Anthony Award Nominations Announced

Nominations for the Anthony Award have been announced and MORE FORENSICS AND FICTION is one of the nominees.

 

 

Congratulations to all my fellow nominees. They are:

BEST NOVEL:

Dare Me – Megan Abbott [Reagan Arthur]

The Trinity Game – Sean Chercover [Thomas & Mercer]

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn [Crown]

The Beautiful Mystery – Louise Penny [Minotaur]

The Other Woman – Hank Phillippi Ryan [Forge]

 

BEST FIRST NOVEL:

Don’t Ever Get Old – Daniel Friedman [Thomas Dunne]

The Professionals – Owen Laukkanen [Putnam]

The Expats – Chris Pavone [Crown]

The 500 – Matthew Quirk [Reagan Arthur]

Black Fridays – Michael Sears [Putnam]

 

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:

Whiplash River – Lou Berney [William Morrow]

Murder for Choir – Joelle Charbonneau [Berkley Prime Crime]

And She Was – Alison Gaylin [Harper]

Blessed are the Dead – Malla Nunn [Emily Bestler]

Big Maria – Johnny Shaw [Thomas & Mercer]

 

BEST SHORT STORY:

“Mischief in Mesopotamia” – Dana Cameron, EQMM, Nov 2012

“Kept in the Dark” – Shelia Connolly, Best New England Crime Stories: Blood Moon [Level Best]

“The Lord is My Shamus” – Barb Goffman, Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder, p.97 [Wildside]

“Peaches” – Todd Robinson, Grift, Spring 2012, p.80

“The Unremarkable Heart” – Karin Slaughter, Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance, p.177 [Mulholland]

 

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION WORK:

Books to Die For: The World’s Greatest Mystery Writers on the World’s Greatest Mystery Novels – John Connolly and Declan Burke, eds. [Hodder & Stoughton/Emily Bestler]

Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947-1950 – Joseph Goodrich, ed. [Perfect Crime]

More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered – D.P. Lyle, M.D. [Medallion]

The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie – Mathew Prichard, ed. [Harper]

In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero – Otto Penzler, ed. [Smart Pop]

 

 

Q and A: What Drug Might Make My Character Impotent?

Q: My story is about a woman who, for various reasons, does not want to have sex with her husband. She decides to obtain an antiandrogen drug and administer to hubby sub rosa to prevent him from having erections. What drug might be best for this? How would it be administered? Could it be obtained from foreign pharmacy in Canada or Mexico?

Herb Vest, Dallas, TX

 

A: There are many drugs that can potentially cause impotence or erectile dysfunction. Most are unpredictable and they work in different manners but since she would have access to his food and drink and even his medications on a daily basis she could easily perform a trial and error study to see which ones work best for her needs.

One would be simply giving him her birth control pills. These would be easy to crush and add the food and over time could cause an elevation of estrogen and a lowering of testosterone levels and this could interfere with his sexual function. This would take weeks or months to work and he could have certain side effects such as slight breast enlargement and tenderness but for the most part the drug would go unnoticed he would simply have a more difficult time getting and maintaining an erection.

Many classes of blood pressure medications can do the same thing. Diuretics, ace inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers can do this but by far the most likely are the beta blockers: atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol are the most common. These drugs tend to lower the blood pressure and slow the heart rate and this is how they lower blood pressure but they are also notorious for causing sexual dysfunction in men. Besides the sexual problems the other side effects that he could experience would be fatigue, sleepiness, forgetfulness, and possibly some shortness of breath. In most people these latter symptoms are mild and he might simply write them off to being overworked or under stress as these symptoms are also associated with that.

The medications used for prostate cancer such as Flutamide and Leuprolide, can also cause impotence.

HERE is a useful chart of the drugs that can cause sexual dysfunction.

Each of these medications is easy to obtain as they are very common and widely used. She could forge a prescription, steel some from a neighbor, or get them prescribed for herself. Many can be ordered from Canada if a valid or forged prescription is available. If she or someone she knew worked in a pharmacy or a medical facility they could easily be stolen as they are not controlled drugs and therefore not locked up and often accounting is lax.

Of all of these possibilities I would go with the beta blockers. The dosage can be adjusted up or down to cause a more or less affect on his sexual performance and also to lessen any side effects he might have. Each comes as a pill that can easily be crushed and added to food.

 

 

The Writers Forensics Blog: Top 25 Forensic Science Blogs of 2012

 

I just learned that The Writers Forensics Blog has been selected as one of the Top 25 Forensic Science Blogs of 2012 by TopCriminalJusticeDegrees.org.

I have been following most of the other blogs on the list for years and am honored to be in such excellent company.

Check out the list. There are some fun and useful sites here.

 

 

Smoothies Are On The Case

 

 

I’d bet Roger Taylor never suspected quenching his thirst would land him in jail. It seems that while committing an armed robbery Roger became thirsty and drank some of his victims smoothie. This of course transferred his DNA to the straw and the crime lab was able to sample it and make a match with the unfortunate Mr. Taylor.

I guess the take-home lesson here is one that your mother always told you: Don’t drink after others.

What a concept.

 

You Did What? Alcohol Is A Dangerous Drug

With New Year’s Eve just days away I think this post might be appropriate. File this under a fraternity prank gone wrong.

We’ve all heard stories of college students binge drinking, passing out, being tucked in by classmates to “sleep it off,” and then turning up dead the next morning. The reason this occurs so commonly lies in the way the body metabolizes (destroys or breaks down) alcohol. It does so in a linear fashion as opposed to a dose-dependent fashion. This means that the system for destroying alcohol runs at its highest level at all times regardless of how much alcohol is consumed. With increased alcohol intake there is no way to “rev up” the system to handle the excess because the metabolic pathways are already running at maximum capacity. This allows the blood-alcohol level to rise rapidly and this is what leads to death from respiratory depression and asphyxia.

This nearly happened to University of Tennessee student Alexander Broughton, but not in the usual fashion. Most students drink alcohol but it seems that Alexander was given an alcohol enema as part of a fraternity hazing ritual. An activity that seems to go by the colorful moniker “Butt Chugging.” Really?

Broughton denies that this is the case but, whether it happened to him or not, it is still a lesson for anyone who might wish to try this. Though for the life of me I can’t see why anyone would.

It is important to note that many drugs can be given through the colon because they are absorbed very rapidly into the bloodstream through the lining of the lower G.I. tract. Alcohol is no different. So taking the alcohol as an enema is probably more dangerous than drinking it as it is absorbed very rapidly into the bloodstream when given by this route.

 

 

Alcohol Metabolism: From HOWDUNNIT: FORENSICS:

The body eliminates most toxins in what is called a dose-dependent fashion. That is, the higher the dose taken, the more rapidly the toxin is metabolized. A small amount will activate only some of the enzymes that break down the toxin, whereas a larger amount will activate more enzymes in order to handle the increased load of toxin. In other words, the body calls up enough workers to get the job done quickly.

But, alcohol is metabolized in a linear fashion in that any amount of alcohol intake activates all the enzyme systems that destroy it. This means that from the first drink, the system operates at almost maximum efficiency and there is little or no ability to increase it. The average rate of ethanol destruction in the body is roughly equivalent to one drink per hour.

Why is this important? With rapid intake of alcohol, as is seen in binge drinking, so common among college students, the body has no method for increasing the removal of the alcohol. The system is already running at top speed and excessive intake overruns the body’s ability to deal with it. The result is that the concentration of alcohol in the blood will rise rapidly and this can lead to coma and death. You’ve no doubt read about such tragedies in the newspaper.

The story usually goes something like this: Joe gets very drunk at a party and passes out. His friends tuck him onto bed somewhere and continue partying, thinking Joe will “sleep it off.” Unfortunately, Joe still has a stomach full of alcohol, which continues to enter Joe’s bloodstream. Since Joe’s alcohol-destroying enzyme systems are already working at maximum capacity, the level of alcohol in the blood continues to rise, finally reaching a level that causes Joe to stop breathing. His corpse is found the next morning when everyone has sobered up. Happens all too often.

The blood alcohol content (BAC) correlates very well with degree of intoxication. The BAC level is expressed in grams percent, which means the number of grams of alcohol in each 100 milliliters of blood. As the level rises, the toxic effects of the alcohol become more pronounced. A level of 0.08 is the legal limit for intoxication in most jurisdictions. You may be impaired at a much lower level, but at 0.08 they’ll cuff you. The correlation of the BAC with the signs and symptoms of intoxication are well established.

BAC of 0.03: Most people will become giddy, but their motor skills will be little affected. This is equivalent to a single beer or one high ball in most individuals.

BAC of 0.03 to 0.08: Coordination, reaction time, and judgment decline.

BAC above 0.12: Nausea and vomiting can occur.

BAC of 0.25: Slipping into a coma is likely.

BAC of 0.30: Usually leads to a deep coma.

BAC of 0.40 or more: Death is likely.

 

 

DNA Imaged

Using an Electron Microscope, Enzo di Fabrizio and his team at the University of Genoa have produced the first clear image of the DNA double helix.

Very cool.

 

DNA Double Helix Structure

 

 

EM Picture of the DNA Double Helix

 

 

 

 

RUN TO GROUND, Finalist for the 2012 USA Best Book Award

USA BEST BOOK AWARDS 2012, Thriller/Adventure Category

 

Finalists:

Run To Ground by D.P. Lyle
Oceanview Publishing
978-1-60809-057-0

Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon
Crown
978-0307-71789-4

Collision of Lies by John J. LeBeau
Oceanview Publishing
978-1-60809-045-7

Greco’s Game by James Houston Turner
Comfort Publishing
978-1-936695485

Q: Awakening by G.M. Lawrence
Variance
978-1-935142-53-9

The Calypso Directive: A Novel by Brian Andrews
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
978-1-61145-494-9

Tidal Wave 23: A New World Order Thriller by Thomas J. Ryan
Thomas J. Ryan
978-0-9856263-0-3

Winner:

Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon
Crown
978-0307-71789-4

 

Arson, Heart Attacks, and the Manner of Death

Back in May, I discussed the issue of Cause and Manner of death and the two killers who went to trial for murder when their victim died 30 years after the initial attack. The victim died from “natural causes” but the cascade of events that led to his death began with the assault by the two defendants.

In a slightly different situation, but one that weighs equally on the manner of death, Rickie Fowler has been convicted of the murder of five people who died from fatal heart attacks. But aren’t heart attacks natural events? How could he be guilty of murder?

 

Back in 2003 in San Bernardino County, CA, dear old Rickie decided to set the countryside ablaze by driving around the drought-dried hillsides and tossing flaming objects out the window of his vehicle. Here in California we deal with these morons every fire season. The result of Rickie’s little spree was a nine-day fire that consumed 91,000 acres, more than 1000 buildings, and the five heart attack victims, who suffered their fatal events while trying to escape the flames.

 

Sure heart attacks are natural, but the inciting event in the death of each was their fear, anxiety, stress, and physical activity as they rushed away from the conflagration. If not for the fire, the heart attacks would not likely have occurred. At least not on that day. A jury agreed and convicted Rickie on all five counts.

 

America Lost A Hero Today: Godspeed, Neil Armstrong

 

 

Sad news today. Neil Armstrong died, taking with him a big part of my childhood. As someone who grew up in the shadow of the space program, actually the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, I followed his and every other astronauts’ career from the beginning. Von Braun and crew at Marshall built the boosters that launched our satellites as well as the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs into orbit and beyond. Back then when the ground around Huntsville shook, it wasn’t a Mother Nature thing, but rather a NASA thing. The huge test tower where the Saturn V boosters were static tested still stand and from the top you can see the entire center, the city, and much of the Tennessee River Valley.

I know there are those who say the moon landing never occurred, proving yet again that the morons walk among us.

I know. I was there. Not for the “one small step” but for the launch of Apollo 11. July 16, 1969, 9:32 a.m. It was a cool morning at Canaveral that day and once again the ground shook as the mighty Saturn V cluster sprang to life and Armstrong, along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, rose into the sky in route to the moon. We stood awe-struck and watched as the first stage separated and the second stage carried them out of sight.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Truly one of the highlights of my life.

It was the summer between my freshmen and sophomore years of med school in Birmingham. Don Hawkins, a classmate of mine, and I were doing cardiovascular research projects that summer and took a few days off to venture down. Don’s aunt worked for NASA and lived in Cocoa Beach. She had grabbed us passes to the Cape for the launch. Not an easy ticket to come by.

I remember we arrived there a couple of days early, pulling in around 2 a.m. after the grueling drive from Birmingham. As we neared the Cape we could see the rocket. Off in the distance, lit like a monument. What a thrill.

 

The day before the launch, we toured NASA, seeing the VAB (Vertical Assembly Building), the huge transport vehicle that carried the massive rocket from that construction site to the launch pad, and, of course, the rocket. Up close and personal. At that time the VAB, which had four construction silos inside, held the Apollo 12 and the ill-fated Apollo 13 rockets, as well as the beginnings of Apollo 14. NASA always planned ahead.

They say two million people descended on the Florida Coast that week. That might be a conservative estimate. The night before launch day, Don and I went for a long run along the beach, an hour out and an hour back. Campers and campsites lined the beach every step of the way, all night parties in progress.

Around midnight we tried to get some sleep but that didn’t work out so well. Too amped. So around 4 a.m. we headed over to the Holiday Inn for breakfast where we ran into some of the ABC news crew getting ready to head for the Cape. We met our bus around 6 and reached the Cape shortly thereafter. It was cool and overcast. There were hundreds of people there, Apollo 11 standing across a flat stretch of swamp water from us. Speakers lined the shore and blasted out the chatter between Mission Control and Armstrong and crew. The tension was indeed palpable and as the minutes clicked by it only increased. Around 9, the sky cleared and the countdown seemed to quicken until 10 . . 9 . . 8 . . and so on. Then: “We have ignition. And lift off.”

 

My heart raced in my throat and, yes, there were tears. Same was true for everyone there.

The steam rose from the water used to deaden the vibrations and heat from the boosters, obscuring the rocket. Then, Apollo 11 slowly nosed from the cloud and rose above us, its exhaust laying down a thick contrail.

Heady stuff.

Ultimately, 12 Americans set foot on that desolate surface and returned to talk about it.

Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin

Apollo 12: Pete Conrad/Alan Bean

Apollo 14: Alan Shepard/Edgar Mitchell

Apollo 15: David Scott/James Irwin

Apollo 16: John Young/Charles Duke

Apollo 17: Gene Cernan/Harrison Schmidt

 

But Neil Armstrong was the first.

Godspeed, Neil Armstrong. Your place in the history of humans will live forever.

 

 

Suspense Radio Interview This Saturday

If you get a chance join Gregg Hurwitz, Jaden Terrell, Michael Crisp and me on Suspense Radio this Saturday at 10 AM PDT.

http://www.suspensemagazine.com/suspenseradio.html