Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 94

Strong Supporting Characters Crime Fiction Novels Can't Live Without

Writing a thriller, especially a crime fiction thriller, is challenging and very demanding. There are so many things that you need to be aware of throughout the story, like pacing, twists and turns, and maybe a surprise ending. It's almost like you need a checklist to tick off every time you make it through one of the harrowing scenes. I don't just mean on paper either. It usually feels like you've lived the scene a hundred times before you tweak a chapter just right.

One of the most important aspects that I find in creating a proposed page-turner is you need strong supporting characters for your protagonist and antagonist to interact with in order to move the plot along. This is one of my favorite parts of writing a novel. I love to incorporate a character that brings out many different emotions for the hero(ine).

In my second novel Dead Game , I created the charming, but annoying, know-it-all Jordan Smith that really kept my heroine Emily Stone on her toes. I like creating characters readers can either relate to, or know someone just like them.

In my most recent novel Silent Partner , one of the supporting characters just happens to be a four-legged, black Labrador retriever named Keno. Not only is he a dog, but a police dog as well. For this crime thriller, I wanted to add another dimension to the twisted chase of good guys and really, really bad guys. Don't be fooled, this isn't a warm and fuzzy dog story by any means, it's a down to the second chase to apprehend a serial killer.

My characters aren't modeled after "real" people, they are a combination of people and of course my imagination. However, Keno's character was in fact my own Labrador named Trucker. We trained with the local police K9 and I couldn't think of a better dog to back up Deputy Jack Davis.

On an extremely sad note, as I was writing Silent Partner , Trucker was stricken with an aggressive cancer and three days later I had to put him down. It was an extremely emotional time for me and this book almost didn't get written. But, life goes on and I thought what better way to keep his memory alive and share all of his wonderful traits with readers in my new thriller Silent Partner.


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Amazon.com Just made Sending Kindle Books Easier!

Now You Can Give Kindle Books as a Gift to Anyone with an E-mail Address.

All Three of Jennifer Chase's Novels are Available in Kindle Format. Paperback is also Available. "Compulsion" - Kindle "Dead Game" - Kindle Newly Released "Silent Partner" Kindle

Crime Scene Investigation – Breakthrough Forensic Camera Used to Detect Blood Invisible to the Naked Eye

To detect bloodstains at a crime scene, forensic technicians use a chemical called luminol. It is sprayed around the crime scene and reacts to the iron in blood, emitting a bluish glow in the dark. However, luminol is toxic, can smear blood patterns, and can react to other substances (rust, coffee, fizzy or carbonated drinks, bleach) to give a false positive.

There are many types of advances and technology being tested every day in a variety of fields. I enjoy finding little tidbits of forensic information to share, especially if it's something to help solve more cases or shed more light on an investigation.

A prototype camera developed by Stephen Morgan and Michael Myrick from the University of South Carolina in Columbia can detect bloodstains invisible to the naked eye. In addition, this camera can distinguish between blood and other substances without interfering with the samples.

The camera takes an image of a crime scene by using beams of pulsing infrared light onto a surface that then detects the infrared reflected back off it. A transparent, 8 micrometer-thick layer of protein albumin placed in front of the detector acts a s a filter, which makes a diluted blood stain show up against the crime scene surroundings by filtering out wavelengths that aren't characteristic of blood proteins.

This new camera would help to expedite crime scene processing for blood stains and not contaminate any critical evidence in the process. It would immediately tell a story of what happened during a crime. Technology can be truly amazing.


Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: www. authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Wishing Everyone a Very Special Thanksgiving Day!

This is one of those very special times of the year to count our blessings. I have many things to be thankful for. This occasion is also fun, festive, and inviting. Take the time to enjoy friends and family this holiday season.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Book Review of "Silent Partner" -Pscyhological Thriller that Integrates the Bond Between Man and Dog

****4.0 out of 5 stars
November 23, 2010
By Sarah Moore "Sarah" (Nashville, TN)
This review is from: " Silent Partner " (Paperback) (also available in Kindle Format)

Jennifer Chase has rightfully earned a strong fan base following the release of her first two novels to feature heroine Emily Stone--" Compulsion " and " Dead Game ". I have been fortunate enough to review both of these books as well as interview the author upon their publication, so it was with great anticipation that I waited to find a copy of her newest release in my hands. And, I was not surprised to find that Chase had produced yet another thrilling page-turner. " Silent Partner " is a novel that will chill you with the callous evil of its criminals and have you engaged in the dramatic life of Deputy Jack Davis in his dedication to caring for both strangers and loved ones who cross his path.

For those not already familiar with the character of Emily Stone, she is prominent in Chase's first novels. Stone tracks the pedophiles, rapists, and killers who are terrorizing small towns, gathers evidence against them using technology and great instinct, and then anonymously leaves her files of proof with the local police department before moving on the next case. While Emily Stone does play an important role in " Silent Partner ", readers should not expect her to be featured as she was in Chase's previous work. Instead, we are introduced to Deputy Jack Davis. He is a man who is still haunted by what happened in the home of his childhood friend many years ago and, upon a chance reunion, realizes that the girl who watched her mother die at the hands of her father is still living the nightmare every day.

The reemerging relationship between Davis and his childhood friend, Megan O'Connell, is set against a series of vicious murders that are carried out by men who seem to carry no remorse or sense of value to human life. It is during these scenes, in which Chase calls upon her expertise in the field of forensic psychology, that I believe her writing is at its finest. I found myself having a physical reaction to the brutality faced by some of the victims in the book and the killer's thirst for more violence and blood. And, the way in which Chase weaves her multiple story lines and characters together makes for a shocking ending. Even though I was anticipating a twist as the book progressed, the final scenes took me in a direction that I did not expect.

The emotional heart of this book comes from the mutual love that exists between the humans and their dogs. From Jack Davis and his K-9 dog Keno to Megan and Eddie, whose need for an emergency trip to the vet is the only reason that the troubled woman can force herself to leave her home, the importance of a loyal dog is a theme throughout " Silent Partner ". In fact, this special bond is the inspiration for the book's title. Jennifer Chase often shares the love for her own dogs on her website and other writings, and I know the words used to express the adoration between dog and owner could only come from a person who carried those feelings in her heart.

" Silent Partner " forms a definite break with the previous offerings by Jennifer Chase in both its style and perspective. Two constants in all of Chase's work, though, are the quality of the story development and the rich psychological insight. When you add a spotlight to members of our law enforcement who often go unheralded, the trained dogs, " Silent Partner " is another wonderful product. Whether you already count yourself among Jennifer Chase's followers and were waiting for the release of this new book or you are discovering this author for the first time, " Silent Partner " is a compelling read.

Book Review Of "Silent Partner" - Newly Released Novel By Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase

***** (5 out of 5) Stars
Very exciting and holds your interest until the very end., November 22, 2010
By B. Altman

This review is from: " Silent Partner " (Paperback) (Also, available in Kindle Format)

This book by Jennifer Chase will keep you reading until the end of the book..It gives you an insight into the police K9 and what really goes on with the police dogs. It has great story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and is a great read.

Our Bond with Dogs

In my newly released third novel, " Silent Partner ", I had the opportunity to integrate another one of my passions into my writing—my love for dogs. It was such a joy to highlight dogs that prove themselves essential in the important work done by law enforcement every day. From protecting the humans with whom they serve to detecting a bad guy crouched in a corner and waiting to do harm, police dogs have done their part to keep our communities safe. Deputy Jack Davis, who readers will meet in my new book , certainly appreciates all that his dog Keno has meant to him.

Of course, it's not just in matters of catching criminals that dogs are our constant partners and allies. Many books have been written and stories put to film that feature that special relationship between dogs and humans. I thought about the prevalent role that dogs have played in the stories told in our pop culture, and the examples are endless.

Can you imagine Little Orphan Annie without Sandy by her side? Doc Brown let his buddy Einstein take that first trip in the DeLorean time machine before giving it a try himself in Back to the Future . When Will Smith appears to be the only human left alive in the movie I Am Legend , he still has his loyal dog to be his guard and his companion as the walk the streets of New York City.

There is no shortage to the number of books, television shows, and movies that feature that undeniable bond that exists with our dogs. I hope that my book "Silent Partner" does justice in highlighting the life-and-death relationship that police officers have with the canines that travel with them every day.

What are some of your favorite examples of fiction that share the connection between a human and a dog?

My Weekend California Storm Photos

All photography taken by Jennifer Chase.

Award Winning Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase
Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Current Novels: All are available in both Paperback and Kindle Format!"Compulsion""Award Winning Dead Game" Newly Released "Silent Partner"

Letters Offer Insight into Mind of Alleged Killer

I am sure that everyone is familiar with the triple murder of a family in Connecticut that took place in 2007 and returned to the public eye recently when one of the killers had his trial and was sentenced to die. The punishment of death is quite rare in New England, so you know that the crimes involved were particularly heinous.

On July 23, 2007, Dr. William Petit was attacked by two intruders with a baseball bat and then chained to a pole in his basement. His wife was raped and strangled. His eleven-year-old daughter was raped and photographed and then killed after several hours of torture, along with his teenage daughter.

One of the men involved in the attack, Steven Hayes, was convicted on charges of murder, rape, and kidnapping and has been sentenced to die . The other man, and the one who is considered by many members of law enforcement to be the leaders and the brains behind the horrible events, is still waiting for his time in court. And, while he waits, Joshua Komisarjevsky has written a series of letters that offer a frightening look into his soul.

In his writing, Komisarjevsky acknowledges he always felt there was "something different about me" and tells of his "restless inner torment" and that he was "dripping in sin." He also describes the members of the Petit family, and quite matter-of-factly shares their struggles to live and the manner in which each faced death.

While we understandably want to rid our society of predators like Hayes and Komisarjevsky, we learn a lot about the psychology of the criminal mind when we allow them to be heard. Perhaps letters such as the ones the alleged killer in Connecticut is sending from within his prison walls will help us identify some warning signs in others before it is too late.

Criminal Profiling – An Important Investigative Tool

In my first novel " Compulsion ", Emily Stone's love interest Detective Rick Lopez uses a form of criminal profiling called a "Threshold Assessment". He carefully weighs the evidence from the serial homicide crime scenes, criminal behavior patterns, and victimology to begin to put together a preliminary profile of the serial killer.

People frequently ask me, "What's profiling and how does it work?"

Many people think of profiling as some type of psychic or other intuitive paranormal ability and not something that should be used as a practical resource in all types of criminal investigations. There are two types of effective profiles that can be used: threshold assessment and criminal profile.

Every investigator or detective should know how to incorporate profiling into his or her investigations as an investigative tool. It should never be done in place of solid investigative work; however, it should be one of the pieces available in the criminal investigation arsenal. No two crime scenes occur in the same way or are ever exactly alike. This is where it's important for the investigator to use his or her analytical and deductive reasoning skills in an objective manner.

According to criminal profiler and forensic scientist, Brent Turvey, a "Threshold Assessment" refers to a document that reviews the initial evidence of crime behavior, victimology, and crime scene characteristics of a particular case or a series of cases. This procedure is the evaluation of what is understood to be fact about a particular case or cases and does not render the conclusions or opinions of a full criminal profile report.

A "Threshold Assessment" should include the following:

1. Overview of established facts of the case.
2. Overview of established facts relevant to the victimology (thorough study of the victim).
3. Overview of established facts relevant to the crime scene.
4. Initial hypothesis of motivational behaviors.
5. Initial hypothesis of offender characteristics.
6. Suggestions of further facts needed to be determined or analyzed.
7. Suggestions of further facts needed through victimology.
8. Suggestions and potential strategies for suspect development.

All of this information is helpful in creating a complete criminal profile. A criminal profile refers to a "court-worthy" document that incorporates all of the physical and behavioral evidence relating to the known victimology and crime scene characteristics of the offender responsible for the crime or series of crimes. This document concludes with the opinions and conclusion of the profiler of the most logical suspect for the case or series of cases. Criminal profiling shouldn't be limited to just homicide investigations; it can used for burglary, rape, and arson investigations as well.

You can listen to my interview with profiler and forensic scientist Brent Turvey on my show Book & Crime talk:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/2010/11/18/special-show--interview-with-profiler-forensic-sci

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase