Here’s Something to Help With Your Plotting

Stories containing just one character are very rare. Keeping track of two or three in your story should be relatively straightforward. But what about stories that you want to contain many characters? Think about the many that Agatha Christie often added to her stories. It can be very difficult and confusing keeping track of all of your characters, especially the times they end up in the same place and time. At what point do you want their interaction to be relevant to your story’s outcome?

Thankfully, someone has come up with an easy way for you to keep track of your characters and what they are doing. Author and entrepreneur Gabriela Pereira, has provided a nice description of how she works with her stories over at the NaNoWriMo Blog with a piece called “NaNo Prep: Outline Your Story Like a Subway Map.”

You can read a copy via the following link –

https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/166302962291/nano-prep-outline-your-story-like-a-subway-map?

Do you use a different or better method that you would like to share? Let me know if you have.

Good luck with your plotting and outlining.

If you would like further ideas of how to take your stories forward or incorporate twists and turns, check out the following books if you haven’t already done so, and happy writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Want to be the Next Agatha Christie?

It’s not often that you can acquire a neat and simple Infographic to help deconstruct a successful author’s writing methods, so it’s great to be able to point you in the direction of one relating to Agatha Christie.  This diagram is provided free of charge by The Blackpool Grand Theatre.  You can view it by visiting https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/decoding-agatha-christie-infographic.

Thanks to Holly Barry of The Evergreen Agency for bringing this wonderful resource to me and subsequently your attention.

If you would like further ideas of how to take your stories forward or incorporate twists and turns, check out the following books if you haven’t already done so, and happy writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Help is Coming Your Way

Do you find that not many stories or TV dramas spend much time in police cells?  Suspects simply tend to be arrested and interviewed before being released, appearing in court or going to prison.

Believe it or not, there is a whole lot more going on inside those police cells and therefore scope for a lot more to happen in your stories.  You could create or increase conflict between characters; sow information; provide back-story; add twists or simply complicate matters even more.

To help you learn about police cells, procedures and to lend your stories an air of authenticity that can only come from greater detail and inside knowledge, I have just released A Writer’s Guide to Police Cells and Custody Procedures in the UK.

Inside you will find chapters describing what a custody suite is, what it contains, along with who works and visits there.

You will also find out what happens to suspects as they enter custody, throughout their time in detention and how they are subsequently dealt with.

Within the 134 pages, there are at least 19 ideas of how you could use some of the information provided, along with links to 32 other resources freely available via the internet.

To get you copy, simply click on the above book cover-

If you’re still unsure, just have a look at the extensive Table of Contents to see just how much is covered and the amount of detail that is provided.

 

Chapter One: 1. What Are Police Cells and Custody Suites?
Police Custody Suites
Home Office Approval
HMICFSR Inspections
Description of a Custody Suite Interior
Holding Area
CCTV/Microphones
Custody Desk/Counter
Biometric Rooms
Fingerprint Room
Photograph Room
DNA Sample Room
Breathalyser Room
Emergency Strips
Types of Cell
Forensic Search Cell
Report Writing Room
Consultation Room
Interview Rooms
Interview Monitoring Room
Medical Room
Food Store
Kitchen
Prisoner’s Lockers
General Storeroom
Bedding
Prisoner Clothing
Cleaning Equipment
Stationary
Staff Rest Room

Chapter Two: What Staff Work in a Custody Suite?
Staff in General
Custody Chief Inspector
Custody Inspector
Custody Sergeant
Detention Officers
Matron
Cleaners
Contracted Staff

Chapter Three: What is the Booking in Process?
Arrival at the Custody Suite
On Arrest
Necessity Test
Prior Arrangement
Answering Bail
Wanted on Warrant
S136 Mental Health Act
Police Protection Order
Prison Production
Reason for Arrest
Violent Prisoners
Fit to Detain
Personal Details Recorded
Rights Given and Explained
Searched
Intimate Searches Conducted
Seizure of Property
Custody Record
Biometrics and DNA

Chapter Four: What Happens During Police Detention?
Placed in Cell
Types of Observation Carried Out
Medical Examination
Evidential Samples Taken
Enquiries Carried Out
Fit to Interview
Legal Consultation
Interviewed
Reports Written
Linked to Police IT Systems
Ability to Listen to Interviews
Meals and Drinks
Pace Clock
Custody Reviews
Identification (ID) Parade
Detainee Complaints
Deaths in Custody
Contingency Planning and Evacuations

Chapter Five: Who else may be Present in a Custody Suite?
Legal Adviser
Police Staff
Health Care Professionals
Social Worker
Referral Scheme Workers
Appropriate Adult
Interpreter
Prisoner Transport Staff
Independent Custody Visitors
Builders/Maintenance Staff
Other Enforcement Officers

Chapter Six: What is the Release Process from Custody?
When to Release?
Fit to be Released?
Return of Property/Clothing
Disposal Method
Transferred into the Custody of Others
Refused Charge
No Further Action
Final Warning/Reprimand
Caution
Bailed to a Police Station
Charged and Bailed
Charged and Remanded in Custody

Chapter Seven: Useful Resources
Websites of Use
Useful Books and Documents
Useful TV Programmes

Don’t forget to get your very own copy of the following guides, if you haven’t already, by clicking on the images below –

All you Need to Know About Police Drivers

It costs a lot of money to train a recruit to become a police officer, so where savings can be made they are.  Whilst it isn’t essential that a person holds a full driving licence to be eligible to join the police, it is, however, an advantage to hold one, as it may be one of the criteria used to sift out applicants when there has been a large response to a recruitment campaign.

A student police officer who doesn’t hold a driving licence is not an effective unit.  They can only be deployed on foot patrols or office/admin duties unless they accompany an officer who can drive or are chauffeured about.

Their opportunities to experience a wide range of incidents are also limited by being a non-driver.  Therefore, they may be less competent than their driving peers.

Those recruits that do hold a full driving licence may (subject to a force’s policies) be able to drive a police vehicle more or less, from day one of their service.  Upon either completing a course or passing a test, they may become a “Response” officer, meaning that they can drive at speed with blue lights flashing and siren sounding.  Without being an approved response driver, they will not be permitted to drive to an emergency incident at speed.

Depending on the size of a police force and their policies, there may be further driving courses for an officer to attend and pass.  These may include van, surveillance, traffic and motorway driving as well as motorcycle riding courses.  Each one requires the officer to either pass a test or successfully complete a course for that type of vehicle or role.

Some forces have their own driving schools, staffed by police officers, civilian staff or a mixture of both.  Smaller forces may send their officers to another force driving school/training unit.

Only a few forces in the country have the capability to deliver “T-PAC” training, which is Tactical Pursuit And Containment driving that teaches officers how to safely bring a pursuit to a successful conclusion by eventually boxing a vehicle in so that it cannot continue to be driven.

As things currently stand, a police officer can be prosecuted for the manner of their driving, even when trying to uphold the law.

The Home Office under Sajid Javid, plans to change the law so that highly trained police drivers are allowed to pursue suspects,  whether in or on a vehicle, without fear of being prosecuted for driving contrary to the standard expected of everyday drivers. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/02/sajid-javid-proposes-legal-protection-for-police-who-crash-cars

What police officers do you have in your stories?  Are they required to be trained drivers and if so, at what level?  Does their ability or lack of it to drive at certain level create problems or conflict in your story?

Is your SIO off duty and too drunk to drive so needs picking up and taking to a crime scene but the only officer available to assist happens to be a non-driver?  How will your SIO react?

For more insight into police driving standards, methods and experiences, the following TV documentaries are worth watching-

Motorway Cops (BBC1)

Police Interceptors (Channel 5)

Sky Cops (BBC1)

Traffic Cops (BBC1)

Don’t forget to get your very own copy of the following guides, if you haven’t already, by clicking on the images below and watch out for the release of the forthcoming Writer’s Guide to UK Police Custody and Cell Procedures.

 

Improve Your Writing with Policing Partnerships

Ever since the late nineties, when police budgets began shrinking, police forces in the UK have sought ways of collaborating with each other.  Examples of what form this has taken, can be found in the East Midlands where Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire Police are working together in many different areas vital to policing, ranging from major crime investigation through to IT infrastructure.

South Yorkshire and Humberside Police decided to share one Human Resources department whilst Humberside, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Police collaborate on a range of policing issues, including Roads Crime, Intelligence, Organised Crime, Special Operations and Witness Protection.

Most recently, British Transport Police (BTP) have invited the Royal Military Police (RMP) to allow their soldiers to join BTP operational patrols and CID at Liverpool Street and Waterloo train stations, in London.

BTP Superintendent Matt Allingham said: “This is a great, practical way to bring two specialist police organisations together to share expertise and enhance what we do.

“By giving Royal Military Police personnel the opportunity to shadow our teams at two of London’s busiest stations they’ll be able to gain first-hand experience of wider policing. There are clear benefits brought by the increasing uniformed visibility at our key transport hubs in relation to crime prevention. The uniqueness of having joint military and police personnel on patrol also provides a conversation starter with the travelling public and assists with engagement in line with NPT principles. Our initial pilot based at Waterloo was a big success and we’re pleased to be able to expand the scheme so more officers can get involved and hope to roll the scheme out even further in future.” – Source http://media.btp.police.uk/r/16261/new_partnership_strengthens_links_with_royal_mili

Have you ever thought to include collaborating police forces in your stories?  If not, give it a go.  It will give you more freedom to roam geographically at least (beyond force boundaries).

Don’t forget to get your very own copy of the following guides, if you haven’t already, by clicking on the images below and watch out for the release of the forthcoming Writer’s Guide to UK Police Custody and Cell Procedures.

Short Interesting Podcast

In case you missed it, BBC Radio 4 show Front Row broadcast a segment on how the police help writers of crime fiction.

It featured the renowned Peter James, author of the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series of novels and crime writer Clare Mackintosh, who worked in the police force for 12 years before becoming an author.

The interview is conducted by John Wilson and lasts around 9 minutes.

You can access the podcast at the following link – How the Police Help Crime Writers and the segment can be found at around the 19 minute 30 second mark.

Happy listening.

Build Your Crime Scenes Using SADCHALETS

The police service in the UK is renowned for its jargon, abbreviations, acronyms and mnemonics.  Whatever name is given to these odd words, they are used as a way of improving an officer’s recall to remind them of more complex texts.  They are also a way of shortening radio or written communications, saving airtime or space.

However, such abbreviations could also assist you when formulating your story by using them as a prompt for what should be included or excluded from your text, to make sure it is realistic.  It may provide you with ideas of how to prolong or speed up your fictional investigation.

When it comes to incidents such as a house explosion or a crime scene such as a murder (or mass killings such as a car purposely driven at a crowd), the mnemonic SADCHALETS is often used by the police and could be used as a prompt when writing about such or similar incidents.

In policing situations, it refers to actions carried out by the police officers arriving first at the incident and the information needed to assist others who will be involved later on.  Each letter of the mnemonic relates to a prompting word or words as can be seen below.

• Survey scene on approach – the responding officer shouldn’t just turn up at a given location, they should take notice of what they experience on approaching the scene.  This requires use of all of the senses, not just sight.  A particular smell may help identify the presence of petrol for instance or a shrill sound may indicate an alarm activated in the vicinity etc.  The flow of a crowd may lead to or away from the scene e.g. most people would run away from a violent offender’s presence but run towards injured or trapped victims in the case of an accident or collision occurring.
• Assess situation on arrival – the attending officer needs to quickly and accurately determine what has happened and start to gather (even just mentally at this stage) information that will provide the answers to the following steps.
• Disseminate following details to Control – not only will the police control room want an update from the responding officer but they will need certain information so that they can carry out the tasks either identified from the scene (e.g. and ambulance is required at the scene) or that the controller does in all instances e.g. they have to update all logs created on the force database of calls for service or incident the police are requested or required to attend.  The controller will be responsible for sending additional resources to the incident and for passing relevant information to those officers e.g. they may direct armed officers to attend the scene where a firearm is suspected of being present and they will provide the armed officers any information that will help them carry out their role.
• Casualties (approx. number) – The sooner the number and type of casualties can be ascertained, the sooner the correct response can be requested of the other emergency services.  Any of them may have already been asked to attend the scene by a member of the public but the correct type and number of (medical/rescue) resources required may not be apparent from this call.
• Hazards (that are present or potential) – it is vitally important that the first responding officers quickly determine what hazards are or may be present at the scene so that the lives of others can be protected.  If a tanker lorry has toppled over, the officer should be trying to ascertain what if anything it may have been carrying and what dangers the product may pose. It may have held a dangerous chemical that can quickly debilitate anyone approaching it, so an early (and at a distance) assessment is vital.
• Access (best access routes and rendezvous points) – it may be that the first responding officer reached the scene via the best available route or only route but they must also consider how others, following them, should approach the scene taking into consideration many circumstances such as what hazards are present or possible, what type of vehicle may be following them and is the access suitable for them e.g. a parked car lined street may be problematic for a fire tender.  The officer must also consider the evidence that may be lost or preserved by using a particular route.
• Location (exact including map reference) – not may officers are able to identify map references from a physical location but they may be able to describe it more clearly and accurately than a member of the public, who may use a colloquial name for the location that doesn’t actually feature on a map.  It is possible that a number of calls are made to the police and each one uses a different location for the incident, particularly if it occurs at or near to a multiple junction street or road.
• Emergency services (present and/or required) – the person making the initial call to the police about the incident may not recognise that a particular emergency service may be required e.g. a car which has overturned and landed on its roof, may easily prompt the need for an ambulance for the injured occupants but having no knowledge of what the fire service can do,  they may not also be requested at the same time to help free trapped occupants from the vehicle.  The attending police officer should be better placed to determine who is and isn’t needed and to recognise those already present e.g. the difference between ambulance staff and a paramedic at the scene.
• Type of incident (vehicles, buildings etc) – what appears to be a fire at a factory may in fact be a vehicle on fire near to or inside a building, which may require a different response from that initially thought.
• Safety of all staff at scene – through accurate assessment of the scene, the first arriving officer will be able to identify risks that may affect themselves and others. Through correct and accurate dissemination, they can ensure the safety of others attending the scene e.g. the need to ensure that armed officers attend the scene of an incident before unarmed officers, where weapons may be used against others.

You can use the above mnemonic and examples to assist telling your story by making sure that all of the elements of SADCHALETS has been considered if not written about e.g.

Survey – How many officers do you want to attend the scene in the first instances?  Using the senses, what do you want to describe and have them experience?  What do you want them to miss, that you can bring up later in the story?

Assess – Are your officers going to be competent and manage to assess the scene effectively or not?  What factors will you use to inhibit or improve their assessment?  Prior to their arrival, were they overworked and stressed? On arrival, did they find the scene distressing or traumatic?

Disseminate – Were they able to tell the right person the right information and did the person receiving the information act in the right way or not?  Was everyone in the chain of communication competent?  Did the right people get the information they needed or not? Can you create conflict through wrongful dissemination?

Casualties – How many and what type of casualties do you want in the story?  Will they be hysterical, very subdued, badly or minimally harmed?  Who will be helping or harming them on arrival of the police?

Hazards – Are there any hazards within or around the scene of the incident?  Do you want to complicate matters further by introducing any (additional) hazards and if so what?  Will they affect just those already at the scene or those yet to reach it?  What part will the hazard play in the story and what use will it be in taking it forward?

Access – How would you describe the access route?  Is everyone that needs to, able to reach the scene easily or will they be obstructed by something and if so what and how will they surmount it?  Will problems be created by someone accessing the scene in the wrong way?

Location – What location are you going to use?  Do you need to consult a map for ideas regarding access and hazards etc.?  How will you describe the location to the readers?  How will the location impact upon access and safety?

Emergency Services – Who do you want involved at the start of the incident, who do you want to omit, why and for how long?  By omitting or unnecessarily including one, can you introduce conflict into the story?

Type of Incident – What type of incident do you want to feature in the story and is it a means to get characters involved or revealed or is it a significant actor in the story in itself?  Do you know enough about such chosen incidents or do you need to research them?  Will the type of incident allow you to include the elements above?

Safety – How safe do you want the scene to be?  Do you want to increase the risks and if so, how and why?  Who do you want effected by an unsafe environment and why?  How can you ensure that the environment remains safe and who will be responsible for its safety or otherwise?

Hopefully, you will be able to use some of this article to explore, strengthen and deepen your ideas, narratives, dialogues and stories.  If so, please feel free to share the post with others and if not, please feel free to provide me with your feedback.

Don’t forget that you can acquire much research material and answers to your questions from within any of the three books shown on this page – just click on the image to purchase a copy if you haven’t already got one.

How to Make Your Lead Detective Credible

How many times have you come across fictional lead detectives or Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) with no idea where they came from?  It’s almost as if they were born a lead detective or joined the police to automatically become one.

I’m sure that you already know that in the UK,  it isn’t possible and never has been for a person to join the police as a detective, let alone a Senior Investigating Officer.  You’ll no doubt also know that it’s not possible for any old cop to get to those dizzy heights without the right amount and type of experience or training.

Now, if you are reading the nth book in a series, it may be that the SIO’s development and career progression are discussed in earlier book in the series but in all likelihood, there will be no mention of how they got to the pinnacle of their career or what they had to do to become the leader of a complex murder investigation.

The reason that you will come across such instances and maybe even be guilty of doing something similar yourself, is probably because not many authors happen to have a close relationship with a police officer who has years of experience of policing in the UK that they can call upon to answer accurately and reliably, their troubling questions about the police, their policies and procedures.  Maybe no-one has taken the time to explain to you or the writer of the story you are recalling, just what it takes to become an SIO and lead a murder investigation in the UK.

But never fear.  Help is at hand for those of you wanting to learn about what it takes for a police officer to become an SIO and thereby make your lead detective more credible and identify areas where conflict may stem or opportunities arise from.

A Writer’s Guide to Senior Police Investigators in the UK will take you through – 

• What exactly a lead investigator and Senior Investigating Officer is
• How they become one
• What training they undertake
• What 38 qualities and expectations they are expected to exhibit
• You will find 27 specific ideas of how to take your stories forward and/or create conflict in them
• There are also hyperlinks to 79 websites or documents that you may find useful in building up your understanding of what a Senior Investigating Officer needs to know and apply during a major investigation.

Not only will this book provide you with details of how a police officer can become a Senior Investigating Officer but it can help with plotting your novel and creating twists and conflict along the way.

It’s crammed full of expert knowledge and advice that you can use to captivate your readers with compelling dialogue and narrative.

Just a couple of the five-star reviews state:

I have never felt compelled to write a review before but in this case I felt it only right to do so. I am an ex-police officer in the middle of writing my first crime-related novel and I have to say how invaluable this book has been to me. I thought I was doing well with my descriptions of procedures and command structures but I cannot believe just how much the job has changed since I left.

If I hadn’t bought a copy of this (I also have the authors other titles) I would have made myself look like a rank amateur stuck somewhere in the 90’s. This book has saved me hours upon hours of research and helped me re-think certain parts of my book and for that alone, thank you Mr Robinson.

I only wish these books were available in paperback format. I’d have a copy of them as well. Call me old fashioned, but I like a book I can flick through and mark up where necessary and as much as Kindle comes close to a book experience it doesn’t really work quite as well with this kind of book in my opinion. That said, no other format allows for hyperlinking to other valuable resources so, swings and roundabouts.

All in all, a superb, densely packed no fluff resource that is worth far, far more than what it is being offered at.

Another great book from retired UK Police Inspector, Kevin N. Robinson! Packed full of useful info – really helpful for anyone with an interest in how the UK police force works, especially with regards to those investigating crime. A gem for writers & crime fiction authors. It’s the little details that make a story authentic and it’s great to have a source which collects all the necessary info, such as what an inspector would normally carry with him (would he have a forensic suit? gloves? what weapons? etc) – particularly for those less familiar with British police (who are quite different from the armed US law enforcement officers you see more commonly on TV!)

So This is Where I’ve Been Lately

Was it laziness; a change in direction or some dark secretive undercover operation?

You may have noticed a distinct reduction in the number of posts I’ve published over the last few months but I can now report that my time hasn’t been wasted in the snooker halls of Yorkshire or the pool halls of some distant land.

Much of my time has been spent helping authors with their police and crime type questions and I’m please to announce that several of them now have their work published and made available via Amazon.  Before you think this is a simple ploy of mine to acquire passive income as an Amazon affiliate or something like that, it isn’t.  I have nothing to gain (other than pride) by letting you know that there are some very good books hitting the market place at the moment where I have been acknowledged as the police advisor to the respective authors.

Without further a do, I’d like to introduce you to them –

Echoes of Justice (DI Matt Turrell Book 2) by JJ Franklin

When Kathy Wylde sets out to take revenge on the gang of youths who kicked her son, Jack, to death, she finds herself on the wrong side of a vicious and dangerous criminal.

As Detective Inspector Matt Turrell, of the Warwickshire Police, investigates the first gang member’s death, another is brutally murdered. DI Turrell and his team must move fast to protect anyone connected to Jack’s murder – including Kathy.

Unaware that she is now the hunted and in grave danger, Kathy selects Harry as her next victim but soon finds herself growing fond of the young man. With the killer drawing close, will the unlikely pair be able to work together in an attempt to survive? Can DI Turrell stop the killer before he strikes again? Or will he have to sacrifice himself to save them?

Echoes of Justice is the second in the series of novels featuring DI Matt Turrell of the Warwickshire Police. It is a psychological thriller/police procedural set in and around Stratford-upon-Avon.

This is JJ Franklin‘s Second novel in the Matt Turrell series, the first one being Urge to Kill

Scared to Tell: Featuring Detective Annie Macpherson by Barbara Fagan Speake

When Belinda Mancuso is found frozen to death in the grounds of her residential unit, it appears to be a tragic accident. Yet this incident comes on top of anonymous reports already circulating about the unit. Suspicions are raised that systematic abuse may be going on in the Elms but there is a conspiracy of silence. Scottish Detective Annie Macpherson, returning to work in Connecticut, is asked to operate undercover in the unit. As the Elms provides respite care mainly for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Annie’s family circumstances make her the obvious choice. Annie has never worked covertly before and the assignment challenges her, on both a personal and a professional level.

Ellie Harrington is looking for a final project to complete her degree in journalism. When the opportunity arises to do voluntary work in the Oaks, a sister unit to the Elms, she can’t resist. While spending time there conducting interviews, her journalistic instincts tell her something is wrong, very wrong.

For both women, ascertaining what is really going on behind closed doors becomes the highest priority but will Ellie Harrington’s naïve enthusiasm jeopardise the work that Annie is doing? Could both women find themselves in grave danger from a very powerful and ruthless set of conspirators? At the core of it, are the vulnerable residents simply too scared to tell their stories?

This is Barbara’s fourth book in the Detective Annie Macpherson series of books

A Scone to Die for by H.Y. Hanna

When an American tourist is murdered with a scone in Gemma Rose’s quaint Oxfordshire tearoom, she suddenly finds herself apron-deep in a mystery involving long-buried secrets from Oxford’s past.

Armed with her insider knowledge of the University and with the help of four nosy old ladies from the village (not to mention a cheeky little tabby cat named Muesli), Gemma sets out to solve the mystery—all while dealing with her matchmaking mother and the return of her old college love, Devlin O’Connor, now a dashing CID detective.

But with the body count rising and her business going bust, can Gemma find the killer before things turn to custard?
(*Traditional English scone recipe included)

This is the first book in the Oxford Tearoom Mystery series.

 

Tea with Milk and Murder by H.Y. Hanna

While at an Oxford cocktail party, tearoom owner Gemma Rose overhears a sinister conversation minutes before a University student is fatally poisoned. Could there be a connection? And could her best friend Cassie’s new boyfriend have anything to do with the murder?

Gemma decides to start her own investigation, helped by the nosy ladies from her Oxfordshire village and her old college flame, CID detective Devlin O’Connor. But her mother is causing havoc at Gemma’s quaint English tearoom and her best friend is furious at her snooping… and this mystery is turning out to have more twists than a chocolate pretzel!

Too late, Gemma realises that she’s could be the next item on the killer’s menu. Or will her little tabby cat, Muesli, save the day?
(** Velvet Cheesecake recipe included!)

This is the second book in the Oxford Tearoom Mystery series.

 

Spare me the Truth by CJ Carver

Dan Forrester, piecing his life back together after the tragic death of his son, is approached in a supermarket by a woman who tells him everything he remembers about his life – and his son – is a lie.

Grace Reavey, stricken by grief, is accosted at her mother’s funeral. The threat is simple: pay the staggering sum her mother allegedly owed, or lose everything.

Lucy Davies has been forced from the Met by her own maverick behaviour. Desperate to prove herself in her new rural post, she’s on the hunt for a killer – but this is no small town criminal.

Plunged into a conspiracy that will test each of them to their limits, these three strangers are brought together in their hunt for the truth, whatever it costs. And as their respective investigations become further and further entwined, it becomes clear that at the centre of this tangled web is a threat more explosive than any of them could have imagined.

CJ Carver has published seven other novels and this is the first in the Dan Forrester series.

To see details of all of the published authors I have helped and with which books, please visit the Supported Books link at the top of this Page

Finally I must mention that I have also been tied up putting together the updated and expanded British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers 2016, which you can acquire by clicking on the link above or the image below.

Start Your Interview in the Right Way Part 2

In Part 1, we looked at how a police interview with a suspect in a police station should commence.  If you missed Part 1, you can review it here.

This post looks at what MUST be said next by the interviewing officer.  If they fail to say these words or others that describe the same thing in simpler terms for someone unable to understand the phraseology, anything said that may be used as evidence against the suspect, may and probably would be excluded from any subsequent court case.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. BUT IT MAY HARM YOUR DEFENCE IF YOU DO NOT MENTION WHEN QUESTIONED SOMETHING YOU LATER RELY ON IN COURT. ANYTHING YOU DO SAY MAY BE GIVEN IN EVIDENCE.

This can be broken down as follows, to ensure the suspect understands:

• You do not have to answer my questions.

• However, should this matter go to court and you tell the court something which you could have reasonably told me during this interview, the court may be less likely to believe you and that could harm your defence.

• The tapes of this interview may be played in court, so the court will be able to hear what you have said.

Only after the introduction in Part 1 and this Caution are said to the suspect, can the interview start in earnest.  Failure to address either part may render any information, evidence or admission that subsequently comes to light in the interview, may be excluded from the prosecution case put before the court.  Therefore, if there is no corroborating evidence to the confession, the case may well be thrown out of court, if it ever gets there in the first place.

For more information you may find useful, follow the links in the updated and expanded British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers 2016, which you can acquire by clicking on the link above or the image below.

You can also check out many more facts about policing in 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

Start Your Interviews in the Right Way

If you are going to have your fictional suspect interviewed in the police station, you will need to know what should be said at the start of the interview.

The Recorded Interview Aide Memoire produced by the College of Policing advises the following:

This interview is being taped recorded and may be given in evidence if your case is brought to trial.

We are in an interview room at (police station name).

The date is (date) and the time by my watch is (time).

I am (rank and name).

The other police officer(s) present is/are (rank and name).

Please state your full name and date of birth.

Also present is (solicitor, appropriate adult, interpreter).

Do you agree that there are no other persons present? (Yes or no).  (Where appropriate adult present) You are not here to act simply as an observer. Your role here is to advise (suspect), facilitate communication and ensure that the interview is conducted fairly.

(To the suspect) Before the start of this interview – I must remind you that you are entitled to free and independent legal advice either in person or by telephone at any stage (regardless of whether or not a solicitor is present). Do you wish to speak to a legal advisor now or have one present during the interview? (If no, ask for reasons.)

At the conclusion of the interview, I will give you a notice explaining what will happen to the tapes (or recording where digital rather than taped) and how you and/or your solicitor can get access to them.

Watch out for the next post that explains what should be said after this introduction or if you can’t wait, you could always seek out  the answer  using the updated and expanded British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers 2016, which you can acquire by clicking on the link above or the image below.

Further tips can be garnered from 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

 

2 News Reports You May Have Missed

News reports can be a good source of ideas for a writer.  You don’t need to use them straight away but if you at least file them away in a “useful ideas” type of book or journal, when the old writer’s block comes along, you will have something to draw upon to bust out of that temporal paralysis.

One of those useful reports could include this one from the Echo, which tells us that the Minority Report is Here – alive and well in Essex, England, of all places.  Have a look at it and see if it can be of use to you.

The second report comes from the Blackpool Gazette and describes how dog walkers are being enlisted by the local police to help tackle crime.  Read HERE to get ideas for your own stories or to give you clues as to how you can incorporate a dog walker into your next project.

You can find more information on other issues by following the links in the British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers.  You can also check out many more facts about policing in 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

 

3 Interesting Websites That May Aid Your Story

Not everyone has the time or freedom to trawl the internet for websites that may provide information that could influence the story they are currently working on or thinking about writing in the future, so I thought I’d show you three websites that have a useful article on them (at least one).

The first comes courtesy of DR J.H Byrd who has put together the Forensic Entomology website to educate others with regard to insects found at crime scenes, particularly murders.  The information provided will prove useful to crime fiction writers worldwide, especially the Information and Life Cycles pages.

The second website I thought I’d direct you to is NursingFeed (it’s not about breast milk v formula).  Here you will find a very useful infographic on the Forensic Science Behind the Bruise Healing Process, which may help when you are trying to describe bruising in your story and how it relates to the time between infliction and description.

The third and final offering for today is from Skeleton Keys website, run by Jen J. Danna – Forensic Crime Writer who has published information about Recent Advances in Fingerprinting. Here she updates us on 4 aspects of fingerprinting that you may be able to introduce in one of your stories.

You can find more information that you may find useful by following the links in the British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers.  You can also check out many more facts about policing in 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

 

3 Noteworthy News Items That May Inspire Your Writing

What follows are links (underlined in Bold) to three items that have recently been in the media.  I bring them to your attention because they may have an impact upon your current or future Work(s) in Progress.

The first news item comes courtesy of Digital Forensic News and describes how Rhode Island State Police are using a Police Dog to Sniff Out Child Porn Hard Drives. Could your story include such a canine detective?  It may not be just like this one; you may have your own ideas that you’d like to share on this post.

The second news item relates to the analysis of DNA and a how a murderer appeared to travel in time. The Time Travel Murder.  You may want to consider something similar to this as a way of misleading your fictional police investigation or causing the wrongful arrest of an innocent person.  There are many other ideas that you may well come up with after reading the report.   You may even want to share some of them, no matter how off-the-wall they may sound.

The third and final news item (for now) comes from Scientific America.  It is similar to the earlier link but focuses on arson and asks Can We Trust Crime Forensics? Please bear in mind that it is US based but still may have some bearing on your crime of choice.  Maybe you have heard of some similar concerns that you’d like to share via this blog.   If so, please feel free to add your comments below.

If you’d like to find more interesting facts, following the links in the British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers.  You can also check out many more facts about policing in 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

 

 

Omit this from your story at your peril – PPE

PPE not PPI is the acronym under discussion here.

Every police officer is equipped with PPE, otherwise known as Personal Protective Equipment. When responding to an incident, particularly if it is expected to be of a violent nature, the control room or the officer’s supervisor will ask the attending officer if they have possession of their “full PPE.”  Generally they will be in possession of the whole lot so they can minimise the risk of injury to themselves and facilitate the arrest of a violent offender.

Personal Protective equipment includes a police radio, body armour, utility belt, baton, handcuffs, CS or Pepper spray and in some cases a helmet (although these tend not to be worn or carried today by officers in many forces throughout the country).

I am often asked whether or not detectives have access to PPE items.  They are issued with the same equipment as their uniformed colleagues.  The differences are that their baton tends to be smaller and carried more discreetly in a harness rather than on a utility belt and the incapacitant spray may well be carried in a pocket rather than a pouch on a utility belt.  Also, detectives tend to leave their equipment at the office, safe in the knowledge that if they attend a potentially violent incident, they can call upon their uniformed colleagues to deal with the matter for them.  A detective will rarely go alone or in pairs to arrest a violent subject.  It wouldn’t be safe. Instead, they co-opt the services of one or more uniformed officers.  In many cases, the sight of an officer in uniform can be enough to discourage a suspect from acting violently.  In other cases, the sight of a police uniform can be as bad as the proverbial “red rag to a bull.”

Most detectives will carry their police radio rather than rely on a mobile telephone.  The radio gives them instant access to the control room, their colleagues and help if they need it.  The signal is more reliable than that of a mobile telephone  and the communications are encrypted.

Officers can only carry and use a baton, handcuffs and incapacitant spray if they have been trained in their use and have refreshed their skills on a training course recently (usually every 12 to 24 months).  Officers are not routinely authorised to take their PPE home as the baton cuffs and spray are classed as offensive weapons that they are only allowed to carry whilst on duty.

Are your officers going to be carrying their PPE or will they either forget to pick it up or decline to carry it for reasons such as the body armour is heavy and cumbersome.

You can find more information about their use by following the links in the British Police and Crime Directory for Writers and Researchers.  You can also check out many more facts about policing in 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

 

Is There Going to be Blood in Your Story?

You’re currently putting your story together and you’ve just described the crime scene. There’s blood present, which is believed to belong to the suspect.  You get your forensic examiners to analyse the blood sample that they think belongs to the suspect.  They tell your fictional detective that they have extracted the suspect’s DNA but that it doesn’t match anyone recorded on the DNA database so without further information, they still have no idea who the suspect may be.

However, based on the latest research findings from  the KU Leuven Forensic Biomedical Sciences Unit in Belgium, it is now possible to predict the age of a suspect or unidentified body from a sample of their blood, rather than merely extracting DNA from the blood to check against the DNA Database.

Scientists from KU Leuven have developed the test which predicts an individuals’ age on the basis of blood or teeth samples. This test may be particularly useful for the police, as it can help track down criminals or identify human remains.

The aging process is regulated by our DNA and human tissues and organs change as we grow older.

Professor Bram Bekaert from the KU Leuven Forensic Biomedical Sciences Unit explains: “The behaviour of our organs and tissues depends on which of our genes are activated. As we grow older, some genes are switched on, while others are switched off. This process is partly regulated by methylation, whereby methyl groups are added to our DNA. In specific locations, genes with high methylation levels are deactivated.”

Bekaert and his colleagues were able to predict an individuals’ age on the basis of a set of four age-associated DNA methylation markers. The methylation levels of these markers can be used for highly accurate age predictions. The researchers were able to determine an individuals’ age with a margin of error of 3.75 years for blood samples and 4.86 years for teeth.  More information can be found at http://www.kuleuven.be/english/news/2015/blood-and-teeth-predict-age

The new technique is potentially useful in the context of police investigations because it can help determine the age of criminals or unidentified bodies, which in turn can lead to identification.

Remember this little fact when putting your story together if it is being based on now and the near future.  It’s pretty useless for stories set in the past.

If you want to read more interesting facts, don’t forget to buy yourself a copy of 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police available on Amazon by clicking the title above or on the picture of the cover to the right.

Not only will you get 218 facts, you’ll also see 40 story ideas based on those facts in 36 different areas of policing.

Topics covered include but are not limited to:

• the organisation of the police
• crime scene attendance, assessment and investigation
• police intelligence work
• police interviews
• custody suite issues
• the role of the Senior Investigating Officer

Use 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police to make your stories realistic, to provide you with ideas you’d never thought of before and best of all, to prevent you from embarrassing yourself in front of your readers.

If you think your friends or colleagues would find the book useful, please let them know about it.

Learn Crime From the Experts #1

Do you want to explore serious and serial crime investigations.?  

Do you want to hear how crime scenes are processed?

Do you want to find out who does what and how leads are developed and followed?

If your work features any type of crime (committing or solving) , join me for an enlightening evening on 28th September 2015 at 1900 – 2100 for the very first Learn Crime From the Experts course run by the Nottingham Writers’ Studio, 25 Hockley, Nottingham, NG1 1FH.

This is the very first of a series of expert talks organised by the Nottingham Writers’ Studio that will help your work stand out and ensure you get the crucial details right.

Further details are available from the Nottingham Writers’ Studio

If you can’t make it, maybe buy yourself a copy of 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police available on Amazon by clicking the title above or on the picture of the cover to the right.

Not only will you get 218 facts, you’ll also see 40 story ideas based on those facts in 36 different areas of policing.

Topics covered include but are not limited to:

• the organisation of the police
• crime scene attendance, assessment and investigation
• police intelligence work
• police interviews
• custody suite issues
• the role of the Senior Investigating Officer

Use 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police to make your stories realistic, to provide you with ideas you’d never thought of before and best of all, to prevent you from embarrassing yourself in front of your readers.

If you think your friends or colleagues would find the book useful, please let them know about it.

Happy and informed reading.

218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police

Not just 218 facts but also 40 ideas to take your story forward in 36 different areas of policing.

My latest book, 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police is now available on Amazon.  For the next 10 days, it will be available at a discounted price so get your very own copy by clicking the title above or on the picture of the cover to the right.

You may be wondering why you should part with less than the cost of a coffee from one of the many famous chains, to own your own copy of this unique and useful book.  Some of you, when you examine the preview on Amazon may even conclude that the book is merely a collection of posts from this blog.  Let me allay your suspicions.  It is not.  This blog has shaped the idea of the book and does cover some of this blog’s topics but in much more detail and you will the book provides 40 ideas of how you could take your stories further using the associated facts and provided web links.

These 40 story ideas based on 218 facts in 36 different areas  of policing will both educate and stimulate your creative inclinations.

Topics covered include but are not limited to:

• the organisation of the police
• crime scene attendance, assessment and investigation
• police intelligence work
• police interviews
• custody suite issues
• the role of the Senior Investigating Officer

If you don’t want to make mistakes with your fiction and you don’t have a police adviser in your pocket or hanging at the end of a telephone call just dying to answer the question that you feel really stupid for having to ask, buy this book.  I’ve put it together to save you the time you’d have to spend conducting the research (even if you knew where to look in the first place) or having to flatter, coerce or bribe a police officer who has sufficient experience to provide you with accurate and up to date information along with a series of ideas for taking your story forward.

Use 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police to make your stories realistic, to provide you with ideas you’d never thought of before and best of all, to prevent you from embarrassing yourself in front of your readers.

If you find the book useful, please let your friends and colleagues know about it and a positive review is always most welcome.  If however, you felt that the book failed to meet your expectations or you found a mistake or dead link, just drop me a line at “the(dot)writer(AT)hotmail.co.uk” Don’t forget to swap the dot and AT for their respective characters.

Happy and informed reading.

2 Very Important Facts You Need To Know About A Coroner

A coroner is an independent judicial office holder, appointed by a local council.  They usually have a legal background and will also be familiar with medical terminology.

Coroners investigate deaths that have been reported to them if it appears that:

• the death was violent or unnatural
• the cause of death is unknown, or
• the person died in prison, police custody or another type of state detention.

The purpose of the investigation is to find out, for the benefit of bereaved people and for official records, who has died, how, when and where.

If an investigation is determined necessary, a pathologist will normally carry out a post-mortem examination of the body.  Where the post-mortem identifies the cause of death, the coroner will send a form to the Registrar of Births and Deaths stating the cause of death.  The coroner must release the body as soon as possible, after which a funeral can be arranged. 

If it was not possible to find out the cause of death from the post-mortem examination or the death is found to be unnatural, the coroner has to hold an inquest. An inquest is a

fact-finding process, held in public court by the coroner in order to establish who died and how, when and where the death occurred.  The inquest will be held as soon as possible and normally within 6 months of the death if at all possible.

If the death occurred in prison or custody or if it resulted from an accident at work, there will usually be a jury at the inquest.

The coroner (or jury where there is one) comes to a conclusion at the end of the inquest.  This includes the legal ‘determination’, which states who died, where, when and how. The coroner or jury also makes ‘findings’ to allow the cause of death to be registered. When recording the cause the coroner or jury may use one of the following terms:

• accident or misadventure
• alcohol/drug related
• industrial disease
• lawful killing
• unlawful killing
• natural causes
• open
• road traffic collision
• stillbirth
• suicide

The coroner or jury may also make a brief ‘narrative’ conclusion setting out the facts surrounding the death in more detail and explaining the reasons for the decision.

If a person doesn’t agree with the Coroner’s conclusion, they may challenge their decision or conclusion but they should do this as soon as possible as for some challenges there is a three-month limit.

As you can see:

1. the coroner does not attend a crime scene to collect forensic evidence,
2. nor do they carry out a post-mortem

so don’t be caught out letting your fictional coroner do any of these things.

The latest Coroner’s statistics can be found HERE

The Coroners’ Society of England and Wale can be found HERE

Keep following this blog to hear about the imminent launch of my latest book, 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police.

Coming Very Soon

Keep your mailboxes open to make sure that you don’t miss the launch of my next book – 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police at an enticing early-bird price.

Forget about spending hours and hours conducting your own research or trying to find a friendly cop with enough knowledge and experience to be able to help answer your questions. Instead, buy 218 Facts a Writer Needs to Know About the Police and you’ll find the answers already there for you in an easy to navigate Table of Contents.

You’ll find 40 story ideas based on 218 facts in 36 different areas to both educate and stimulate your creative inclinations.