Hello, all! So happy you are joining me for my “limited series,” Forensic Fridays. I hope you’ll continue join me over the next few weeks as I share info about forensic and law enforcement procedures that have made their way into my books.
Among the many things I’ve learned about evidence is the importance of its preservation. It’s crucial that the crime scene is protected and secured. Proper protective gear must be worn (latex gloves, booties), and anyone entering the scene must be logged in and out. One thing I hadn’t thought about that surprised me — and may surprise you — is that, while much evidence is secured in plastic bags, DNA evidence must be kept in paper containers so it can breath. If the container can’t breath and moisture builds up, the DNA will be degraded or ruined.
Here’s an excerpt from I’ll Never Let You Go with forensic expert Georgia Morgan and her brother, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex, at the scene of a violent homicide —
Alex shifted his attention to the kitchen and moved carefully past the breakfast bar. He saw his sister, Georgia, dressed in a Tyvek suit and booties, her red hair tucked into a surgical cap as she leaned over the body, snapping photos. Blood pooled around the body and under Georgia’s feet. Judging by Georgia’s equipment and grim face, she had been here several hours documenting the scene. He knew this because she would never had stepped into the blood and disturbed the evidence until it was well documented . . .
Georgia stepped out of the blood pool onto a tarp, where she rolled her head from side to side. Crime scenes like this one could take days to process.
Cover Your Eye‘s Detective Deke Morgan and legal eagle Rachel Wainwright are about to celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together and naturally I can’t help but share a new Killer Recipe to mark the event! And, of course, I’ve got chocolate on my mind and in my pantry and so am honoring the occasion with these Double Chocolate Heart Cookies. I may have pulled this one together for Deke and Rachel but I hope you and your loved ones enjoy it as well! Please let me know how it turns out and–if you like it as much as I do–I hope you’ll share it.
I’m celebrating! Cover Your Eyes, the first of my books to be set Nashville, has just been released. I love having “Music City” as my setting, probably because I was impressed from my very first visit a couple of years ago for the Killer Nashville conference. So now it’s the hometown of my homicide detective Deke Morgan who is about to be embroiled in the deaths of two singers–one from the past, one just passed. He may have been as surprised as I was when fists began flying early on (literally) in Cover Your Eyes, facilitating the beginning of his love-hate relationship with lawyer and activist Rachel Wainwright.
So, as I’m strolling around Nashville, exploring Lower Broadway (how much fun!) and picking up a cold lunch at Mike’s Ice Cream, the aforementioned Deke and Rachel are completely unaware that I am planning an amazing amount of trouble for them, including more killings and a couple of close calls that eveb I didn’t see coming.
Please join me in Nashville. While the populace may not appreciate my bringing killers to their city, I can’t say enough wonderful things about their town and all there is to do and see there. If you can, drop by and join the conversations on my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and check out the excerpt on my site. I look forward to hearing from you.
Among the many things I’ve learned about evidence is the importance of its preservation. It’s crucial that the crime scene is protected and secured. Proper protective gear must be worn (latex gloves, booties), and anyone entering the scene must be logged in and out. One thing I hadn’t thought about that surprised me — and may surprise you — is that, while much evidence is secured in plastic bags, DNA evidence must be kept in paper containers so it can breath. If the container can’t breath and moisture builds up, the DNA will be degraded or ruined.
Here’s an excerpt from I’ll Never Let You Go with forensic expert Georgia Morgan and her brother, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex, at the scene of a violent homicide —