Sordid Secret - Part 2

Hi everyone,

For the first part of my four part story, please check out Sordid Secret Part 1.

Apologies for the late post.  I've been working on this post until just now and I'm still not completely happy with it.  I still feel it's working process but it is a continuation.  

I hope you enjoy, as I am more nervous than last week as I feel I needed to spend more time on this.  As I was unwell through the week, and have MA assignments to do, I haven't had a lot of time.  

I think, that once I have completed all four parts, I will put them together into one document - one story, and post an edited/refined version on my website.  I think this will be well worth it as it will give insight on how to improve and edit your work too - and you can see how my story develops.  

Please comment below with any suggestions you have, and if you think posting a final edited/refined copy once all instalments are completed is a great idea, let me know!   

Sordid secret – Part 2, by Janet Cooper

‘Ma’am’ Moore boomed, barging into my office.

‘We have it confirmed.  The victim is Sacha Mason, 22 years old, and she’s originally from Sunderland.  We’ve managed to find a relative, her Grandmother.’ 

‘Good work, let’s go!’

I grabbed my keys and started pushing Moore out of my office and towards the exit of the station. 

‘We’re off to see the victim’s family, Molly, if you find anything, get in touch.’

Molly nodded in agreement as she continued to strike the keys on her keyboard whilst maintaining eye contact and nodding. 

‘She’s a good worker, that Molly.’  I told Moore.

We headed off in Moore’s car to visit Mrs Mcdonald.  It was an hour drive away, but time flew and I continued to mull over my thoughts of the crime scene. 

A frail, small, lady answered the door.  Her white, straggly, hair fell forward over her cheek.  It took her while to get there, we almost left as we thought nobody was home.  She leaned forward onto her zimmer frame and breathed heavily.  Her eyes widened, and she smiled, bearing mainly gum and around three yellow and brown stained teeth.  After some introductions and a flash of our identification, she allowed us in.  We were slowly led into the lounge and her zimmer frame clicked with each thrust forward and it started to bug me.  She refused any assistance from us, even when her breathing increased – she slowed further. 

A layer of thick dust coated the television, the mantel piece and the coffee table, like a dusting of snow.  The air in the property was thick and musty, and a poignant animal smell lingered. A puff of dust sprung up as I sat down abruptly on the couch and I coughed, and I couldn’t help but cringe at the white dog hair that coated the crocheted throw that covered it. 

‘I’m afraid to tell you, Mrs Mcdonald, but we believe your granddaughter, Sacha, has died.’

Mrs Mcdonald didn’t look surprised, but tears did trickle down her cheek.

‘How did it happen?’ she sniffed.

‘We are not entirely sure, there’s an investigation, Mrs Mcdonald.  Could you tell us if Sacha had any enemies?’  I asked.

A laugh escaped from Mrs Mcdonald’s mouth, and then she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. 

‘A long list of them!  I’m afraid that girl made a lot of enemies, a bit of a trouble causer you see.  Nicky said he would keep an eye on her but I knew even he wouldn’t be able to keep her out of trouble.’

‘And who’s Nicky, Mrs Mcdonald?’  I asked. 

‘Well, that’s her brother.  Their mother [my daughter] died ten years gone, it was the booze, and their father hadn’t been on the scene for a long time.  The pair of them came to live with me as teens.  They were always close, he’ll be gutted.’

‘And where is Nicky?’

‘Well he moved to shields to be closer to work about two years ago.  That’s why she moved up there, I think he helped her out with paying her bills.  She’s never been the same since the baby, you know.’

‘What baby?’

‘Well six years ago, she had a little girl, called Jersey.  She had a heart defect, unknown like, and she died.  She got a lot of hassle for having a baby so young.  People would say she slept around and that she had been a bad mother, and that’s why Jersey died.  It really got to her.  After that she started talking drugs, and ended up injecting heroine.  She started owing money out and we had loads of people to the door demanding it.  When Nicky moved, he found a place for her too, and helped her get clean.  As far as knew she was doing OK.  She called me week and came for dinner once a month.’

‘When did you last hear from her?’

‘I’m not sure. She usually calls on a Sunday, but she didn’t call yesterday, so about 8 days ago I think.’

‘Can you think of anyone who would want to kill your granddaughter, Mrs Mcdonald?’  I asked. 

‘I can’t think of anyone in her life now.  She used to go out with Max Riches who still lives over the road with his mother, and I assume he was the baby’s dad, but other than that, I think you’ll have to ask Nicky.  I’m surprised you haven’t told him already, he would probably be down as her next of kin.’

‘Why’s did you think he would know, does he live near her?’

‘Well, closer than me, but I thought because he’s one of you lot isn’t he so I thought he would have heard?  He’s in the force.’

‘He’s a Policeman?’

‘Sure.  I thought you must’ve known.’

‘What’s his full name Mrs Mcdonald, Nicky Mason?’

‘Oh, no.  My grandson uses his mother’s name, he refused the name of a stranger.  He is Nicholas Mcdonald.’

The name winded me.  I felt sick.

‘Do you know our Nicky?’ she asked.

I could feel a burning sensation in my chest, were the vomit rose, and then fell again.

‘Yes.  He works in our station, only we had no idea you meant Nick, I mean erm PC Mcdonald.’  Moore said, stepping in.

The rest of the interview seemed to blur into one.  I couldn’t believe that now, I had to go and tell Nick, the uniformed officer that I was trying to avoid, that his sister had been murdered. 

The journey home was quiet and long.  Moore didn’t speak, and neither did I.  Molly tried to call when we were ten minutes from the station so I diverted her call, it could wait until we were back.  Even if I wanted to, I didn’t think I would be able to speak. 

‘I’ve been trying to call you Ma’am.  We have a development.  Sacha Mason had heroine in her system and she was also in the very early stages of pregnancy.  We’re waiting for confirmation.’

‘Right, well let’s keep this in the team for now please.’  I announced loudly.

‘Turns out Sacha’s brother is one of ours so let’s not disclose anything until we absolutely have all the facts, no speculating guys.’ 

‘Right, I want to know who her friends were, who her dealer was, who her neighbours are, who her landlord is.  Go, go, go, team. Oh, and Molly, get a uniformed team to locate Nick Mcdonald.  We need to speak to him asap!’ 

Moore followed me into my office and closed the door.

‘So what’s next then, Ma’am?’

‘Well, I suppose we interview Nick and find out what we can about her.  Maybe he can shed some light on her acquaintances.’

            There was a knock at the door, and Molly popped her head in.

            ‘Nick Mcdonald isn’t on shift today.  Some of the other lads said there was talk of him going fishing for the day with some friends.  I’ve tried his mobile but he can’t be reached.’

            ‘Thanks, Molly.  Get uniform to keep checking if he’s home every hour and let us know.’ Moore ordered.

            ‘Sure,’ Molly said on her way out.

            ‘Do you want me to break the news?’  Moore asked.

            ‘Would you?  I’m supposed to be at Jenny’s parent’s evening tonight.  Not that I’m looking forward to being in the same room as Peter.  But needs must.’

            ‘Ah, have you seen him much?’

            ‘Not since the separation.  Things are still a bit awkward, you know.  We’re trying to get along for Jenny and James, but… erm, it’s not great!’

            ‘Is he still with Julie?’

            ‘Oh, yes, he’s still in love.’  I said through gritted teeth.  ‘Oh, god, hope he doesn’t bring her along!’

            ‘No, Ma’am, surely he can’t be that insensitive.’

            ‘I hope not!’

I was pleased to leave the office for the day, even if I did have to be civil with Peter.  A good soak and a good night sleep meant I could start investigating, refreshed, tomorrow.

I hope you've enjoyed reading, but I really feel this part feels a bit rushed.  Do let me know what you think!  I hate too much repititon in a story, and feel like I have repeated Mrs Mcdonald's name too much.  

Laters, Janet 

            

Cluedo and Crime Fiction

Hi readers

As promised, today's post will compare Cluedo to crime fiction.  When I was young, I have a memory of Cluedo as a TV program.  The same characters appeared each week like Colonel Mustard, Mrs Peacock, Professor Plum and Miss Scarlett.  There were also a a range of weapons and a range of rooms in a manor house and someone was murdered and you had to guess who it was and with what weapon.  The board game is pretty similar, you choose cards and guess which room the murder is in, who committed the murder and what weapon they used.  The show and game always stick in mind because I suppose it was the first introduction to whodunit crime.

So, I got thinking, why did I like it so much?  Well this is obvious for me, I loved guessing.  I liked the concept of the game, thinking about the clues and piecing everything together.  Even though it was the same character each week, I didn't tire, because each week had a different victim and a different motive.  I was certainly hooked!

When I think about writing a piece of crime, I always think about Cluedo so I thought we could have a  bit of fun here by suggesting a Cluedo style writing exercise to get your creative juices flowing.

I did suggest when writing my tips yesterday that you try to think of about five murder suspects for your story so by completing these exercises you can create these.

First, write down five suspect names.  Give them a title, Master, Miss, Mrs, Mr, Dr - anything you like.  Cut them out into card shapes, shuffle, and place face down.

Then write down five choices of weapons.  Cut them out into card shapes, shuffle, and place face down.

Then write down five places that the murder could take place.  Cut them out into card shapes, shuffle, and place face down.

So now you need to choose your killer, your weapon and your place at random.

You need to build a profile on your character so imagine that you are the detective, and need to interview your suspect:
First of all write down personal details; name, address, age, date of birth.  
Describe your suspect - what do they look like (hair colour, eye colour, size, any distinct features)?
What do they like? What do they dislike?  
Do they have any family and if so who - maybe they have a mother, or are married, or have children?
Are they employed? What job do they do? What have they studied?

Once you have done this start asking yourself;

How did the killer commit the murder?
When did they commit the murder?
Why did they commit the murder?
Who did they kill?
Describe where (the place) the victim was killed?
Describe what they murderer did next?  


Then consider what drove your killer to commit this murder - what happened?  Coming up with a motive is important to establish a believable killer.  

You can also do this for your suspects too, but instead of asking the final questions (how, when, what, where, why, who) think about why you think they are the murderer? What would their motive be?  When you have a series of suspects, they also need to be believable and in order for them to fit into the category of 'suspect' the detective must have a reason to suspect them in the first place.

You can also ask the profile questions about your detective character too in order to build a sound profile that is believable.

Having believable characters will help you to focus in on any research you might have to complete in order to complete your story.

Building up a profile and answering these questions can really help you begin your story, so just for fun, give it a go!

It was Professor Plum, in the
Ballroom, with the Hammer

Can you think of any other questions or activities that can be done to help you create a  believable character for your story?  Please comment if you think there are any I have missed out or if you have your own methods!

Thanks for reading,

Laters, Janet

My Top Ten Tips for Writing Crime Fiction

Please excuse my tardiness dear readers, this post was due on Wednesday but I have been ill with flu. My comparison of Cluedo and Crime Fiction will now be posted tomorrow and then I will be back on track in time for my second story instalment on Sunday.

Okay so I don't claim to be an expert in Crime Fiction.  Although I love writing Crime and did when in relation to my creative writing degree in which my final dissertation/portfolio was a crime piece, I haven't been published by a company in this but I have had pieces published online on other blogs.

I read and watch crime and I do have a love of the genre.  From my point of view of a reader, here are my top ten tips of what I think crime fiction needs in order to be successful.

1#  Crime fiction needs to be believable so write what you know
So I might be stating the obvious here but crime fiction needs to be believable.  I will go more in depth here when I talk about the other points I have made.  If someone is murdered, the way that they are murdered, the scene and setting, the investigation - everything needs to be believable so that you suck in your reader.  Describe places you know, or write a profile on your town/city and research what you don't know.

2# Setting a Coherent Scene
Not only does the place and setting need to be real to life, the actual scene needs to be believable.  If you are going to suggest that the victim was killed in her bedroom then you need to carefully describe your murder scene and give clues that the police get there and then.  It's no good adding a clue towards the end that you haven't mentioned earlier and this is because the reader will feel cheater.  All avid readers of crime fiction like to put the clues together and try to guess who the killer is.

3# Ensure you Research Facts
What you don't know, research.  There will always be someone who reads your story and thinks, well that's not how the police conduct an investigation, or well that doesn't sound quite right.  Especially if you are writing from the point of view of a detective or police officer, you need to get your facts right, so research.  Maybe you can research online, get a book out of the library, maybe you have a friend who works for the police or within the legal sector who can shed some light, or you could even contact an establishment and ask if anyone would be interested in an interview for research purposes.  Whatever you decide, ensure you gather the facts as facts all link into ensuring the believability or your piece.

4# Have a strong Detective Character
I am classing the detective as the person who solves the murder/s in your story.  This doesn't have to be an actual police or detective but more often than not it is otherwise you endanger leaving the crime fiction genre.  Your detective needs to be thorough, and they need to be able to piece together clues logically.  They need a reason or motive to be so hell-bent on catching the killer and sometimes it helps if there is a sub-plot that relates to their background or gives an impression of what sort of person they are.  I would suggest that your character is not flat, that they are rounded and solving the murder for them will change them - for instance, maybe they couldn't find a killer on their last case, or maybe this is their last case before they retire, maybe they know the victim or their family, maybe if they catch one more killer they will be promoted - either way they need to be motivated and determined in their persuit of the killer.

5# Have several suspects and create a profile for each
Every crime story needs subject and a decent amount of them at that.  There needs to be several people who could or have motive to be responsible for this murder.  I like the idea of Red Herring too and not one that is too obvious because often, I read crime fiction and say 'no it's not them, that would be too obvious.'  A good pointer here is to write a profile of suspects listing the name, age, profession, address of the subject. Try five at first, if possible and write who they are, how they knew the victim, and what their motive would be.  Even if they have no motive as such - some people are psycho's, others are jealous, some are hot headed and it was an accident.  Whatever the reason they were motivated enough to keep quiet and not report the murder so ask, why?

6# Always have a strong motive
OK, I don't deny that some killers are psychotic and just kill for the sake of it but this type of killer is in danger of falling into the horror genre.  Killers in crime often kill for a reason - and maybe this isn't a rational reason but still, a reason.  Sometimes people kill for self preservation purposes - to protect themselves or others and more often than not there is a secret which is in danger of being exposed that could ruin them.  A premeditate murder takes planning but an accidental murderer is often a bit more sloppy as they haven't planned in their head what they have to deal with so ensure your motive fits the type of murder that has taken place.  For example if you poison someone, it's most likely to be planned, whereas bashing someones brains out is an anger/heat of the moment type of action.  Maybe a wife would poison a husband for cheating on them or mistreating them if it happened on numerous occasions and she was growing sick of his lies.  If she found him in bed with her best friend unexpectedly, then maybe she would bash out their brains.

7# Ensure your writing is consistent
Another factor that contributes to your crime fiction being realistic and believable is consistency.  If you are planning on writing in an accent, ensure you are consistent and that you don't start writing in standard English mid conversation.  You can't suddenly give a character an accent and then take it away, or vice-versa as alarm bells start ringing in the head of the reader and it can be confusing.  If someone is a strong willed person, but then starts to be submissive then again, that wont ring true, so just be consistent with your writing, your characters, your setting, and the language used.  Always read through your piece and ask yourself - is it in the same tone?  Would this character really say this?  Would the character really do this?

8#  Giving clues but then distract your reader
You do need to give clues to your reader as to who the killer is.  Remember if you are writing from the detective's mind set then your reader will know what the detective knows.  The reader can however, be distracted by a sub-plot that relates to the detective.  For instance, maybe the detective is suffering a relationship breakdown that nobody at work knows about, which leads to the odd error being made.  Maybe they have an addiction issue or have financial issues.  Whatever the sub-plot make it a journey or a battle - not only is the detective battling to try and find a killer, they are also battling their personal issues and this helps to make your character 'real'.  For instance, if you think of the cuts that are currently looming - maybe they are being forced into retirement, fighting to keep their job, or have debt issues.  This will suck in your reader as a lot of people can relate to this position.  Literature often represents social anxiety issues or its time (the time it was written).

9# Start with a Murder
Starting your story can be difficult and some people feel like they want to give a back story.  It's worth knowing, especially with short stories, that one of the traits is to start with the murder scene after the murder has taken place.  I know with my story last week, Sordid Secret - part 1, I did get a very helpful twitter message that told me everything prior to the murder scene was redundant and I might as well have just begun from the bedroom scene, describing the body.  To be honest, this was a good piece of information and if I had completed my story at that point (as I am doing week by week instalments) I would have most likely gone back and took out the beginning.  The same happened to me at Uni last year.  I began my creative project portfolio piece and had 8000 words.  By the end I had 10000 so I went back to the beginning - deleted the beginning, made a couple of tweaks to ensure all characters were introduced and deleted her job (as that information had no bearing on the story whatsoever - it added no value), and started at the murder scene.  It made a huge difference to my story as you arrived straight at the action, and I got a great mark.  If you feel more comfortable writing a beginning then do so, but always consider going back and cutting the beginning as often that information is redundant and you can incorporate any key pieces of information within your story as you go along.

10#  Beware of boring Cliches
Another excellent comment I got on last week's story, Sordid Secret - part 1, is to be careful of cliches as I used the term 'cool as a cucumber'.  I think sometimes it's easy to get carried away with your story and you want something familiar to enable your readers to relate, right?  Well yes, that's right, but the person commenting was correct as cliches endanger your story of being boring.  Sometimes they can't be helped but they should be avoided when possible.  If I was re-writing my piece, I would certainly avoid that saying and aim to be more creative.


I was so pleased that people took the time to read and comment on my writing.  My lecturer at University always told me that every piece of writing is a working progress and what was meant by this was that it can always be developed and once you get that into your head, you appreciate the criticism and comments, and you learn by these.  This makes your writing better!  Of course, you do get the odd person who wants to be mean but constructive criticism in which people explain their point of view is a good thing.  A writer has to have thick skin because the writing business is a dog-eat-dog world.  Accept criticism, learn from criticism, improve, and move on!

Laters, Janet

My Favourite Crime TV Drama/shows

Hello dear readers,

The sun is shining here in North East England and it always makes me smile.  I'm off work this week but today will be my only day of fun, as I am on leave on purpose so that I can get cracking on two MA assignments that are due in a couple of weeks.  I'm off out soon the the City of Durham for a bit of shopping and lunch with the hubby.  Durham is a fantastic place and although it's a city, it's strange, I always feel like I'm in the country side.  The landscape and architecture of the castle and cathedral is magnificent from the riverside, and very gothic in the evening.  However, I am not really supposed to be posting on my love of Durham today, today is about my favourite crime TV.

I could go on forever with crime but here are five of my favourites:

I used to like CSI but I must admit, I seem to have gone off them as of late.  I do however, love Criminal Minds in which they profile the killer.  I find it intriguing how they can put people into a category by looking at behaviour patterns.

OK, so as I am a fan of the whodunit style of crime, I really enjoyed both series of Broadchurch.  I love the way it has a main story and different suspects are interviewed but there is also a back story going on week-by-week to keep you interested.

Trial and Retribution is another series that I have enjoyed but to be honest I can't remember exactly what happened in the last series that I seen as there are so many they all seem to mesh together.  I think the whole process of tracking down a killer is really interesting but again, I think it's possibly the back story here that keeps people interested.

I don't know if anyone seen Safe House a couple of months ago.  It was just a three part drama and I found this particularly interesting.  Even though I did make a successful guess of what was going on - why the boy was being kidnapped!  It was still exciting and the fact it flashed back to a crime that had happened previously was a great unravelling back story.

Vera - OK, I feel like this one is a bit of a light-hearted crime drama if that is possible.  It's a bit like Inspector Morse in a way but a bit more modern and it's based in the North East, so I totally got the craic and banter that was going on in the background.  There are several pit villages in the North East of England, and I particularly enjoyed the cold-case she looked into after an older body is found in the woods, which results in Vera investigating corruption within the force and arresting an old friend.

Hope you enjoyed reading this short post today.  Don't forget to check out the first part of my four part story posted yesterday - Sordid Secret - Part 1  #linky #anythinggoes


Laters, Janet

Sordid Secret - Part 1

Hi everyone

Well today I am posting the first part of my four part crime fiction short story.  I apologise in advance as I have had so much to do and haven't had much time to prepare, but I truly hope you enjoy reading my writing.  

Further instalments will feature on the 12th July, 19th July and the final part will feature on 26th July.

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think.  Be honest as I can take constructive criticism and love to know how others see my work.  

Sordid secret – Part 1, by Janet Cooper

The smell was rancid.  The type that lingers when drains are blocked – but possibly worse this time.  I held my handkerchief up to my nose.

‘Here you are, Ma’am,’ said DI Moore handing me a white mask. ‘It’s not very pleasant up there!’

‘When is it ever, pleasant, Moore?’

He shrugged. 

‘Well the smell’s bad enough down here, never mind the smell up there where the body is.’

I took the stairs two at a time and DI Moore followed me. 

‘She’s in the bedroom.  It was the neighbour, he reported a bad smell, well the one underneath, there’s nobody in the flat beside her.’

I turned to look at him and nodded.  I wanted to say that it was a wonder the neighbours noticed the smell, as the whole place wreaked but that would be unprofessional.  My hand touched the icy-cold metal of the banister.  The black paint flaked away at my touch.  It had been years since that had been painted.  In fact, the whole outside of the flats screamed neglect.  Moss grew on all the canopies above the doors. 

‘Used to be the place to live, here, when I was a child,’ I told Moore.  ‘Now, you couldn’t pay me enough to spend even the night.’  I leaped up the last two steps.  The two uniformed officers nudged each other and grinned.

‘She’s through there, Ma’am.’

‘Right, thanks, back to it then.’ I said barging through them. 

‘I think you’re in there, Robson.’ One of the uniformed officer sniggered to the other.

My feet stopped on instinct. 

‘Something to say boys?’ I asked.  ‘Only I could have sworn this was a crime scene which means neither of you would be disrespectful enough to be making inappropriate jokes when they should be working!’

‘Erm, no, Ma’am,’ they both said bowing their heads.

‘Thought not, now chop, chop, back to work.  We have a murder to solve!’ 

One drunken, stupid night with a uniformed officer and people stopped taking you seriously, that’s all it took!  I could shake myself for being stupid, only, I had no idea he was a police officer at the time.  All of the work I had put into building up my career and gaining the respect of the lads was in jeopardy just because I fancied a bit of rough and tumble.  Jeez, it wasn’t even that remarkable either!  Still, at least I always managed to look cool as a cucumber on the outside, even though I was raging on the inside.  Professionalism, I believe they called it!

I walked into the bedroom, and the victim was strewn across the bed diagonally, with her knees bent off the bed at one side.  She had nothing on the bottom half of her body and the top half was barely covered.  Her bra was still fastened but pulled down, exposing a bruised left breast.  Her shirt was ripped open, and was just hanging on her shoulders.  Her pale skin divulged bruises – old and new, all over.  More prominently were the new ones around the thigh, inner thigh and wrist area.

‘Are we thinking she has been assaulted, Moore?’  I asked.

‘Forensics are on their way, Ma’am but it looks that way.  Oh, and one more thing, rumour has it she was an addict.’ 

‘Thanks, Moore!’

I stared at the body.  The girl faced back over, towards the window exposing her neck.  It did look like there were some pin prick marks in the middle of her arm but I would await the lab report before jumping to any conclusions.  There seemed to be some bruising around the throat and glands area too.  I examined the room and nothing really looked out of place.  There were some dirty clothes on the floor, a picture of a baby smashed, and on the floor.  The bed covers and curtains were supposed to be cream but they were yellow along with the nicotine stained white walls.  A thick layer of dust covered the drawers and wardrobe. 

I slipped on my gloves and headed towards the window, scarping the window sill with my latex finger, collating at thick layer of dust.  The window sill itself felt sharp and bobbly.  Dust particles seemed to explode into the air and as I sucked in a breath, I started to cough as it tickled the back of my throat. I had to leave the room.

‘How long do we think she has been dead?’ I asked Moore.

‘Nobody has seen her for at least two weeks,’ he said.  ‘According to the neighbours that is.  They say her name is Sacha Mason, but we are trying to confirm so that we can trace some relatives.’ 

Lloyd walked in through the door in his white suit, with a large box.

‘Lloyd, tell your team I need a thorough and clean investigation.  No stone unturned.’

‘Always do, Ma’am.  But can I get in the place.’

‘I mean it Lloyd, take as many pictures as possible and process as much as possible. The place is a bit of a mess so it might take time but take as long as it takes.  I want pictures, to know if she has been assaulted, cause of death, and when she died back to me pronto so get the body moved as soon as possible, I don’t want any cross contamination!’  I stepped to the side, out of his way. 

‘Yes, Ma’am.’

‘Moore, you can oversee this.  I’m going back to the station and expect regular updates. I’ll start a search on the name Sacha Mason, but get the pictures and evidence over to me as soon as you can so I can start mapping the case.’

‘Sure, Ma’am.’ 

I rushed down the concrete steps and was relieved when I could remove the gloves and face mask, and breathe in some of the fresh air – well if you can call it that.  I got back to my car and drove to the station. 

The station wasn’t too far from here, so it only took ten minutes to arrive. 

I bolted into the office and acknowledged numerous hellos as I headed into my section.

‘Molly, I want you to do a search on a Sacha Mason, preferably she will be linked to Port-house flats.  See what you get and bring it to me in my office as soon as you can.’

‘Yes, Ma’am.’

I slammed shut my office door and sat at my desk.  I switched on the computer, and then slouched back in the chair reflecting on the scene.  I could still smell my Coco Chanel very faintly when I removed my jacket but I took it from my handbag and squirted the quite sickly aroma over myself, and on my jacket to get rid of the stench of the murder scene. 

I hated murder cases, and it had been a while!

Please tune in for part 2 next Sunday!

As I mentioned, please feel free to comment and say if you enjoyed, or if you disliked - say why!

Laters, Janet 

Why I love Crime Fiction?

OK, so I promised a post today about why I love Crime Fiction.  It's only going to be a short one but I can confidently say that I do love Crime Fiction and  I love writing in this genre too.  I really like the whodunit type of story and I tend it read a lot of James Patterson and Ian Rankin.  I also love Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs too - but why - why do I love Crime Fiction so much?

Well for me it's easy to point out!  Is it wrong to say I love a good fictional murder?  It entertains me.  I suppose murders happen in real life and I like to know why a person would kill another - what's their motive? and I also love solving the puzzle of who committed the crime.

I love guessing who the murderer is in the whodunit type novels and I am pretty good at this now.  I find I can spot the red herring a mile off - not all of the time but most.  In the style of reading about serial killers like in Silence of the Lambs I find the mind of a serial killer interesting and find myself favouring the character of Hannibal - he does only murder people who deserve it after all!  Whether this is right or wrong is another matter - I just feel Harris writes in a way that evokes sympathy.

Crime fiction keeps you on the edge of your seat - it keeps you guessing, and thinking, always trying to solve the murder and mystery.  I also find it interesting to watch what the detective does to catch the murderer.  I think it is reflective to some of life and it's interesting to see all of the efforts that have to of into solving just one case.

I also like the psychological aspect too - what goes on in the mind of the killer?

Tell me, do you like crime fiction?  What's your favourite author/TV show?  What do you like/not like about it?

Come on, readers, share your thoughts!

Laters, Janet

July@ Rambles, Rants, and Writings

Hi everyone,

I have had a couple of days off from blogging, as to be honest as I have had exciting work related meetings to attend and I have been working profusely as I need to have next week off from work and get on with my Uni assignments that are due this month.


I just wanted to post today so that you know what is in store for July and I have done this on a separate page which is on the navigation bar of my blog.  This is so you can refer back to it if necessary.  

Check it out by clicking the following link:  July@ Rambles, Rants, and Writings

We have had some major heat this week in the North of England and considering we usually get miserable weather I am pleased.  I do think it gets a little intense at time though but it's probably because I'm not used to it!  :)

Have a great weekend!

Laters, Janet