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Today's #TuesdayTip is another book review. This time it's the brilliant "The Real CSI. A Forensic Handbook For Crime Writers", by Kate Bendelow.
Bendelow has the unusual distinction of not only being a currently serving forensic scientist with Greater Manchester Police, but she is also the author of two novels featuring CSI Maya Barton. Because of this, the handbook is very much geared towards writers.

I was really impressed with this book. Although it has been around for a few years (2017), it's still going to be pretty much up-to-date for a few more years yet, and of course a lot of things don't change. These sort of books tend to fall into two categories - what I call 'dippy books', where you dip into or out of them using the extensive index to find the specific topic you want to read about, and 'cover to cover' books, where you sit down with a cuppa and read from the beginning to the end.

Unusually this book is both. The first chapter, 'A day in the life of a real CSI' is a chapter to be read in one sitting. As are the next couple, 'Dealing with death' and 'Crime scene preservation'. After then, the book is divided into more broad chapters with lots of subsections, such as Fingerprints, DNA, Footwear, Trace evidence, Fire scenes, Drugs and toxicology, and Firearms. You can either read the whole chapter, or home in on a subsection, such as "issues affecting fingerprint quality".

​The science is well written and detailed and aimed broadly at a general audience. Those who haven't studied science since they were at school may find themselves Googling the odd term that they aren't familiar with or accessing the glossary at the end, but generally speaking it's pretty accessible.
Another advantage that this book has over some in the field, is that Bendelow is still working as a CSI, rather than looking back on a career or observing from afar. This is real boots-on-the-ground stuff and helps dispel the myths as portrayed on TV or in fiction. Obviously, as writers we are more concerned with telling a story than 100% accuracy, but it's always best to learn what the rules are before you decide to break them.

One of the things I like about this book is that the writing is very personable, with plenty of examples of true life cases. Both infamous tales that you may have heard of, and those that Bendelow has encountered personally in her day job. What demonstrates that Bendelow is herself a writer, is that almost every section ends with thoughts about how a writer could use what she has just described or things to be careful of.

Overall, I was very impressed and very much recommend it to both writers and those who just want to know a bit more. And to quote the wonderful Lynda La Plante 'Every crime writer should have a copy of this book on their desk.' Who am I to disagree?

If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

Until next time,
All the best,
Paul

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Welcome back, and a Happy New Year! This week's #TuesdayTip is a review of a fantastic book I received for Christmas.
Murder Investigation Team - How Killers Are Really Caught - is a brilliant account from recently retired Scotland Yard detective inspector Steven Keogh.
Released in 2022 (and containing data up to March 31st 2020 when things changed somewhat!), this is an in-depth insight into the process of solving murders and taking them to trial.
Although it deals specifically with the Metropolitan (London) Police Service, who divide Greater London into autonomous Murder Investigation Teams (MITs) and thus might be operationally slightly different to the way other police forces deal with such crimes, most of it is generally applicable to other forces in England and Wales.


Unlike some books, which are more like reference guides designed to be dipped into and out of, this can be read cover to cover (which I did over three days). I was really impressed with it, and heartily recommend it to authors writing British Police Procedurals, and non-writers who want to learn more about what really goes on. Keogh's writing style is both personal and personable and very accessible, without feeling patronising for those with previous knowledge. It feels almost as if he has been invited to give a lengthy talk to a room full of interested laypeople. And I mean that as a compliment and endorsement.

Divided into chapters, he first takes us through some of the technicalities of what is murder, how it differs from manslaughter and some of the potential defences or partial defences (ie when you would push for a murder prosecution, when you might decide no offence has been committed, and why a person might be convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder). He also describes the structure of an MIT (it might be subtly different in other forces) and the roles of individuals.

The remainder of the book is broadly chronological, dealing first with the crime scene(s). This includes forensics and what they are specifically looking for. Of particular note is the section on phone data. Keogh is fascinated by this and voluntarily took on this role in many investigations, so he has real expertise.
The next chapter is the longest and concerns the investigation itself, but is sub-divided. He looks at investigative thinking, lines of investigation and the arrest and interview of suspects. In this subsection, he describes how modern interviews are conducted. There is then a section where he answers some of the questions that people regularly ask.
Finally, there is a chapter describing a trial and the aftermath.

Throughout the book, he illustrates his points with anonymised case files. As a mark of respect, he doesn't name any victims or suspects, although afficionados of true crime will probably recognise some of the more well-publicised cases. He also has regular "Myth Busters" and "Did You Know?" facts. All crime fiction writers accept that the relating of an investigation in exacting detail would be rather less exciting than they hope for, but I'm a firm believer in the adage that to break the rules, you need to know the rules first. Knowing how your book needs to differ from real life for dramatic purposes can help you choose what liberties to take, whilst minimising the gnashing of teeth (and smart-arse Amazon reviews) of the armchair detective.

The book is refreshingly honest. Keogh is not afraid to admit to mistakes that he and his team have made, and the learning that came from them, and whilst the book is understandably very pro-police, he admits to failings. He is also quite happy to point the finger where necessary at the impact of government cuts, the sometimes cut-throat and often underhand or callous tactics of defence barristers, and the sometimes inexplicable decisions made by juries. Throughout it, he is clearly in awe of the dignity shown by victims' loved-ones.

My wife, who is not a writer, commented that she is looking forward to reading it next because it looks really interesting. I think she'll thoroughly enjoy it, and so will you.

Steven Keogh runs The Murder Academy website that looks at True Crime and the solving of crimes.

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Today's Tuesday Tip is a book review - Crime Writing: How To Write The Science by Brian Price.
Brian Price is the author of the DC Mel Cotton series. He is also a retired environmental chemist and biologist. In this gem of a book, he sets out to provide a manual to help non-scientists write science in a compelling and accurate manner.
I picked up a copy of this book some time ago, and have been dipping in and out of it since I bought it. It is a fantastic resource, and one that's well-worth the investment.
The breadth of topics covered is exceptionally broad. As one would expect, there is a lot of forensic science, but the book goes well beyond that. For example, the first two chapters cover poisons. This is an area in which Agatha Christie was famous for her in-depth knowledge, however Price goes beyond slipping someone a mickey or poisoning their cream tea. He covers a wide-range of toxic substances, including some common industrial and environmental poisons. A third chapter deals with ways of inducing unconsciousness.


I hang around on a number of writers' forums and how to render a victim insensate is a frequent source of both discussion and frustration. You'd be amazed how many people still think that a bash to the back of the head will produce temporary unconsciousness, from which the hero will awaken, sometime later, with a sore head and 'a mild concussion'. He discusses a number of different substances or methods to stun someone, and dispels the many myths perpetrated in crime fiction.
Later chapters deal with explosives and firearms, methods for killing a person and the all-important disposal of the body and (hopefully) getting away with it.


The reason I recommend this book so highly is its accessibility. Price makes no assumptions about the reader's prior scientific knowledge. Sections are short and snappy, and he includes copious mini case-studies, from both fact and fiction. He also includes practical and legal issues - for example, it's all very well coming up with a fiendish and scientifically plausible way to murder your character, but have you considered how likely it is the killer will actually get their hands on a controlled substance that only medical professionals have access to?
The book is designed as a study guide, and so there is an extensive bibliography at the back pointing towards original sources and further reading, and it is fully indexed.
This isn't a book designed to be read cover-to-cover, rather it is for dipping in and out of, and picking up as a quick primer on a topic; if nothing else it will give you the necessary keywords to search the internet in more detail. It's primary purpose is to introduce the basics and dispel some myths, hopefully helping writers avoid mistakes or perpetuating misconceptions. As a teacher, I would heartily recommend this book to students for its clarity, and as an author, would recommend it to any crime writers, fledgling or experienced.


One last thing. As a science teacher and experienced writer, much of what was in the book wasn't entirely new to me. Yet I still found it a source of inspiration. Flicking through the contents pages, I found myself drawn to random topics or fascinating case studies. And you know what, I wouldn't be surprised if my next books have some plot points inspired by what I've read!


You can learn more about writing science accurately and contact Brian Price at www.crimewriterscience.co.uk. You can read more about Brian's writing by visiting his website https://www.brianpriceauthor.co.uk/.

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This week's #TuesdayTip is a book review.
Unlike my previous look at Stephen King's much-lauded autobiography/writing manual On Writing, this is not billed as a must-read for writers.
Yet I still feel it belongs here.
For those not sure what it's about, Lee Child is the pen name of James D. Grant, the phenomenally successful best-selling author of the Jack Reacher series of thrillers. The first novel in the series has just been successfully adapted into a terrific series for Amazon, with two more series confirmed.
The much-derided Tom Cruise films (derided because the protagonist Reacher is 6'5" and 250lb, and Cruise very much isn't) were serviceable adaptations, but the most important thing is that a star like Tom Cruise was desperate to star in them.
That's how big this franchise is.
The book is not a list of dos and don'ts. There aren't detailed articles about grammar or structure or the writing craft. However, it is the very candid biography of one of the most successful thriller writers in the world, and woven amongst a fascinating life story, is a telling of how he did it.
Will others use this as a manual to mimic Lee Child? Of course, many already do. But through a combination of timing, luck (good and bad) and his own unique personality, nobody else has come close to creating Jack Reacher or replicating Child's success. And I suspect nobody will.
So why read it?
Buried within this book are Child's thoughts about writing. It doesn't matter if you think his prose is wonderful or recoil with horror at the thought of trying to average 4-5 words per sentence. It's an interesting perspective and a valuable insight.
It's a very good biography. James Grant was brought up in the fifties, in an urban landscape that has largely disappeared or changed beyond recognition. Similarly, he worked at Granada TV during a golden age of television, doing a job that has largely disappeared or changed beyond recognition. In that sense, it is a form of social history.
He started writing at the end of the nineties, before eBooks. He admits that he probably wouldn't have done as well if he started out today. The professional writing landscape today, especially for those starting out, is almost unrecognisable. Again, this charts a fascinating era of history.
His childhood, and his complicated relationship with his parents, has shaped the man he is today and his writing. Dr Heather Martin is a literary expert and she uses this to derive insight from his interviews, his books and his friends. It's not cod psychoanalysis by any stretch, but she paints a complex picture.
He is phenomenally well-read. He had a classical education, and it is clear that his exceptional memory allowed him to absorb and internalise much of that writing. Martin is able to draw parallels between what he has read and what he writes, and it's clear that she regards his writing as worthy of study as any so-called literary fiction. Given the high-praise that he has received from some of the most lauded writers of the modern era, anyone who thinks that Jack Reacher novels are trashy airport reads is mistaken (the secret to Child's success of course, is that he's also managed to corner the airport market, with a staggering number of his books being sold at Heathrow and Gatwick).
The book is very honest. It's clear that Martin finds him a charming and likeable man. I've met him a couple of times, and he is a very pleasant person to spend time with (I am no longer tongue-tied!). However, she isn't afraid to delve deeply. In some ways Lee Child is almost as fictional as his creation Jack Reacher. She takes care to differentiate between James (Jim) Grant, a family man with strong political views and an openly-shared love of his wife of forty-plus years and their daughter, and Lee Child, the mythical writing behemoth. Twenty-five years of being interviewed has meant that story-teller Lee Child has perhaps exaggerated some of the tales of his upbringing. His recollections of events might not be entirely accurate... Martin tracked down school friends, work colleagues, neighbours, and even school teachers. Some of the stories were confirmed, others were openly derided. But it doesn't matter, because at the end of the day, Lee Child is a story-teller.
It brings the story up-to-date. The book was published around the time that Child announced his impending retirement. It details why he decided to do it, the reaction of his publishers, and the decision to hand over the reins to younger brother Andrew Grant, who would now adopt the pseudonym Andrew Child. The paperback version even includes a brief addendum to include his experiences during the pandemic.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's a damn good read! Ian Rankin describes it thus 'As gripping as one of Lee Child's own bestsellers'. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not a big reader of biographies, but this was a real page-turner.

So whilst this is technically a #TuesdayTip, it is also a #RecommendedRead.
What are your thoughts on the phenomenon that is Lee Child/Jack Reacher?
Have you read The Reacher Guy?
As always feel free to comment here or in the comments.
Best wishes,
Paul

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First of all, I have to start this book review with a bit of confession - I don't read Stephen King!
The reason is quite simple, I'm not a fan of the horror genre. I have nothing against it; I'm not squeamish. I'm certainly not a snob. It just doesn't do anything for me. 
Yet I have the utmost respect for Stephen King, and his peers, such as Dean Koontz; craftsmen who can hook readers into their novels and leave them begging for more. King is an acknowledged master of the genre - but more importantly, he is a master of writing. Full stop. We can all learn something from him.
And so I dove into this book keen to learn more about this fascinating man and his remarkable talent.

The book is a hybrid - part memoir, part tutorial.
The first half of the book is autobiographical.
King grew up in small-town America in the fifties and sixties; the story of his early life and burgeoning love of writing - any writing - is a candid and insightful view of what made him the man he is today. That tale alone is worth reading. Unfortunately, despite what it says on the cover image at the top of this page, the edition I have is the original from 2000, rather than the newly updated 20th anniversary edition, so only provides a snapshot of the first twenty-odd years of his career.

The second part - on writing - is why this is a #TuesdayTip, rather than a #RecommendedRead.
King is a leader in the field and this book is his own unique perspective on how to go about writing. It's told as a narrative, with an almost folksy approach. Rather than a text book (although it is used in degree courses all over the world), it is as if King is sitting down chatting to you about what he's learned over the years. King taught high school English, and so even the most technical discussions about grammar, pace and structure are explained clearly for the non-specialist. The only assumption he makes is that you want to be a better writer.
The chances are that you won't agree with everything in this book. I certainly didn't. Some of the rules that he has found work for him, won't work for you. But that's OK. In fact it's a good thing. Every writer is different - do what works for you. But exposure to diverse ideas is essential when honing your craft. I know that there are things that I have subconsciously absorbed when reading this book that will help me in the future.
An interesting and controversial view, that King states forcefully, is that too much plotting makes for a bad book. Many of his peers would vehemently disagree, and have produced masterful examples that disprove this theory. Yet it gives hope to those of us for whom plotting is a chore. But don't let that put you off if your outline runs to hundreds of pages. There is still much to be valued in here, and reading about different approaches can help you hone your own method.

Perhaps one of the nicest things about this book is the way that King's love for his wife Tabitha - Tabby - runs throughout it. They met at college, and she has been his cheerleader, sounding-board, and fiercest critic throughout his career. In 2021, they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary and it's heart-warming when reading a book set twenty years ago to know that they are still going strong today. 

The book finishes in 1999, a significant year in King's life, after a careless driver nearly killed him. The final chapters describe the horrifying accident and its aftermath in a frank and detailed manner that befits a man who has made a career of torturing imaginary characters. Because of the endpoint, we don't get to hear his views on eBooks, the rise of Amazon, self-publishing or the ubiquity of social media.

For that reason, I will endeavour to read the twentieth anniversary edition at some point, and continue the story of Tabitha and Stephen.      

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Today's #TuesdayTip is actually a book review: How To Catch A Killer by Katherine Ramsland, PhD.
I decided to place it here, rather than on my #RecommendedReads blog, as it is more of a useful resource than a 'story'.
Prof. Ramsland teaches forensic psychology and criminology and is the author of numerous books and academic articles, as well as an advisor for many documentaries.
There are lots of books out there about serial killers or murderers, and they vary from the lurid to the informative; those that seek primarily to entertain and those that are geared more towards academic study. This book can be seen as a catalogue of case studies, written by an academic for the mass market.

The first thing to note, is that a lot of thought has been put into how the book is organised. There are 30 case studies, a mixture of well-known individuals, eg BTK, ABC Killer, Son of Sam etc and more obscure ones, such as The Mad Carpenter. The earliest case dates from 1898 with latest cases almost in the present day. There is a strong bias towards the US, but there are also examples from the UK, Europe, Central America and Africa.
Each study consists of a couple of pages describing the crime(s) and victims and what is known about the individual who killed them, followed by an account of the capture. These are given in an easy-to-read prose style. Next there is a short key facts summary. Finally, Ramsland gives a commentary from her perspective as a professional.
Ramsland has chosen to divide the cases by the manner in which they were captured. This distinction is rather artificial to be honest, with sections such as Forensic Innovation, Mistakes and Miscalculations or Witness Reports. A lot of the cases overlap but it is as good a way to do it as any. A comprehensive index at the rear increases its use a as a reference guide.

I bought this book for a number of professional reasons but primarily, I am always looking for tools that can help me craft a realistic and compelling antagonist.

To make a fictional killer work, you need to consider several different components.
Motivation
This is true of any character - good or bad - but especially one as complex as a murderer. In the real world, it isn't always obvious why somebody commits such crimes, but in fiction "we'll probably never know why he did it" is rarely acceptable. Neither will the reader be satisfied with "he's just barking mad".
I wanted to gain an insight into realistic motivations. The book seeks to explain (and sometimes put forth the killer's explanation) for what they did.
Character Traits
Murderers and serial killers come from all walks of life. Some are weird, scary loners. Others are quiet but apparently normal, and some are the centre of the community and loved by everyone. Many, but by no means all, had a very bad childhood. Some appear to have had brain damage, others might be genetically pre-disposed. Others are a mystery. The book has multiple examples of them all.
Then there is the persistent stereotype of a lone white male etc etc. The book contains numerous case studies of offenders that don't fit this profile.
Offending Pattern
One of the ways that many serial killers are caught, or linked to additional crimes, is through similarities in methodology between different crime scenes. Some serial murderers are driven to bizarre rituals that are so unusual that their crimes absolutely must have been committed by one individual. Others are less obvious, and so may not be noticed by investigators. Again this book has plenty examples of them all. 

With all that said, as a writer, you have a choice.
First, you can attempt to craft a serial killer that readers will understand and recognise. These characters are enormously popular, and whilst we all try to bring something original to the table, you will see characters that range from those where the writer has latched onto an idea seen in the real world and greatly expanded upon it, to stories where the character is clearly heavily influenced by one or more real individuals. This can be enormously effective - Robert Harris' Silence of the Lambs is one of the most lauded fictional depictions of serial killers in literature or film. Both Lecter and Buffalo Bill are inspired in part by real-life people.
The advantage of this is that your character, whilst extreme, will feel 'real' - after all, somebody once upon at time was just like that!
The alternative is to try and craft a serial killer that subverts many of the stereotypes or common tropes. If successful, it will feel highly original. The danger is that if you have a character that bears no resemblance to anyone real then it might feel far-fetched. There maybe a good reason why nobody has thought to have a character do that before!
In either scenario, there is a strong argument to be made that research into these killers can only help - either by providing inspiration, or by helping you know the rules so you can break them more effectively. A book like this can be very useful.

Final Thoughts.
My partner and I watch a lot of documentaries about murderers and serial killers. We are familiar with most of the 'big names', and the basic facts about the cases. Sometimes, we've seen the same person examined by more than one series. What I enjoyed about this book, is that it often gave a very different perspective to a case I thought I knew.
A very good example is that of Ed Kemper, the gigantic man known as the Co-ed Killer. In documentaries, and on the NetFlix semi-fictionalised series Mindhunter, much is made of Kemper's thoughtful, self-reflective intelligence, willingness to cooperate and help law enforcement  and the fact that he is a model prisoner. Indeed, it is sometimes easy to almost overlook the horrific nature of his crimes and see him as a fairly affable, friendly man. Ramsland gives little space over to that, and her insights remind the reader of what a monster Kemper really was (and perhaps still is).


Have you read this book? What did you think? Would you recommend any other, similar books?
Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next week,
Paul