THE HEADHUNTER

Political

What's This Novel About?

image of the novel 'The Headhunter.'
image of the novel 'The Headhunter.'

HAVE YOU BEEN LAID OFF? DON’T HIRE P.J. GRIFFIN TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR NEXT JOB!

Lay-offs are common in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

But P. J. Griffin's reaction is unique. Unable to find a job for almost two years, Griffin decides to exact a desperate revenge on the corporate world. He begins blackmailing corporate executives.

A twisted, modern-day Robin Hood, Griffin threatens to murder the CEO and his entire family unless the CEO hires an unemployed person who Griffin deems worthy. So, what's in it for Griffin? The newly employed person has six months to pay Griffin a finder's fee of $10,000 cash.

Nice way to make a living .

Until the female head of virology for a large RTP drug company refuses to be blackmailed, and is later found dead.

Unfortunately, murder turns out to be the least of Griffin's worries.

To prevent the police finding a reference to him, Griffin steals the victim's jump drive (a thumb-sized computer storage device). But the stolen jump drive also contains the cure for a virus, which is currently killing large numbers of people in Peru. A virus that has just reached the United States, and is evolving into a pandemic.

Greed and panic bring everyone to the table - ex-FBI agent Martin Baines, rival pharmaceutical companies, Griffin's girlfriend, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, and Griffin's ex-wife.

Even worse, the clock is ticking. The virus typically kills its victims in seven days!

Griffin is forced to choose between his own freedom, the lives of people he loves, and possibly the fate of the entire world.

Reviews

Readers of 'The Headhunter' frequently point to:

  • An intimate portrayal of predation and power

  • Alternating perspectives that heighten psychological dread

  • Violence that feels earned rather than gratuitous

  • A disturbing exploration of identity as something taken, not claimed

Comparable Works

PJGriffin 1

P.J. Griffin in 'The Headhunter.'

Street map of Research Triangle Park, NC from Lewis Faulkner's novel 'The Headhunter.'

Comparable Works

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Author's Personal Note

I write novels to explore what happens when power becomes personal.

Sometimes the most terrifying predators aren’t driven by hunger or necessity.

In 'The Headhunter,' they're driven by identity.

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