Marilyn's Musings

While I was visiting the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the speaker, a criminologist, shared many interesting tidbits. Among them were a few facts about fingerprints. Latent fingerprints are collected from all over. The computer helps match fingerprints. Using both the state and federal system, sometimes will come up with a match in about two minutes. The latest FBI system will check against all fingerprints in the system. Of course, the fingerprints must be in the system. State law prohibits including the fingerprints of teachers and others who have had to be fingerprinted for their job. And murders. There are very few true stranger murders. The killer is usually someone the  victim knows. But--there are around 200 active serial killers in the United States now. Serial killers usually stalk their victims. Profiling isn't always a good thing. Knee jerk reactions are almost always bad. Surveillance cameras are everywhere.The average American is video tape...

I first heard of S. Connell Vondrak at the Public Safety Writers Conference this year. I knew she had a book published by Oak Tree Press who publishes my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, but nothing more. While at the conference I bought her book, No Evidence of a Crime . Susan (that's what the S. stands for) is a 24 year veteran of the Illinois State Police, in the forensic department. She's currently the Director of Research and Development and the Statewide Training Program. I tell you all that because the fact that she's an expert really comes through in her mystery. The story is set in Washington DC and begins with the murder of a congressman's beautiful aide. She was shot near the Capita Mall. (Sound familiar? Let me tell you it might, however the story is nothing like any you've heard about or read before. The detectives investigating the case, Kathleen and Jim, almost immediately begin noticing discrepancies in the evidence. As the dig deeper, they beg...

Jan Burke, who is highly involved with the Crime Lab Project, pointed out that we need to be aware that there is a vast different between real life and TV and movies. The detectives still need to do their work. Many of the labs that work on DNA aren't accredited. Even the FBI has made mistakes with DNA. It's not the DNA that goes wrong, it's the people working with it who make the mistakes. Because readers have a vague idea at least crime scene investigation techniques, the author needs to have some knowledge too. Crime scene investigation varies from county to county, might even vary from shift to shift--and even who makes the decision as to whether or not there will be an autopsy. There is always the possibility of human error and cross contamination no matter how good the lab and the pathologist. Too much detail can date a book, because investigation techniques keep changing. Some author are getting too fascinated by all the new stuff and are forgetting to write a good s...