The LadyKillers

Subject is Cops

First Friday with Rita Lakin

One use of the word would be such as “copping a plea.”  

So that’s what sneaky me is doing for this posting. I’m taking the easy way out.

Here’s an excerpt from my new book; sub-titled My Secret Adventures in the Hollywood Men’s Club.

It was a typical balmy Los Angeles evening. I was to meet officers Jim and Darla at Ben Frank’s, a 24-hour coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard; a favorite cops’ hangout. 

I was outlining my pilot script for my first sold series, The Rookies. And this was me researching how cops work patrol. Aaron Spelling’s office pulled strings at Police headquarters and that’s how I got Jim and Darla. I hoped I had dressed right for the occasion. Mostly in black as camouflage so as not to been seen when it did get dark. 

          I had completed all my research about the police academy. I had started picking and choosing the characters. Now I wanted some nitty-gritty nighttime action. I carried a list of questions, a notebook in which to sketch my reactions, and a nifty pen that was also a flashlight so I could write in the dark.

Were they scared working at night? How did they deal with the endless hours of waiting for something to happen? What was their most dangerous situation? And if they let me, I’d ask about the potential of falling for each other. Could a guy stay faithful to his wife when he spent most of his time with another woman? One whom he had to depend on for his very life. Wow! This was going to be digging deep stuff.

I walked in. There were quite a few cops sitting at the counter on barstools and chatting. Jim and Darla were the only couple so I assumed they were the partners I was supposed to meet. 

I strolled over to their booth. He seemed tall and she seemed shorter. Both had dark hair. Neither was smiling. They sucked at the straws of their cokes. (Color them non-descript.) They didn’t look up at me, so I couldn’t see much of their faces. I guessed them in their late twenties.

They were downing hamburgers with the cokes. I was early, seven minutes to ten. Eager, insecure me; I was always early to everything.

“Hi,” I said brightly, “I’m your rider for tonight.”

They grunted, sort of, then ignored me; obviously they weren’t pleased to see me. Maybe it was embarrassing them to have to drive me around. Lose face with the other cops. I could respect that. 

I wasn’t asked to sit down. So after standing there a few minutes looking foolish, I finally said, “Guess I’ll wait outside. Get some air.” Brilliant dialogue, that.

They neither nodded nor commented, so I slunk out.

They took their time, on purpose. Outside, I was aware of this being a crummy, possibly dangerous neighborhood. And people I would ordinarily walk across the street to avoid, were glaring at me. I could do that, walk across the street, but it looked even worse over there. I wanted to stay in front of the brightly lit coffee shop. And if I got in trouble I could yell for the cops. 

Assuming they’d even rescue me. 

If you want to read the rest of the chapter, you’ll have to request it. 

 

Here comes the marshal now...

Ann Parker here, every other Thursday on the LadyKillers. It's been crazy times lately, with work piled up to here and me shoveling the words out as fast as I can. I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel (to mix up the metaphors a bit), but you know what they say about tunnels, lights, and on-coming trains...

So, I'm going to make this a short and pithy post, and let a "cop from the past" entertain you for a few minutes today. Here's Marshal Matt Dillion from the TV series Gunsmoke (to judge by James Arness' youthful appearance and the B&W nature of the clip, this is an old episode). The clip also features a (very young) Charles Bronson.

Gotta say, I love the honky-tonk piano in the background early on and the very somber almost blues-type horn close to the end.

Now, here's a question for you to ponder after watching this five-minute segment:

Is Marshal Dillion "playing fair" in this setup? What do you think?

 

My own private cop

From Camille, who couldn't wait for this topic to come up! COPS. Love them!

But this is about one cop – I'll call him CL, in case he's embarrassed being associated with me.

Years ago, writing my first mystery, I realized I'd have to know at least a smattering of police procedure. Except for the unfounded charges against my Uncle Salvie and Cousin Butch back in my bookie days on Revere Beach, I'd had little contact with law enforcement.

So, I contacted my local California PD and asked for help with murder investigation protocol (all the while hoping they weren't sending a squad car to my house.)

All I needed to do, the operator said, was to write a formal letter to the Chief, requesting assistance. That way, they'd get community outreach points. No problem. I was more than happy to provide good press for our Protectors and Servers. Within hours, I was assigned then Detective L., who would answer my questions.

Sixteen years later, he's still answering them, and never hints that a) I'm pretty dumb, or b) it's the fourth time I've asked about that.

I still remember driving to the police station to meet him the first time. I   worried that it might be a sting operation, with the whole force in SWAT gear, ready to arrest me. 

In fact, the first thing L. did was take me into an interview room designed for suspects. Aaack! It was a cramped, colorless closet barely big enough for 2 people, providing their toes were touching. Intimidating, which I guess is the point of a suspect room. I did say I wanted first hand info, after all.

Since that introduction, CL has taught me everything I need to know about cops and police procedure in my neighborhood. Here are the biggest lessons:

1. Unlike TV cops, real-life officers and detectives can and do have a "normal" family life. They're not all working on a fourth spouse, battling alcoholism and abuse, and struggling with the other ""Red John" backstories that might make TV drama riveting, but don't necessarily reflect reality.

2. Cops, mine especially, have a great sense of humor. I have SO much evidence to back up that statement, besides the daily funny quote and regularly spaced cartoons that go to anyone lucky enough to be spammed by him. Here's a recent submission:

 

There's also his annual family Christmas photo, like no other I receive, where apparently 3 generations gather to perform crazy/fun antics for the camera.

 

I didn't want to expose the whole family in all their comic glory (Christmas 2011), so I've cropped CL himself, blurred the few bodies near him, and even took steps to protect the L. family pet from identification. (Thanks to my live-in Cable Guy for the technical work).

3. If they need it, cops can carry away the kitchen sink from a crime scene. Be warned: A simple question will generate a long, detailed response. Whether it's about criminal behavior, interview techniques, taking statements, or  forensics, I always get enough material to spread a few thousand words throughout the novel—the writers among us know how valuable that is!

Yes, I have a friend in the crime business. It's hard to do this cop—now an Inspector in a DA's office— justice. I do acknowledge him in all my books; but it's about time he got this, his own own facetime, so to speak.

*** And while I'm at it, may I say TY, in modern parlance, to all those men and women who go out for us every day, putting themselves in situations I'm barely brave enough to write about. ***

 

 

 

Cops

There were cops of a sort in medieval times, but I’d rather talk about a few modern fictional ones and why I like them:

1) Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano.

2) Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti.

3) Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks.

All three have things in common. They are flawed but not so horribly wounded by life that they can barely function. Not to say that the latter are uninteresting. Inspector Rebus is compelling, but he might have become intolerable in the hands of anyone less talented than Ian Rankin.

All use their wits, but Montalbano in particular is funny. Shakespeare was right when he put comic scenes in tragedies. Unrelenting misery, just like unmitigated mirth, is unendurable. Camilleri’s dialogue is riveting and distinct for each character. Reading one of his small gems is like eavesdropping with increasing delight as a witty couple at the next table has a little spat. Montalbano tries hard, and mostly with success, to be faithful to his distant, long-time girlfriend. He may insult his subordinates, but he is fiercely protective of them as well. Pragmatic, he will deal with the Mafia. Intuitive, he drives his less imaginative superiors wild with his unorthodox approaches. I love his wit, his passion for food, and touching moments of unusual innocence in a man dealing with a violent world. By the way, Camilleri is almost 90. An inspiration to all writers!

The three detectives also live in very flawed worlds where groups, including governments, have perverted the concepts of justice. Brunetti is a more somber man than Montalbano but also gifted with a happy family life, albeit a wife and children who keep him from a comfortable mental rut. The hypocrisy of nations and the powerful is skewered in each book. The storm clouds of special interests always hover, but Leon paints individuals in many shades of gray. Brunetti’s superior is the errand boy of the powerful, yet even he cannot always be bought. The secretary, Elektra, hacks computers or charms others to illegally get information so the justice Brunetti believes in will prevail. I love his understanding of where the fine line must be drawn, his ability to see some victory in a larger defeat, and his enjoyment of ancient historians who teach him lessons applicable to the present.

Many modern male detectives get badly beaten or shot up, snort lines or swallow quarts while making brilliant deductions, and lay lots of women. Inspector Banks is less bionic and therefore more compelling. I love Robinson’s work for the series pacing. Banks evolves slowly. We first meet a man who makes job changes so he can be more of a husband and father. He fails, and we grieve. His ongoing relationship with his kids both blunders and thrives. Some of his girlfriends we wish he’d keep. So does he. And when he is wounded, he suffers. Scars are left. I love the underlying decency of Banks, his anger at injustice, and I want the best for him. One of these days, I’d like him to be happy. Sadly, that might be the end of the series…

From Mary Anna...Do law enforcement and archaeology mix?

This week's topic is "Cops," which is a little problematic for me.  I write about an archaeologist, and I write mysteries.  I like for readers to feel like they're still in reality, even when they're really in my imaginary world.  Thus, I put a lot of thought into whether my plots are plausible, or even possible.  Any one writing a series about an amateur sleuth is going to face a particularly knotty problem:  Most people do not stumble over dead bodies every year or so.

By choosing an archaeologist for my series character, I avoided some of that problem.  Faye is out there digging for buried stuff all the dang time.  It's not completely impossible, or even implausible, that she might encounter a corpse or a treasure big enough to inspire murder.  Still, just because someone finds a buried skeleton does not mean that the police are going to involve her in the investigation or spill their guts about what they've learned.  Faye's dealings with law enforcement are necessarily going to be at arm's length.

Or are they?

After a few books in which there were good reasons for Faye to be involved in the investigation, I found that she had built up something of a resume'.  She had built a track record of working with police who were dealing with a specialized kind of crime.  On occasion, this resume has even gotten her hired to help as a consultant.  I can't say I planned it, but as I begin the eighth book in the series, I'm working with a character that a cop might want to have hanging around his or her investigation.  This is incredibly freeing as I think of plots for books I might want to write in the future.

For those of you who enjoy amateur sleuth mysteries, what do you think?  Do you enjoy the book more when there's a good reason for the protagonist to be involved in yet another murder?  Or do you suspend your disbelief to the point where you don't really care if there's a good reason, as long as there's a good story?

Mary Anna

News!! and Cops

NEWS FLASHES!!

• Camille Minichino will be at the Sisters in Crime spring showcase at Orinda Books, Saturday June 2, 12 to 2 p.m.

A Week Dedicated to the Men and Women in Blue...

Yes, this coming week we're talking about COPS. It seems a fitting topic, as we begin the week with Memorial Day and a thank-you to all who serve...

 

Genres and structure and bludgeons, oh my!

 

Way back in the day, I started writing screenplays because the narrow requirements of classic American film created a simple structure--the wide infinite worlds of possibility narrowed down. I didn't feel qualified to make the hard decisions that a novelist must. It was a comfort to know that some things were given, not to be messed with. Not by a junior screenwriter, anyway.

The thriller Hanna reminded me of this. It follows classic structure to a T, even revealing the true nature of the dramatic dillemma at minute 17, (you won't believe me, but it happens in many films, even Casablanca). Despite this, the writer of Hanna innovated, experimented, and expressed a fresh and entertaining voice with the able help of the performers, the director, and some very interesting shooting choices. Was that really one continuous shot in the underground below Berlin? 

Mystery in particular, but crime novels in general, are similar to movie story structure in having a number of constraints, audience expectations, traditions that must be followed, or subverted with extraordinary skill. If you don't kill somebody early, and threaten to kill others fairly often (especially the protagonist!), you'd better be giving the reader something of greater value than the reassurance of the familiar. After all, subverting the audience's expectations means making them work hard.

It was a lot of mental effort to try and assemble all those story bits in the wrong order for Memento--equally difficult to figure out who to root for after the main character of Psycho meets her famous demise. And if you've ever tried to keep track of the unruly plot of The Big Sleep without pausing it to take notes, you know just how hard it can be to really absorb a unique work that doesn't quite "follow the rules."

I think this is where a lot of people fail utterly to communicate with each other about "genre" and "literary" fiction. I've heard some of my favorite writers complain about being dismissed as "merely" genre, while all my lit-fic friends readily acknowledge:

1. 90% of everything is awful, regardless of form.
2. "Literary fiction" is a category, a genre like all the others. 

Forgetting about the occasional cranky critic who uses "genre" like a bludgeon, I think it's time we all held hands and sang a chorus of "Sunshine" or something. 

Let's all agree that no genre is the king of any other: lit-fic, romance, western, or whatever the heck those 50 Shades books are. Further, let's agree that any genre has its expert practioners, its enthusiastic beginners, and its self-deluded strugglers. We can each of us be any of these at any time, in any of our works. Finally, let's agree that writing tightly constrained genres has one set of challenges (being original prime among them), and looser genres have their challenges as well: if you can do anything, it's surely harder to choose the right things.

From this day forth, lets all simply be readers and writers and lovers of fiction. Sound good?

 

The Best Things in Life Are ... at Your Library

By Margaret Lucke

"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
Jorge Luis Borges, author

A public library is an amazing place. You can choose a book or a DVD and take it home--for free. If you need a computer, you can use one there--for free. You can attend a concert, or hear an author speak, or take a child to listen to stories--all for free.

A library offers a wealth of education and entertainment at no charge. As it happens, though, it costs a lot of money to do that.

"A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life."
Henry Ward Beecher, social reformer

For nearly four decades my town--Hercules, California--had no public library, so there was a huge celebration when our beautiful new library opened in 2006. The enthusiasm continues. The library gets close to 4,000 visitors a week. Last year more than 5,600 people attended nearly 400 free programs and checked out nearly a quarter of a million books and other materials. In many ways the library has brought the community together and become its heart.

I’m on the board of the Friends of the Hercules Library, just one of many active library supporters and volunteers.

"A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.
It is a never failing spring in the desert."
Andrew Carnegie, businessman and philanthropist

Until last summer the library was open 45 hours a week. The county library system funded 35 hours and the city funded 10 more. But last year financial difficulties forced the city to eliminate its contribution. Ten weekly hours were scheduled to be cut from the library’s schedule. That meant its open hours would below the 40 hours a week that the county library requires of its branches in order to maintain their full-time professional staff.

The library’s supporters were determined to make sure the library could retain its outstanding librarians and preserve the high quality of its services. So we quickly organized HELP--the Hercules Emergency Library Project--to raise $50,000 to keep the library open 40 hours a week during the current fiscal year. We held garage sales and a dinner dance, and passed the hat at meetings of local groups. We collected a few checks for $1,000 or more, and lots and lots of coins and crumpled dollar bills. I’m very proud to say we’ve succeeded in reaching our goal. 

Now we have to gear up to do it again next year.

"The best thing about the library is that it is available not only to me,
but to everyone. It does not discriminate."
David Horowitz, political writer

Some people would have you think that in this era of Internet access and high-tech gadgets, public libraries are obsolete. Not so. They are well used though, sadly, not well funded.

Libraries are among the most democratic of our institutions. The access they provide to computers, books, films, and music is invaluable, not only to individuals but to our society. Libraries bring people together. They enlighten and inspire. They open the doors to the world.

"Libraries are places where the imagination begins."
Heather Barbieri, author

Have you been to your local library lately? I urge your to pay a visit and see all that it has to offer. While you’re there, check out some books, because funding is often based in part on circulation numbers. Join your Friends group. Make a donation. Vote for tax or bond measures that will secure its funding. Your library deserves your support.

"Libraries are a public good and a civic responsibility.
They are about our future as much as they are our past."
Andrew Lopez, university librarian

The Belvedere Club by Nicola Trwst

Hi All - I am so excited about this brand new release from author Nicola Trwst that I had to share it with you all. Nicola is a dear friend and an awesome writer  - you are in for a treat!

Oh, to catch up with me, you can visit me at www.dianaorgain.com

Below is a synopsis of The Belvedere Club:

Marin County California, one of the wealthiest counties in the country, boasts home to The Belvedere Club, an exclusive woman’s club that makes Augusta National Golf Club look like a community center. High on a hill overlooking the majestic San Francisco Bay, Old World charm mingles with New World money while perfumed doyennes hide secrets and share tasty gossip. Tree-sitters need not apply. Haylee Macklin, journalist with Washington DC’s District Dispatch, interviews the club’s Chanel clad president and other society page matrons for a tell-all exposé.

But Haylee turns up dead.  Her dearest friend, Briana Kaleigh, photojournalist for the same daily, dashes across the country braving a snowstorm, a high-strung poodle, and the cultural divide to find the killer. When Briana uncovers an internet porno ring, she leads the police astray, almost closing the homicide investigation for good. Briana first alienates the Buddhist sheriff working the case, but gradually wins him over with her Irish charm. After many dead-ends and a second murder, the only hope to find the killer is a blind bag lady spouting clichés.

About Nicola:

Nicola Trwst has a gypsy heart. She currently resides in California, but has lived in Virginia, Georgia, France, and Canada. She loves languages and speaks several, including Pig Latin. Due to an overactive imagination, her stories thread many genres such as mystery, thriller, paranormal, and contemporary. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies.

Discover Nicola’s work at www.nicolatrwst.com

Buy the Belvedre Club on Amazon

Free for all - Taken literally!

Lady Killers – Free For All

Taking today's topic literally, I want to share with you a great new site that offers mysteries for FREE if you own an e-book reader! I’ve already downloaded over a dozen books, and my virtual bookshelf is growing by leaps and pages.

Among the books I’ve collected in the past few weeks are by such wonderful writers as Julie Smith, Joanna Campbell Slan, Janet Dawson, Jonnie Jacobs, Dana Stabenow, Connie Shelton, and many more.

Here’s a sampling of the books that are currently being offered at the Kindle Store, along with number of stars and number of reviews. But hurry—some of these titles won’t last long! Still, no worries. They’ll simply be replaced with other FREE books (including one of mine…coming soon!) Just go to :

http://tinyurl.com/mysteriesforfree

 Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law Mystery/Romance Series) Jana DeLeon

4.2 out of 5 stars   (53 reviews)

  
Spying in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) Gemma Halliday

4.0 out of 5 stars   (206 reviews)

 

Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1) Lorena McCourtney

3.9 out of 5 stars   (411 reviews)

 

'Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy (Greatest Hits Mysteries) Leslie Langtry

4.0 out of 5 stars   (21 reviews)

 

Cut, Crop & Die (A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery) Joanna Campbell Slan

4.6 out of 5 stars   (26 reviews)

 
Killer Twist (A Ghostwriter Mystery) C.A. Larmer

4.5 out of 5 stars   (2 reviews)

A Cold Day for Murder (Kate Shugak #1) Dana Stabenow

3.8 out of 5 stars   (83 reviews)

 
Sweet's Sweets: The Second Samantha Sweet Mystery (The Samantha Sweet Mysteries)

Connie Shelton

4.2 out of 5 stars   (10 reviews)

 Get a taste of one of your favorite authors for FREE

Freaks: A Rizzoli & Isles Short Story Tess Gerritsen

3.7 out of 5 stars   (67 reviews)

 Read a classic for FREE

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

4.4 out of 5 stars   (300 reviews)

 Then compare these FREE books to Janet Evanovich’s latest at $14.00…

Wicked Business: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel Janet Evanovich

$13.99