 PD Martin
Kiss of Death and an interview…
Article and Review by: Mandy Wrangles
I first met author PD Martin at a Sisters in Crime event a couple of years ago. At that stage, I hadn’t read any of Martin’s work, to say I was interested is an understatement. PD is well known in Australian Crime Writing circles, and her books came very highly recommended – our site manager, Kylie Fox is a HUGE fan. PD’s main protagonist, FBI profiler Sophie Anderson is also known for a having a little extra ‘talent’ in the way of a touch of ESP, so I figured Martin’s books were right up my alley, crossing crime and paranormal fiction.
Then in early 2010, when she was taking part in a panel at SiC, and I went along to listen and learn. Martin was promoting her recently published novel, Kiss of Death. The more I heard, the more I knew I needed to get my hands on this book, now. Not only was Kiss of Death about Sophie Anderson, her profiling techniques and very ‘helpful’ dreams – but the subject of her investigation in this particular book was Vampires. The real life ones.
Kiss of Death opens in a dream sequence. Sophie is a terrified victim, in every sense of the word. She’s running for her life from an unknown attacker. In her dream, the Profiler can feel the victim’s heart thudding, her eyes straining to see in the dark, find her way to a road, a hiding place… anywhere away from her assailant. Suddenly, she slams into something and looks up. All she sees is glistening white teeth, moments before fangs dig deeply into her neck…
At first, Sophie assumes her dream comes from watching too much ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, but it’s only hours before she’s on the job in LA, working a murder investigation that is eerily familiar. The body of a young female has been discovered in a State Park – with two puncture marks in her neck. It gets worse – the body looks to have been drained of blood.
So begins Sophie’s undercover investigation into the LA Vampire scene. No, not the kind of vamps you’ll find on Buffy, or in a horror novel. These are people who really do believe they’re vampires – and the frightening thing is they really do exist. Martin’s extensive research into the secretive population of actual blood-drinkers is fascinating, as is their underground sub-culture. These are people who drink blood from willing donors, have their own hierarchy, clubs and communities.
PD Martin does a remarkable job of combining police procedure, profiling and forensics with a slight tilt to the paranormal. This is crime in its truest form – yet just a little left of centre. Kiss of Death was is the fifth novel featuring Sophie Anderson, and even though I hadn’t read the first four (unlike Kylie), I had no problem following the character and her world – this could easily be a stand-alone novel.
Kylie and I were lucky enough to recently have an opportunity to pick PD’s mind about her character and the crossing of crime and paranormal genres, going right back to the beginning of Sophie’s career and the search for her missing brother.
Mandy & Kylie – When you were creating Sophie, did you set out with the intention of your heroine having her special abilities or did that just happen as the story of her brother unfolded?
PD Martin – Sophie and my first book, Body Count, are based on a dream/nightmare I had about 14 years ago. In the dream a serial killer murdered my friends one by one and I was investigating the crimes (as if I was a detective or someone else in law enforcement). During the dream I woke up immediately after each body was discovered, but then when I went back to sleep the dream continued exactly where I’d left off. Between 2am and 6am I woke up four times in total. And when I woke up the last time I was cornered by the killer – his hands closing around my throat. Later that day I made a tragic discovery…I got a phone call at work to say that one of my friends had died. The estimated time of death was between 2am and 6am, the exact time of the nightmare.
The nightmare got me wondering – what if I had a main character who dreamed about murder cases? And so, Sophie was born.
M&K – Why do you think Sophie has her dreams?
PD – I do believe some people are truly psychic – although there are many more frauds out there than people with genuine gifts. In my fictional context, Sophie has her dreams to help right the wrongs… to help bring justice to the perpetrators. I wrote Body Count before I heard of Medium or Alison DuBois, but in her case I know it’s the dead victims reaching out to her for justice. The link isn’t that obvious in my books, but it’s still about justice for the victims.
M&K – Do you think that Sophie’s abilities make her stand out from the heroines in other crime novels?
PD – I guess they do make her stand out from other crime heroines, although sometimes I wonder if perhaps she’s caught between two worlds. My books are definitely solid police/FBI procedurals with lots of forensics and criminal psychology, rather than paranormal books. For some readers it’s a perfect match (and blend), but there are probably some hard-core police procedural fans who think the psychic element is too much, and perhaps there’s not enough for the full-on paranormal fans!
M&K – From a psychological viewpoint, why do you think that paranormal crime is becoming so popular? (note: PD Martin has a degree in psychology)
PD – Crime readers are often also readers of the paranormal genre – and obviously these fans are going to find paranormal crime particularly appealing as it’s merging their two loves. In terms of the psychology behind it, in some ways both crime and paranormal stories are mysteries – one being a whodunit and the other being an exploration of a mysterious world. However, while crime novels are constrained by what’s realistic or at least plausible, the paranormal novel takes the reader on a journey into the unknown.
I think paranormal crime appeals to a reader’s logical side (the police procedural or crime-solving element), while also completely capturing our imagination. Its increasing popularity is probably because it delivers the best of both worlds.
M&K – What’s next for PD Martin?
PD – I’m currently working on a new book, which features an ex-CIA agent turned freelancer. It’s an action thriller and will probably be the first in a series. That book is nearly finished! After that, I’m planning on writing something completely different – a mainstream women’s fiction/drama.
The Sophie Anderson series includes:
Body Count kicks off the series a few months after Aussie Sophie Anderson has re-located to the US and the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit.
In The Murderers’ Club, the clues don’t stack up – until a man emerges from the desert with a story of unspeakable evil.
Fan Mail sees Sophie working a case where fiction has become fatal. A popular crime writer is murdered and posed just like the crime scene in the dead author’s last book.
In The Killing Hands Sophie investigates a case that’s like nothing she’s ever seen before, as it takes her into the world of gangland hits and organised crime.
Kiss of Death sees Sophie investigating a possible cult real-life vampires in LA. Think Criminal Minds meets True Blood!
Coming Home is the sixth book in the Sophie series – finally Sophie comes home to solve her brother’s 30-year-old murder. Coming Home was written as an interactive ebook and can now be downloaded for free.
True crime
PD Martin also contributed two pieces to the true crime anthology; Meaner than Fiction. (Available in Australia and New Zealand only).
You can check out PD Martin’s website here: www.pdmartin.com.au
Or find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pdmartinauthor
Over at Book’d Out, they are making Tara Sharp very happy:
 “I genuinely appreciate the authentic Australian flavor, Tara roars around town in her classic Holden Monaro and chases cheeky cockatoos.
Sharp Shooter is an enjoyable, funny and light-hearted new series that I look forward to following.”
Meanwhile at nightcreatureau, Kate says:
“Marianne has brought out the seedy underside of Perth really well, it’s not just another crime series – it’s a really addicting crime series.”
And Tara says thanks to you both!
 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – STIEG LARSSON
ISBN: 9781847245458
Reviewed by: Kylie Fox
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is the first book in the “Millennium Trilogy” penned by Larsson before his untimely death. It has sold millions of copies worldwide and has become a major motion picture.
I enjoyed the book but not to the point where I can fully understand the hype and hysteria – I can only wonder if the reaction to this book and the others in the trilogy, would have been the same had Stieg Larsson still been alive to see its publication.
So, what’s it about?
Firstly it’s about Henrik Vanger, head of the dynastic Vanger Corporation who has been tormented for decades over the loss of his daughter, Harriet, who Vanger is certain, was murdered by a member of his own family, though no trace of her, dead or alive, has ever been uncovered.
It’s also about Mikael Blomkvist who is battling ruin following a lawsuit for libel. He is hired (for an exorbitant fee and the promise of information to take down the man who caused his demise) to delve into Vanger’s past and unravel the mystery of Harriet’s disappearance.
Finally, it’s about Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo; a computer hacker with a photographic memory, a violent disposition and some pretty serious intimacy issues.
Salander and Blomkvist team up to investigate Harriet’s disappearance which soon shows signs of being connected to a series of serial killings in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. When a dead cat is dumped on Blomkvist’s doorstep it becomes clear that they may not be dealing with a cold case – someone wants the past to remain a secret and will go to any lengths to keep it that way.
I had a hard time getting into this novel in the beginning – wrapping my head around the Swedish towns and names, the products that Larsson insisted on labelling and, the endless cast of characters in Vanger’s family tree. Once I did however, I found it difficult to put down.
Larsson delves into the seedier world of Sweden than we usually envisage; in this world the men (other than Blomkvist) are all misogynistic pigs and casual sex, sadism, murder and suicide are commonplace.
The story rocketed along throughout the middle section, despite some stilted and awkward sentence structures which I hope were simply poor translations, but tapered off at its conclusion to an undramatic and rather pedestrian ending.
Having said that, I enjoyed it enough to buy the second and the third books in the trilogy. Was it worth reading? Absolutely. Was it the book of the century that some of the hype seems to suggest? I think not.
Great news! Sisters in Crime – Brisbane are reforming. If you’re interested in being a part of this wonderful group then get yourself to Avid Reader Bookshop, West End:
NEW BRISBANE SISTERS-IN-CRIME MEETING
Where: Avid Reader bookstore, 193 Boundary St, West End
Date: Saturday 7 May 2011
Time: 12.30pm
Cost: FREE! (Lunch available for purchase from Avid Reader café)
Come along to chat about what you are reading, what you are writing,
and what you would like from your local chapter of Sisters in Crime Australia.
Sisters in Crime Australia (SinCOz) was inspired by the American organisation of the same name, founded in 1986 by Sara Paretsky (creator of Chicago PI VI Warshawski). It exists to celebrate and promote women’s crime writing.
SinCOz has been running since 1991. It produces fantastic events and opportunities for crime writers, such as the Davitt Awards, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, and the SheKilda Conventions. The Sisters in Crime Australia website explains what SinCOz is all about:
- To bring together women crime writers, screen-writers, producers, booksellers, publishers, lawyers, judges, police, forensic specialists, librarians, academics, and critics but in the main, readers and viewers.
- To discuss and analyse books, film and television shows, law and justice issues, new trends and critical issues of the crime genre.
- To explore the contemporary issues at the heart of much crime fiction as well as dissecting its rich history.
- To promote the professional development of women crime writers, especially emerging writers.
- To provide opportunities for networking between writers, publishers and producers and between writers and their readers and viewers.
- To have fun – and lots of it.
Reprinted from Meg Van’s website.
We’d like to welcome Janette Dalgliesh to the Tara Sharp website team. She’ll be writing a regular crimey column for us in the near future.
Janette’s Bio: Janette Dalgliesh has been a puppeteer, director, producer, restaurant manager, driver, waitress, finance officer, market researcher, trainer and union organiser. She first put pen to paper to write scripts for an ABC-TV children’s television production in the 1980s, and she’s been exploring different forms ever since. Currently, she’s working on three novels—an urban fantasy, a theatrical space series and a paranormal romance—and writing short stories and the occasional poem. You can find Janette at www.janettedalgliesh.com
 CRIME TV: BURN NOTICE
Reviewed by: Kylie Fox
If intrigue, action, kick-arse characters, espionage and out-of-the-mould villains make for good crime television, then Burn Notice is a winner. Created by Matt Nix, who won the 2008 Edgar Allan Poe Award for the pilot episode, Burn Notice hit our screens in 2007 and is still going strong with contracts renewed for a sixth season.
THE PLOT
Michael Westen, played by Jeffrey Donovan, is a spy but when he flees a failed operation in Nigeria where he is kidnapped and beaten, he finds himself returned to his hometown of Miami, his job as a covert operative terminated. But when a spy loses his job, he doesn’t receive a letter and a payout, he is black listed – burned. Michael Weston as a burned operative has no prior work history, no support network, no assets, no money – in effect, he doesn’t exist.
Michael needs to find out who burned him and why but in order to do that he needs to enlist the help of the only two friends he has, Fiona, an ex-IRA operative and ex-girlfriend to boot, and Sam, an ex-navy seal and FBI informant.
But, all doors to information have been closed and all previous contacts are no longer allowed to associate with Michael which makes discovering who ordered the burn difficult, bordering on impossible – especially with no money.
The one thing Michael has left, which they are unable to take away from him, is his incredible knowledge and skill as a covert operative. This is the main premise of the series.
Week by Week
 One of the things I like best about Burn Notice is the voice over provided by Michael Westen, giving each episode the feel of a training video for spies. With each obstacle that he faces, Michael gives commentary on how to deal with it, including tips for breaking and entering, blowing fuse boxes or getting the enemy to trust you. Some of the gadgets that Michael manages to rig out of everyday items are incredible – and leave McGyver looking like an amateur.
Each episode, while continuing the personal dramas associated with Michael and Fiona; and Michael and his mother, aswell as the ultimate “who burned him” story, has a self-contained storyline for the week too.
Michael, in order to fund his investigation, takes on smaller cases for Miami locals. For each of these he enlists the help of his team – Fiona to play with explosives and Sam, the go-to-guy who always knows someone who knows someone with what they need.
The Characters
What keeps you watching? Although the cases each week are fresh and intriguing and we want to find out how Michael’s story ultimately ends, the thing that really keeps us watching are the characters.
Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan)
Michael is nothing, if not confident bordering on smug but his character is redeemed by the love he shows for his friends and his mother (who drives him nuts).
Michael can switch accents and demeanour at the drop of a hat and it’s always amusing to see him take on a different character – particularly when it suits him to play dumb.
 Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar)
Fiona is my favourite character on Burn Notice and one of my faves on television, full stop.
Fiona, an ex-IRA operative, is an explosives expert and danger-junkie – she is capable of anything. Fiona will use her feminine wiles to achieve her ends but it’s her intellect and violent streak that sees her through.
Ok, so she runs and climbs and jumps fences in itty-bitty dresses and super-tall high-heels but you know what? I don’t care. I sit and think, “I couldn’t do that”. But I couldn’t blow up a moving car or rig a building to blow either – just ’cause I can’t do it doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
Creator Matt Nix says of Fiona, “She is an incredibly chaotic person who just thrives on disorder … Violence is foreplay for her.”
Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell)
Sam is an ex-Navy Seal and ex-spy, now semi-retired, living off rich, older Miami women and working as an FBI informant. Michael uses this to his advantage to pass on to the FBI false information.
Sam, usually seen in a loud Hawaiian shirt and sipping a cocktail, has an inexhaustible list of contacts and becomes more and more loyal to Michael as the series’ goes on.
Madeline Westen (Sharon Gless)
“Maddie” is Michael’s chain-smoking, retiree mother who adores her son but attempts to help always seem to land him in more trouble. Her appeals to help out her friends are the main source of work for Michael.
If you haven’t seen Burn Notice before, do yourself a favour and check it out. Even several series in, you’ll be able to pick up on the storylines and the characters and enjoy the ride. The chemistry between these characters alone, is worth watching.
 Criminal Masterminds – or not!
Article by: Kylie Fox
Chances are that if you’re on this page, you like to sink your teeth into a good crime story. Nothing beats trying to outsmart that criminal mastermind and solve the mystery, right? We’ve all read the books, watched the tv or the movies where the plots are woven so intricately and the criminals so devious that only the brilliant deductive skills of the detectives or sleuths can solve the case.
Then there are these crimes. The ones that will have you scratching your head for an altogether different reason. There is not a criminal mastermind in the bunch. No fancy detective work or forensic mastery was necessary in nabbing these criminals. They managed, in every instance, to foil themselves.
These are some of the world’s dumbest criminals.
A Shotgun and a Bottle of Scotch
In Colorado Springs, US, a man, brandishing a shotgun, demanded the cashier of a corner store fill a bag with all the cash from the register. The cashier complied and the robbery should have been over. Instead, the thief spotted a bottle of scotch that took his fancy and told the cashier to add it to his bag of loot.
The cashier refused, saying he didn’t believe the robber was over 21.
The pair argued – the thief declaring he was of legal drinking age and the cashier refusing.
Finally, the thief pulled out his driver’s license and handed it to the cashier – proving he was in fact, over 21. He then left the store with the money and the bottle of scotch.
The cashier promptly called the police and supplied them with the man’s name and address which he’d supplied on his license. He was arrested less than 2 hours later.
Quality Crack
Eloise Reaves, of Florida, was aggrieved that the crack cocaine that she’d just scored wasn’t of an acceptable standard. Did she return to the dealer with her complaint? No. She waved down a passing police officer and made her complaint to him, even showing him the crack to prove her case. Unfortunately for Eloise, the officer didn’t offer to return the goods to the dealer and get her a refund, he arrested her.
Job Offer
In Georgia, 28 year old Demetrius Robinson, was set to rob a Golden Pantry store but didn’t want to do it with the store full of people. To pass the time until he could be alone with the clerk he decided to fill in a job application form. After he robbed the store and made a successful getaway, he was quickly arrested with the details he’d provided on the form. Oh yes, he’d supplied his real name, address and his uncle’s phone number.
Strangely enough, he didn’t get the job.
Billion Dollar Boo Boo
Charles Ray Fuller, 21 of Dallas, Texas might have set his sights a little too high when he tried to pass a forged cheque. Not only was the cheque not made out in his name, he’d made it out for 360 BILLION DOLLARS! Yeah, ‘cause that wouldn’t raise any suspicion.
Out With A Bang
A pair of criminals in Belgium attempted to crack open an ATM on the side of a bank. A minor miscalculation with the dynamite and instead of scoring the cash, they managed to blow up the entire bank – and themselves.
 Murder He Wrote
Polish author Krystian Bala may well have gotten away with murder – if he’d been able to resist writing about it. Obviously the plot was too tempting and Bala wrote the best-selling novel Amok in 2003. Police noticed eerily similar details in the book to an unsolved murder from three years before and an investigation ensued. It ensued that the victim was romantically involved with Bala’s ex-wife. Bala was eventually jailed for 25 years for murder.
Facebook Faux Pas
Social networking is the way of the world but should probably be avoided by burglars – at least while they’re inside a victim’s home. Jonathon G. Parker, of Pennsylvania, was robbing a house and couldn’t resist taking a peek at his Facebook profile while he was there – and forgot to sign himself out. Police were quickly able to track him down from the details provided on his page.
Just Hanging Around
John Pearce, 32 of Dartford, England, provided quite a spectacle for locals when he attempted to break into a house, via a window, in broad daylight. His foot became entangled in the window, leaving him dangling upside-down much to the amusement of onlookers who mocked him mercilessly until the police came – to first rescue, then arrest him.
Calling Ahead
Daniel Glen, from Ontario, wanted to be sure that it was worth his while showing up to a robbery at a convenience store so had the bright idea of calling in advance to ask the clerk how much money was in the register. When he arrived, on schedule, to rob the store, the police were waiting for him.
Eeeew!
Motor home owner, Dennis Quigly, called the police one morning, reporting weird noises from outside. Apparently a thief was trying to siphon gas from the vehicle using a hose. When police arrived they found a man curled up in a ball next to the motor home and a pile of vomit. In trying to suck the gas from the tank, he’d ended up with a mouthful, as often happens – but this wasn’t gas. He’d sucked the wrong tank and ended up with a mouthful of sewage! Quigly chose not to press charges figuring the man had suffered enough.
 The Ultimate Bank Robbery
I’ve left this one for last ‘cause for me it takes the cake!
A San Francisco man decided to rob a Bank Of America. He walked into the branch and wrote on a deposit slip “this iz a stickup. Put all your muny in this bag.”
He then stood in line and waited his turn so that he could give the note to the teller. He began to worry that someone may have seen him write the note and that the police might be called before the reached the window.
He left the Bank of America and crossed the road to another bank, Wells Fargo. He waited a few minutes in line and handed the note to the teller. She read it and surmised from his spelling that she wasn’t dealing with the brightest spark. She told him she could not accept the note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip, he would have to fill out a Wells Fargo slip or return to the Bank of America.
The man, defeated, merely said “Ok” and left, returning across the road, note in hand, to the Bank of America where he was promptly arrested.
Seriously, you couldn’t make this stuff up!
If you’re coming to Supanova in Melbourne, Sydney or Perth then Dymocks are offering Sharp Shooter free with each copy of Sharp Turn. Two for One deal.. Don’t miss out!
And here’s a neat review for Sharp Turn.
‘Set in Perth the story winds around the drug market, unrequited love, low level lust, bad guys, good guys and unexpected guys to make a very readable story … A great summertime read; light, enjoyable, fast paced and almost believable!’ Blue Wolf reviews.
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