The Pattern Detective — Summary

Jake Shepherd, a retired Michigan State Police investigator turned forensic linguist, never believed words were accidental. To him, language was evidence.

During twenty years as an investigator, he earned a reputation for solving the toughest cases, including multiple serial murder investigations. His greatest investigative tool was forensic linguistics—the science of identifying a person’s unique communication patterns. Jake called it linguistic DNA, believing every person’s communication patterns were as distinctive as fingerprints or genetic code. It earned him one nickname: The Pattern Detective.

When three young women—Julia Bird, Megan Torres, and Mimi Raymond—are brutally murdered in Deeren, Michigan, the community is gripped by fear. Under enormous public pressure, city leaders make the unprecedented decision to appoint a private investigator, Jake Shepherd, to lead a multi-jurisdictional task force and Grand Jury.

The evidence points in two directions. Bird and Torres were sexually assaulted and had their jugulars cut indoors. Mimi was stabbed repeatedly outside her home with no obvious sexual assault. Were the murders connected—or were investigators hunting two killers? The wrong answer could waste precious time while another victim waited.

Jake’s attention locks onto five words left at Julia Bird’s murder scene:

They Get What They Deserve.

To most investigators, it is a taunt. To Jake, it is evidence. Just as FBI forensic linguists identified the Unabomber by matching his manifesto to personal letters, Jake knows language leaves a signature. Investigators are trained to collect blood, fingerprints, and DNA. Few are trained to recognize linguistic DNA—the repeated words, sentence structure, pronouns, and phrases that uniquely identify a writer. That is a powerful tool Jake possesses.

As the investigation unfolds, Deputy Chief Sandra Anderson emerges as Jake’s trusted partner. Intelligent, steady, and courageous, she becomes more than a colleague as a quiet romance grows amid the relentless pursuit of a killer.

Then disaster strikes. Critical evidence is accidentally destroyed, creating an opportunity for the defense to undermine the entire case. Without physical evidence, Jake knows the investigation may depend on the one piece of evidence still considered the gold standard—a confession.

When the task force identifies its prime suspect, Jake discovers a childhood shaped by abandonment, abuse, and isolation. Understanding the man’s past becomes the key to unlocking the truth. Jake patiently and expertly guides the suspect to the realization there is peace in telling the truth.

“Truth is peace, Danny,” he says. “Peace is what you need.”

The confession follows. The killer pleads guilty to crimes that will likely keep him imprisoned for life. As Deeren begins to heal, Jake and Sandra quietly discover that even after unimaginable darkness, hope can still find its way home.

About the Author

Joe Koenig’s path to becoming an investigator was anything but direct. After unsuccessful academic pursuits, he found his calling with the Michigan State Police in 1967 gaining maturity thru marriage. Over a 26-year career, he rose to Inspector, led complex investigations—including the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa—and earned a reputation for solving difficult cases by following evidence, patterns, and human behavior.

After retiring, Joe immersed himself in forensic linguistics, interview and interrogation, and deception detection, developing expertise in the subtle communication patterns that reveal truth. His work helped secure the release of two wrongfully convicted prisoners and strengthened his commitment to preventing false confessions.

Today, Joe leads a private investigative firm specializing in financial fraud and forensic linguistics. The Pattern Detective, his third book and first novel, blends a lifetime of investigative experience with the science of language, proving that words often reveal what people work hardest to hide.

Joe’s previous books are:

“Getting the Truth” 2014 Principia Media
2016 Montaigne Medal Finalist Award!
2016 Indie Non-Fiction Finalist Award!

“Getting the Truth: I am D.B. Cooper” 2019 Principia Media