 Authorities were amazed by the similarities between Cox 's actual crimes and the manuscript , which they found several years before Cox was arrested . The fictional character is 5 ft 7 in ( 170 cm ) , has brown hair and blue eyes . Cox is 5 ft 6 in ( 168 cm ) , has brown hair and green eyes . Both the fictional character and Cox drove a silver Audi TT , illegally acquired Tampa real estate worth $ 2 @.@ 7 million , were alumni of the University of South Florida , had an intense fear of Interpol , and formerly worked as insurance seller . 
