Tag: mystery books

The Skinny on How Investigators Use DNA, Fingerprints in Solving Crimes

CSI for authors crime-scene-30112_640At the October meeting of the Maryland Writers Association (Howard County), John L. French, a crime scene supervisor for the Baltimore City Police Department, offered writers some tips on making their fictional crime investigations more realistic.

Part 1 of this article offered French’s suggestions on documenting the crime scene and what firearms evidence left there could reveal. In part two, we look at how fingerprint and DNA evidence are used by crime scene investigation units. Continue reading “The Skinny on How Investigators Use DNA, Fingerprints in Solving Crimes”

Crime Scene Investigator & Author Offers Tips on Making Fictional Crimes Realistic

CSI for authors crime-scene-30112_640At the October meeting of the Maryland Writers Association (Howard County), John L. French, a crime scene supervisor for the Baltimore City Police Department, offered writers some tips on making their fictional crime investigations more realistic.

French explained that the phrase “crime scene investigation” coupled with what people see on the TV show of the same name has led a touch of confusion about what CSI do. In Baltimore City, as well as many other municipalities, the CSI staff aren’t police officers. They’re civilians who work for the police department. As such, they don’t interview witnesses, canvas the neighborhoods, or generally investigate the crime. Detectives and officers do that kind of work. While CSI folks are investigators of a sort, they are tasked with investigating only the scene and the clues it has to offer. Continue reading “Crime Scene Investigator & Author Offers Tips on Making Fictional Crimes Realistic”

Things I Learned on My Book Tour by Marni Graff

Author Marni Graff
Author Marni Graff

I just returned from a book tour that saw me driving my car from my North Carolina home to Maine and back, visiting a loop of seven states in twenty-eight days. Of the nineteen planned events, seventeen occurred. I met many great readers, connected with cousins I hadn’t seen in years, and had a wonderful mini-reunion in my hometown library, selling my newest and my original mystery. Living out of my car for a month, here’s what I learned about what I did right and what I would change. (You can read part one of this series – the “before I left” post – here.) Continue reading “Things I Learned on My Book Tour by Marni Graff”

Have Pillow: Will Travel by Marni Graff

Author Marni Graff
Author Marni Graff

My Nora Tierney Mysteries are published through a Baltimore indie press, Bridle Path Press, leaving much of the publicity and marketing of my books to me.

With the publication of the second book, The Green Remains, I knew from past experience that a signing tour would be essential to spread word of the newest book to mystery readers had read and enjoyed the first, The Blue Virgin. In the best journalistic way, I needed to answer the Big 5: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Three were immediately knocked off: The WHO was easy- me! And the WHAT were the book events, readings with signings and talks about the novels, set in England. The HOW was easily decided, too. By car, packed up and filled to the brim with clothes, cartons of books and bookmarks, posters and postcards, and anything else a person traveling alone for a month would require. Continue reading “Have Pillow: Will Travel by Marni Graff”