Whether they're writing a short detective story, crime novel, or something else, writers at every level--and in every genre--can find the information they need to make their work more accurate and gripping in this reference that cuts through the medical jargon to address everything from a poison's symptoms and reactions to how it can be administered.

Part of the Howdunit Series, Deadly Doses is written by a professional in the field. It provides the inside details that writers need to weave a credible - and salable - story. Essential buys for any serious author...Will cut research time in half! - Mystery Scene

Find out how to give your mystery and detective novels that necessary grit of authenticity.

"From accidental murder to a crime of passion, Murder One gives you the nuts and bolts necessary to build your fictional murder scenario. Prosecuting investigators Mauro Corvasce and Joseph Paglino take you step by step through motives, plans, murders and disposal of the bodies. You'll be taken to the scenes of familial murders, set off by simmering feuds; gang murders, from contract hits to drive-by shootings; business and financial murders, guaranteed to silence whistle-blowers; organized crime hits, and the psychology behind the mobs; the little-known vehicular murder, an excellent plot twister; crimes of passion, and the motives that spur them; and bizarre murders, and their real-life investigations;" "Beginning with an overview of murder, the authors also delve into legal definitions and homicide investigations. In these pages, you can also investigate opportunity, weapons, kidnapping and cover-up crimes. The authors augment their chapters with real-life case files and first-hand investigations. From raging spouses to cool contract killers, Murder One is your encyclopedia for inventing murders for your stories and novels."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book.

Part of the Howdunit series, Private Eyes is written by a professional in the field. It provides the inside details that writers need to weave a credible-and salable-story. essential buy for any serious author...Will cut research time in half!

Part of the Howdunit Series, Scene of the Crime is written by a professional in the field. It provides the inside details that writers need to weave a credible - and salable - story. essential buys for any serious author...Will cut research time in half! - Mystery Scene Magazine

In Los Angeles in 1870, life was cheap and water could cost you everything. Then, the most powerful man in town was the Zanjero, or water overseer. And he was often the most corrupt, as well. When Zanjero Bert Rivers turns up dead in the irrigation ditch, or zanja, leading to young widow Maddie Wilcox's vineyards, Maddie has the odd feeling he was murdered. Then the undertaker's wife, Mrs. Sutton, confirms that Rivers was shot, and not just hit on the head. Maddie finds herself drawn into finding the killer, first to see justice done, and then to save the skin of the one person she knows did not do it - the town's most infamous madam, Regina Medina. Maddie quickly discovers that Mr. Rivers was not the kind, upstanding civic benefactor he presented himself as, but a most despicable man who preyed on the weak and vulnerable, and cheated everyone else. With nearly everyone having a reason to kill the zanjero, Maddie stumbles on more than a few secrets and the terrible truth about the people she thought were her friends.

Talk about murder! Inaccurate information about weapons can kill your story before a potential publisher has even finished reading your manuscript. Today's readers of mysteries, thrillers, Westerns, true crime, police procedurals, and romantic suspense are better informed about weapons than ever before. If you think you can slip one past these readers, you're wrong. Dead wrong. You don't have to be a gun buff to need this book. If you care enough about your readers and your craft to strive for accuracy, then this book is your comprehensive source for information on: - The characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of hundreds of weapons - Which weapons were available during each period of history, including their wars - Weapons favored by various types of criminals and terrorists - Weapons used by law enforcement - Weapons used for hunting - You'll also find a glossary of weapon-related terms and a series of appendices including: - A selective chronology of firearms development - Comparative handgun identification information - Comparative trajectories of rifle cartridges In the past, this kind of information was attainable only through hours of digging. Now it's available at your fingertips in one handy guide. Make sure your story is accurate-refer to Armed & Dangerous! "Clear, well-written and hugely useful-I rate it a 10 with a bullet! Whether you write crime fiction or just need a few realistic details about a gun for any type of book, this is an indispensable guide." -Susan Burnham ..".aids in avoiding those embarrassing historical and descriptive gaffes regarding firearms and explosives." -School Library Journal "If you're one of those scribes who believes that killing machines are better left on the printed page, this [book] will prove invaluable in giving your Glocks, dum-dum rounds, and spookily-named Hotchkiss guns the unmistakable ring of authority." -Amazon.com review

With Missing Persons in hand you'll find the types that commonly become PIs - ex-cops, macho criminal wannabes, reporters; the easiest people to find (men, property owners and professionals) and the hardest (women, scoundrels and those with common names); profiles of the missing and profiles of those searching; how and why people hide; what can be gleaned from public record; secret and not-so-secret databases; and the lowdown on interviewing, surveillance and the benefits of a good scam. Missing Persons goes beyond the basic search, and details the process of looking for someone, typical clients and the reaction once the missing is found. There's more than a presentation of facts here. Faron backs up her clues with anecdotes from Rat Dog case files. As with any good whodunit, Faron's engaging style and true-life adventures will have you turning pages. In short, every gumshoe's search should begin here.