Jennifer Hillier

Kickin’ it old school

Sep 27, 2010 | Uncategorized

You know you’re a geek when you’re no longer in school but you drop big bucks on two textbooks and can’t wait for them to be delivered.

Check out what I ordered (and yes, I’m ridiculously anxious for them to get here):

Practical Homicide Investigation:  Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques

Synopsis:  Renowned for being THE definitive source of homicide investigation, Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques is the recognized protocol used by investigative divisions of major police departments throughout the world.  It is also the text used in most police academies, including the prestigious FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.  It emphasizes essential procedures, combines detailed techniques with instructive case studies, and outlines the foundation on which to build a solid, prosecutable case.

Serial Violence:  Analysis of Modus Operandi and Signature Characteristics of Killers

Synopsis:  Linking the murders of an alleged serial killer to successfully present a case in court involves a specific methodology that has been scrutinized by the judicial system but is largely absent in the current literature.  Serial Violence: Analysis of Modus Operandi and Signature Characteristics of Killers fully explains the process of finding the nexus between one violent crime and another for the purpose of pursuing the same offender at trial.

Written by renowned experts, this book focuses on analyzing crimes of violence to unveil common characteristics that might prove useful in the identification, apprehension, and conviction of murderers.

Somehow I think these two textbooks are going to be a lot more interesting than anything else I read in university.  They were recommended to me by a fellow writer at ThrillerFest last year, and I’ve been meaning to order them for a while.  Mind you, I didn’t need them with CREEP, but the new WIP involves a lot more police procedural stuff.  I find I’m getting stuck on a lot of scenes because I just don’t know a lot of really basic things about police investigation and dead bodies.  I know that I can’t put too much trust in what I see on TV shows like Criminal Minds and Law & Order, much as I love watching them.

So what are you looking forward to this week?  Tell me here, or drop by Killer Chicks for Status Check Monday!

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