serial crime, psychology, forensics, and the nature of autopsies, along with interviews of numerous convicted serial murderers, Ben honed Ares into an efficient and brilliant killing machine.

The second novel, When Stars Align, is a completely different genre. When Stars Align is a romantic comedy described as a mixture between The Notebook and While You Were Sleeping. Other future projects include a journey back into darkness for The Wars Within, a psychological thriller that will push the boundaries of what people are willing to accept about the nature of reality, possibility, and deviance.

Ben currently lives in southern Idaho with his family. He and his wife have five children. Ben enjoys many hobbies and interests ranging from motorcycles to physics.