I thought I would give a quick update on my Goodreads Challenge. I found this challenge posted in one of my Goodreads groups. This particular challenge is 'read your way through the alphabet', and I've always wanted to see if I could complete it. So, the idea is to read a book for each letter of the alphabet. So far, I've only gotten to the letter "D" with Dream Town by David Baldacci, and it's just been well....a challenge. I think the biggest reason for this is time. It just seems like I don't have the time to read like I used to. Between working all week, finding time to write books and getting them published, doing housework, and errands, there's just no time left. The other reason is that the quality of books being published is not what it used to be. Now, I know that seems a bit snobbish and I don't mean for it to be, but the quality of books is not the same. The authors who are publishing books with the traditional publishers, seem to have some mystery quota that they have to fill. So, they include unnecessary words, paragraphs of description, or plots that don't work or don't tie up all the loose ends. I think this is why this reading challenge has just been so difficult....and I wish it wasn't that way. I remember when I could pick up any book and just enjoy it, but I guess change comes with all things.

There are very few authors that I do read: John Grisham, Dan Brown, Diana Gabaldon, Phillipa Gregory, and Arthur Conan Doyle are the select pool that I have to choose from. There is still John Grisham's new book, "Camino Ghosts" still sitting on my nightstand, which I haven't gotten to. Anyway, I was hoping that this challenge might help me "discover" a new author that I could add to my list, but I haven't been that lucky so far. Hopefully, it won't take me years to complete this challenge and maybe I will find another author or two to add to my list. So, on a positive note - here's to faster progress and discovering new books.  So, have you ever tried to complete a reading challenge like this? 
Until next time...

Sherlock Holmes, the most famous fictional detective, was the vehicle that Arthur Conan Doyle used to advance forensic science. The cases of Sherlock Holmes brought to the masses the value of logical deduction. From fingerprints to document and footprint analysis, this detective uses the clues to make a logical hypothesis regarding people's behavior and reactions in order to solve the case. That's the thing that always impressed me by about this character, the information he gains from clay on the bottom of a shoe or the way a document was written is so eye-opening you have to sit back in awe of how he put it all together. Of course, a lot of credit must go to the author himself because without his dedication to create a "science" detective, modern forensic methods would be sorely lacking.

My favorite forensic method would have to be document analysis. From a handwritten note, Sherlock Holmes can detect the gender of the writer and certain characteristics such as if the writer was in a hurry or a methodical planner.  It really is amazing how much you can tell from someone's writing -- just think about it. Women write differently than men and if you're in a hurry, most likely, the writing will be less legible than if you're taking your time to write an important document. The place in which the document was written can also be deduced from an analysis of the writing. Of course, with the invention of email some of this art has been lost which, for me, is such a shame.  Document analysis is such an involved forensic technique that the FBI created a separate section for it in 1932. Of course, document analysis was not always taken seriously, but thankfully, he has gained the creditability that it deserves.

Readers may fall in love with a fictional character, but there comes a time when the author is ready to put that character to rest.  It's hard to imagine that Arthur Doyle would ever get tired of his detective character, and in fact, that was the purpose of the story "The Adventure of the Final Problem".  The readers just see an amazing character, but the author has to create the stories, do the research, plot out the story, and so I can see how one would become exhausted.  However, Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective, fictional or not, from his amazing logical dedications to his quirky character flaws. Modern forensic methods were brought to life by the most unlikely person -- a fictional detective created by a brilliant author, Arthur Conan Doyle.
Until next time...

I wanted to focus this blog post on Crime Scene Research.  When writing one of my mysteries, I always have to particularly focus on one branch of forensics and this time it was crime scenes. The basic concept is that "every contact leaves a trace". So, there's no way to walk into a room without leaving a piece of you, no matter how small, behind. Crime scene investigators focus on four main things: (1) is something unique to the crime scene, (2) the evidence has a low probability of being there by chance, (3) is the evidence out of place from its surrounding, and (4) is it a physical match.  Investigators use these to determine what was naturally at the scene and what was "brought in" from the crime. These four things really remind me of Sherlock Holmes, my favorite detective, who would gather multitudes of information by just observing the crime scene. What should be there, what wasn't there, or something odd in the room that nobody else noticed. It seems to me that a lot of things go unnoticed by the average person. Maybe that's because we are overloaded by information, emails, job stress, families, and etc. But, what would happen if we actually took the time to notice our surroundings...or perhaps you don't want to. 

Crime scene investigators are the collectors and gatherers of all the crime scene evidence. Ranging from crime scene photos, to fingerprints, trace evidence, and other items that are part of the crime. Probably like many of you, I was a fan of the TV show CSI, and I always thought it was so fascinating how they processed the crime scene. So, I was a little disappointed when I found it how it really happens, but to my consolation, the actual science behind it still rather fascinating. My next mystery will focus on crime scene forensics and so the bulk of my research or 'reminder research' is on what is found at a crime scene. It still amazes me how much information you can forget, especially something as particular as forensics. I guess that's part of the thrill for me as a mystery writer. To research these things, utilize them in my stories, and have a believable mystery that readers will enjoy. So, the question is what has gone unnoticed by you lately?
​Until next time...