Sunday, June 1, 2008

Traitorous acquisistions

I am a staunch advocate of supporting your local independent bookstore, in fact, I'm probably one of the reasons Dunedin's fabulous University Book Shop stays solvent. But once or twice a year, Hubby and I indulge in a spot of online shopping from Amazon. He likes to get photography books we can't get here, and to help him assuage his guilt at buying things if I'm not, I make the personal sacrifice and get a few things too. The things I do to make him feel better, gosh.

The parcel arrived on the doorstep yesterday and contained a few, what I shall call, research items.



Forensics and Fiction by D.P.Lyle, MD

Dr Lyle has been answering weird questions from writers for years, and has a number of books out with medical information for authors. This one is subtitled Clever, intriguing and downright odd questions from crime writers, which sets the tone. He gives detailed answers on questions from What injuries occur after a fork stab to the throat? to Could my character use cyanide added to a contact lens solution to kill anther character?
This book looks like it will be a mine of information triggered by questions from people with as warped a mind as mine.



Missing Persons: A writer's guide to finding the lost, the abducted and the escaped. By Fay Faron

This is a USA based reference guide, but many of the principals are the same for here. Thought it could come in handy one day.




Forensics for Dummies by D.P.Lyle MD

My mate DP again, but this time with the focus on Forensics. I borrowed a friend's copy of this book when I was doing my Otago University Summer School Forensic Biology Course and found it very handy. Thought it wouldn't hurt to add it to my permanent collection of forensics books piled on the floor in my office (Mental note to self: Might have to consider adding some bookshelves to the needed acquisitions list.)


So there you go, a few more books to add to the collection, not that I haven't acquired many recently, ahem. And I'm sorry University Book Shop, I know I was disloyal to you, betrayed you, and I feel really bad about that - so I'll make it up to you soon, promise!

5 comments:

Hugh Macmillan said...

Umberto Eco showed us how he constructed the fictional universe in his Reflections on the Name of the Rose.

He remembers wanting to poison a monk and wrote to a toxicologist friend. He also remembers destroying the correspondence as it would look extremely suspicious to the legal or police mind.

Take no chances Vanda - destroy all letters pertaining to how to administer an overdose to an unwilling victim.

Erin said...

Good to know that our suitcase back from California will be a few pounds lighter. Although, who knows what treasures you will find online between now and then.... just remember Air NZ's luggage limit is 20kg.

Vanda Symon said...

There's always stationery, Erin, always stationery...

Peter Rozovsky said...

Have you come across the Howdunit? books published by Writer's digest Books?
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

Vanda Symon said...

I just plugged 'howdunit' into Amazon, et voila, lots of them. I feel an order coming on...