One of the biggest misconceptions about criminal investigations is that every crime is completely unique.

In reality, people are creatures of habit.

We all develop routines without even realizing it.

We drive the same route to work.

Order the same meal at our favorite restaurant.

Reach for the same coffee mug every morning.

Those habits become part of who we are.

Criminals are no different.

While every investigation is unique, investigators know that offenders often repeat certain behaviors. Those repeated behaviors can become some of the most valuable clues in an investigation.

That doesn’t mean every crime scene looks the same.

It means people tend to make familiar choices under familiar circumstances.

Sometimes it’s the time of day they act.

Sometimes it’s the type of victim they choose.

Sometimes it’s how they enter or leave a scene.

Those repeated decisions help investigators begin asking an important question:

Is this the same person?

One of the reasons behavioral analysis fascinates me is that it focuses less on individual events and more on patterns.

A single crime can tell investigators a great deal.

A series of crimes can tell them even more.

Patterns help separate coincidence from intention.

They reveal habits.

They expose routines.

And occasionally, they uncover mistakes.

Of course, not every offender repeats everything they do.

Some adapt.

Some learn.

Others deliberately change their behavior because they know investigators are looking for patterns.

That creates another challenge.

Investigators have to determine whether a change represents growth, panic, or an intentional attempt to mislead them.

It’s one of the reasons behavioral profiling is never as simple as television often makes it appear.

There’s no magic formula.

No single clue that suddenly identifies the person responsible.

Instead, investigators patiently gather information until the patterns become impossible to ignore.

That’s something I wanted Samantha Hayes to reflect.

She isn’t looking for dramatic breakthroughs.

She’s looking for consistency.

She’s asking herself:

“What keeps happening?”

Because the answer to that question often reveals far more than the crime itself.

It’s one of my favorite aspects of writing psychological thrillers.

The truth isn’t usually hidden.

It’s repeated.

You just have to recognize the pattern.

Happy reading.