In the Bleak Midwinter

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman (Ballantine hardcover, 15 January 2013).

Reviewed by Marlyn Beebe.


Nora Hamilton wakes up one morning and almost instantly can feel that something is wrong.  Searching the house for her husband Brendan, she finally finds him in the attic.  He's committed suicide.  Her immediate reaction, of course, is that he would never have done such a thing, and despite the assurances of his colleagues on the police force in the tiny town of Wedeskyull, New York, that there could be no other possibility, she remains unconvinced.

After the funeral, she finds herself unable to continue her day-to-day life without confirming her suspicions, but she finds herself stymied at every turn by the police chief, the other officers, or the local townspeople.  Despite the fact that she's lived in the small Adirondack community since she married Brendan six years earlier, she's still perceived as an outsider.  She gets support from very few people, including a local journalist (also a "newcomer"), her family, and Brendan's aunt (who really only helps by not hindering her). 

Despite the fact that her search leads her into some remote parts of the mountains in the middle of winter, and at times she even fears for her life.  Milchman describes the frigid winter surroundings so well that  I found myself shivering often while I read this (which may make it the ideal book for a sweltering summer afternoon).

The story is suspenseful and creepy, but gripping and difficult to put down.  It's an exceptionally written first novel, and will likely be enjoyed by fans of Julia Spencer-Fleming and Louise Penny.


Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the e-galley of the book.

Inside the Nick

By Jenny Hilborne
Author of mysteries & psychological thrillers

Definition: The nick is British slang for a prison or police station.

In this case it's the Thames Valley Police station in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. I recently spent a couple of hours inside the nick here, with a bit of it inside a cell. To date, it's the longest amount of time I've ever been inside.

While writing STONE COLD, my first thriller set in the UK, I wanted to know what it's like inside. Apart from accuracy with the procedural stuff, I wanted to get a feel for the sights, sounds, and smells. I also wanted to understand it from a prisoner perspective and know how they might feel after arrest and while they await their fate, so on a sunny Thursday in March, Sgt. Antony Maddison met me at the police station and escorted me in to find out.

First, we did the civvy bit where I went through the smart reception area to sign in at the front desk as a visitor. With a focus on murder suspects, he took through to the communal rest area and explained the booking procedure, the circumstances and requirements surrounding custody without charge, and the process for extending a detention. We discussed legal representation, the court process, bail and the numerous conditions upon which it might be granted. Regarding a murder suspect, I learned only the judge has the power to grant bail after the prisoner has appeared in court.

Sgt. Maddison and his colleague, Nick, explained in detail the system for booking a suspect. They showed me the process and equipment for fingerprinting, photographing the suspect and taking DNA, and ran through the police national computer database used to store arrest records. There was so much valuable information, I couldn't make my notes fast enough.

Sgt. Maddison then led me round the back of the station and gave me the treatment reserved for prisoners. A stark difference.

As I re-entered the station, this time via the custody entrance used for suspects, the day suddenly felt a lot colder. I was not in handcuffs and I knew I would not be searched, yet I could imagine the sense of panic for a prisoner who would face this in a real situation.

As we went "into custody"the outer door clanged shut behind me and sealed off my "freedom." I found myself first in a holding area, where a SmartWater security search was discussed, then I was led into a search room. In a real situation, depending on the offense, a prisoner might be asked to undress in here, given a custody suit to wear while their clothes are seized for analysis. It started to feel a bit more real.

Prisoners are booked into the system and go through a documentation process, whereby prints, DNA and name are entered into the computer and sent off for a match. Results take minutes. In the custody block, the circumstances of the arrest are noted and a risk assessment for each prisoner is conducted. Prisoners are made aware of their rights and entitlements. If necessary, drug testing may be carried out.

After the booking, the prisoner is taken to the cells. What a grim place. I stepped inside one of them and Sgt. Maddison clanged the door shut behind me. The sound reverberated and the immediate sense of isolation set in. I pictured images from Escape From Alcatraz, except there was no way of tunneling out of this cell. With a window I couldn't reach or see out of even if I could reach it, I had nothing but four blank walls, a stone "bed", and a flat plastic mattress for company. I was locked inside the cell for less than a minute. It was enough.

After Sgt. Maddison let me out, he showed me the dry cells, which are cells without a toilet or a sink, used for murder suspects, giving them no chance to wash away any evidence. Once the samples are taken, these prisoners would then be moved to a proper cell...it's not much of an improvement.

Prisoners charged of a crime are remanded in custody by the Sgt. until they can appear in court, after which, unless granted bail, they are transfered to a prison cell to await trial. I couldn't help wondering how much worse that might be and decided I'll have to visit a prison next to find out.

As my 2 hour tour of the police station and cell block concluded, we covered the complete process from receiving an emergency call to dispatching officers to the scene of the crime, and how prisoners communicate with legal representation while in custody. I sat inside an interview room, and got to see inside the CCTV room, which covers far more than the average person would think. If you knew how much of a town and the surrounding area the police can see...it should deter you from committing a crime.

I got more out of this visit than I ever expected. As much of the research for my books is conducted online, it was a real treat to get out in the field and talk to those who deal with crime and criminals every day, get a feel for what they deal with and see what the prisoner endures. My huge thanks to Sgt. Antony Maddison for giving up your time and arranging such a valuable tour.

Once more, with feeling

By Gayle Carline

My plan for today was to review a book I just read (once again invading Marlyn's space), but in reviewing it, I found myself thinking about the difference between a good read and a great read, for me. So I'm going to start with a short review, then talk about the kind of material that gets to me as a reader.

The book I wanted to review is "Black and White" by Wes Albers. It's a mystery and a procedural and a fine cop story that rings with truth. I'll go ahead and disclose that, although I did purchase this book, I've known Wes for quite a few years. In addition to being in law enforcement for eons, he is one of the directors of the Southern California Writers Conference, which I attend. He's also a damned good writer.

The story revolves around John Hatch, a patrol cop in the San Diego area and a veteran on the force. There is a murder to be solved, but the real story is about a man who has been at his job for such a long time, it has grown into his skin and penetrated his heart. He is saddled with a young partner and even younger sergeant. Each one pulls at him to leave his years of experience and instincts behind to join a world of computers, procedures and statistical studies that run counter to his street smarts.

There's plenty of action, and even a little romance. I loved the way Wes weaves information about police procedures in with each scene. Not only was I entertained, I felt like I was more knowledgeable about the how and why of chasing, capturing, and questioning suspects.

But more importantly, I liked the way this book left a feeling with me. By the last page, I was weary of the way some things never change, resigned to the fact I could not change them, and resolved to try to change them anyway. In other words, I had become the main character, to the extent that I will always remember and connect with that book on a visceral level.

I've read a lot of good books by a lot of wonderful authors. The stories are rich and well-told, the writing is perfect for the piece. But the books I remember are the ones that leave me with a feeling. I can always single out two books that had that effect.

One is "The Good Shepherd" by C.S. Forester. The story follows the captain of a battleship during WWII who is part of a convoy, escorting supply ships through U-boat infested waters, from the U.S. to England. It takes place over a three-day period where they know there is at least one U-boat in the vicinity and they are trying to keep their supply ships safe. Everyone is on high alert. The captain must keep his ship ready, but not trigger happy. For three days, he does not sleep, barely eats, and has to plan his visits to the head. The reader is there for all of it.

By the end of that book, I was exhausted. It's been years since I read it, and I still recall the scene where he downs a pot of cold coffee, grounds and all, because it is there and he needs fuel.

The other is "Wanderer of the Wasteland" by Zane Grey. Too many drinks lead to a gunfight over a pretty girl, forcing a young man to run for his life, straight into the Mojave Desert, where he has a bigger fight on his hands – how to stay alive where there is no food, no water, nothing but unrelenting sun during the day and shivering cold at night. It's a tale of self-discovery as much as survival.

The book has a funny, O. Henry-esque ending, but what sticks with me is the desert. I was parched by this story. Reading it made my skin feel as warm as if I were in that unbearable sun.

"Like breath of a furnace the heat rose from the rocky, sandy soil; and from above there seemed to bear down the weight of the leaden fire."

It's not just, when I think of these books, I feel these feelings. It's also, when I have these feelings, I think of these books. On days when I'm running from one task to the other and wolfing down a McD-burger in my car on my way to the next emergency, I think of that captain trying to figure out if he's got enough time to pee before the next U-boat sighting. Lately, it's been unbearably hot in southern California, and our air conditioning is on the fritz. I sit in the kitchen, under the fan, all the windows open, with a wet towel around my neck, and picture that young cowboy, throwing himself on the rocks in his despair and exhaustion, only to scramble back to his feet because the ground burns his skin.

And in these election days, I think of John Hatch's wealth of knowledge and know what a millstone it is, to have seen it all, know it's not going away, and yet be unable to keep from trying to stop the crazy.

Are you drawn to books that punch you in the gut until they're in your muscle memory? Or are you in love with finesse? Forget good books. What are some of the books you live with?

Tracking Scent vs. A Decomp Search...What's The Difference?

By Tom Adair; author of The Scent of Fear
I get a lot of questions from folks regarding dog searches so I figured today would be a good day to address one big difference between search methods. There are two basic types of "people" dogs can search for; living or dead. The training is different for both. That's because the "evidence" or scent the dog is searching for is different between living and dead victims. NecroSearch International and it's dog handlers have been investigating this issue for 25 years and other handlers have been going much longer. Dog tracking is an old "art" and we've learned a lot over the years. The one things we don't know with certainty is the exact molecules the dogs rely on most. That's for one simple reason. Dogs can't talk. That's okay though because we still learn a lot from working with well trained dogs and handlers.Each handler trains their dog to give a specific "alert" when they find the scent they are looking for. One famous handler I have known over the years trains his dogs to stop and sit.

When searching for living persons the dog is tracking their unique "scent".  Millions of skin cells are sloughed off every day in our various activities and a well trained dog (like a bloodhound) can tell the difference between each person's "scent". To begin these searches the dog handler will introduce something from the victim (like an article of clothing) for the dog to acquire the scent. This item is called a scent article. A well trained dog may then follow that scent trail (sometimes many miles) to the source or until it becomes too degraded or diffused in the environment. The key aspect of this search is that the dog is searching for a unique "scent" given off only by the one person being searched for.

Searching for a deceased body is an entirely different process. When searching for a deceased person the dog is looking for "decomposing human scent", not the scent given off by a living person. Put simply, this is because the cells are breaking down and decomposing (not vital). This means that knowledgeable investigators would never use a scent article to acclimate the dog. There are several challenges to this type of search. The main problem is that the dog is looking for any decomposing human scent. This means that a dog will alert on any human decomposition fluid or tissue. So in addition to dead bodies they will also alert on things like urination spots, feces, and baby diapers. This is a huge concern in rural areas and trash dumps because investigators may have dozens of "alert" areas to investigate. The scent can persist for months or even years in some cases.

Another very interesting phenomenon is that dogs can not differentiate between the decomposing scent of humans and that of pigs.  Pigs have been used for years as human surrogates in a variety of scientific studies. Pigs have a very similar biochemistry, skin to tissue ratio, and are large (relatively hairless) mammals like people. So if a body is believed to have been buried at a pig farm we have to use other methods to detect the body. This conflict isn't very common but it happens and police need to be aware of the issues surrounding these searches.

If you are writing a scene of a dog search it would be wise to understand the basic difference between these searches. The easiest way to remember is that living persons can be searched for specifically. In those searches your character will need some kind of scent article like a piece of clothing, hairbrush, or bedding (if they sleep alone). If your characters are looking for a dead body they will likely find a lot of red herring alerts. These are frustrating because the dog will give a "positive" hit but excavation of the soil may not reveal anything (such as in the case of public urination). You may be able to use that to your advantage in the story so think of how dozens of these "false hits" may affect morale. There is only so many baby diapers you can dig up before questioning the wisdom of getting out of bed that morning :).

How to Spot a Stolen Car

Criminals generally steal cars for one of two reasons; chopping or driving. Cars destined for the chop shop don't stay on the road long enough to matter so I'll focus on the latter. In this categories cars can be stolen to drive for short distances (i.e. escape a crime scene by car jacking) or long distances. Believe it or not some criminals steal cars simply because they don't want to buy one and maintain it. If they have the keys to the vehicle the car is hard to spot but when they don't there are some tell-tale signs. These signs correspond to the entry, operation, and identification of the vehicle.

Entry:
Car thieves vary in sophistication and this is apparent in their method of entry (assuming the car is properly secured). Some just break out a window, but that is hard to hide. If they break out a window they have to cover it with plastic or it will stand out to others more than if it is left broken. If any of the windows are left slightly open the thief may just force it down far enough to get their arm in or a coat hanger. Another popular method is slipping the lock with a coat hanger or tool called a "slim Jim". In both cases there may be holes or damage to the rubber weather seals around the window or door frame. Other damage may be seen to the lock mechanism (where you insert the key). They may use a screwdriver or skeleton key in an attempt to open the door. This damage can be seen by close inspection of the lock although it is tougher to spot than a broken window.

Operation:
Assuming the crook doesn't have a key they usually have to force the ignition. In these cases it is common to remove the steering column (plastic housing) in whole or in pieces (notice how I avoid telling you how to steal a car :)). Obviously this is hard to hide. You see, crooks that want to use the car for weeks or months don't want it to be obvious that the steering column is damaged so a passerby doesn't call the cops. One way to hide this is to wrap the area with a bandana or t-shirt (see photo). Most people don't "wrap" their steering column so this is a tell-tale sign of a forced ignition.

Identification:
Stolen cars can be identified by either their license plates or VIN (vehicle identification number) and in some cases distinctive damage, mismatched paint, or bumper stickers. Changing license plates is pretty easy and if they drive within the law and don't act crazy it's unlikely a cop will run the plates. Some will change them. However, one giveaway is when the condition of the plates is inconsistent with the rest of the vehicle. For example, if the new plates are dirty and the vehicle is "clean" then one has to wonder how one could clean a car and miss the plates right? Another sign is plates missing a number of screws to hold it on or screws that aren't tightened all the way. So a screw sticking out a 1/4" is unusual and stands out to the CSI. Most of the time though they will forge a "Temp Tag" like the one in the photo. It's really not that hard and since they are taped onto the inside window they can be harder to spot unless you really examine them closely. Another source of identification is the VIN. The VIN placard is located on the dashboard on the driver's side near the front. Most criminals will simply put some papers or a hat on the dash to cover the plate making it impossible to read from the outside. When you combine that with mismatched plates and a wrapped steering column and you might as well hang a neon sign saying "Stolen Car".

Spotting a stolen car is a handy trait for your detective or CSI character to possess and the above are all good indicators.