M.A.R. Unger's Blog: M.A.R.Unger— Mysteries with an Edge

OOPS!

I'm infamous for leaving out words in initial drafts. Generally a second read or a critique group will find them. Does it matter? Check out my latest blunder.

Corrected ---The maid smiled and stood prepared to cook for the newest guest.
Original--The maid smiled and stood prepared to cook the newest guest.

Hmm...Cannibalism in the Vegas suburbs.

Mixing Fiction and Reality

In CATHY'S WORLD and all my Matti James Mysteries, I love to mix reality and fiction …. from familiar places to history to police and forensic procedure. I recently had a reader approach me and ask if the Neon Lights eatery in Henderson, NV changed names. Although the street is real, the diner isn't. Come to think of it why would you go to a place that's had shootings? What are your thoughts on "making it real"?

Avoiding lawsuits

Whenever I name a place/establishment in my books, I need to secure written permission. Often that involves my promise not to set crime scenes there. So, I live near Las Vegas and you'd think casinos would love publicity. Not so. One in particular let me know that any mention of the name of the casino (even if my character refers to seeing it as she walks down The Strip) would result in a lawsuit. That's why you'll find a mix of real and fictitious places in the Matti James series. In CATHY'S WORLD, I mix them again. What's real? See if you can tell.

25 DAYS…in process research

Do you like to read details of settings? For example, I take my character across the U of CA Berkeley campus and through UNLV in Vegas. Anyone who knows the areas will recognize the descriptions. Does this accuracy make the story more tangible to readers who are unfamiliar with the setting?

A perfect poison?

Looking for a perfect poison, one that can be found…or stolen…and that will have devastating effects. Ideas?

To shoot or not to shoot?

Can a writer describe a shooting incident without having shot the particular gun?

Don't know. My character Matti James is dead-on with a Glock. Me, too. And I get to watch the best shooters demonstrate the types of guns I use in my books, thanks to the owner of the Pro Gun Club in Boulder City, NV.Have to see, feel, hear, smell and sometimes taste the spent gunpowder before writing about it.

Finding the right advisors

In writing murder mysteries, it is essential to include accurate technical aspects. For me, it was finding advisors in Las Vegas and Henderson police departments. Start with public information officers in the city where your mystery takes place. However, if you want a meaningful reply and a referral, make sure you include information/facts that demonstrate you've done your homework on the subject. Ask specific, not general questions. That should help you on your way to developing a network of meaningful advisors.

How to incorporate police procedures

This is a hard one. Each jurisdiction does things a bit differently. The one constant to remember in a crime novel is the role of the coroner/coroner investigator. Here in Clark County, Nevada, there are about 20 "coroners." While CSIs may arrive on scene and start photographing, neither they nor detectives can touch the body…that includes looking for ID. The body belongs to the coroner, the crime scene to the CSIs, and piecing together "who done it" is largely the job of detectives. So if you read a murder mystery that makes no mention of the coroner…..expect more flaws to follow.

Keeping it fresh--murders, that is

Right now I'm writing my third in the Matti James Mystery series. In each, there is a different manner of death. Each creates a problem for the forensic facial reconstruction artist and each is solved using techniques that are not fiction. For example, CT scans can be run through a computer program to compress the slices. That "solid" image can be turned into an exact plastic replica by a 3-D printer. Technology aside, I hope I make my killers interesting --driven not by mental defect. That's too easy an out. My late cousin was an FBI trained police psychologist and worked with profilers. His notes give me interesting avenues to investigate.

Giveway concludes tomorrow

I'm delighted to see the interest in BITS AND PIECES. Hope that the recipients enjoy the wild ride and will give an honest review.

Creating a paranormal world with few caveats and a mysterious govt. agent working in the background for a reason not made clear to the main character provides a real challenge. I have to say that while the paranormal world is of my creation, the "agent" is based on reality.

Mix that with careful forensics and police procedures and you have BITS AND PIECES with a strong female sleuth.