What's We're Writing--Debs on It's All in the Execution

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's What We're Writing week here on JRW! On Monday Jenn McKinlay gave us a snippet from the Library Lovers book she's finishing, in which the victim is electrocuted, and I thought, "I haven't electrocuted anyone since the very first murder in my very first book!" That got me thinking about how weird that must sound to people who don't write (or read!) mysteries. What a bloodthirsty bunch we are, always trying to come up with inventive ways to get rid of our poor victims. 

I have used, as we go through my Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series; electrocution, blunt intrument, poison, drowning, blunt instrument, poison, poison, drowning (the last three all in one book!), strangulation, drowning, hit by car, knifing, knifing, shotgun!, blunt instrument, blunt instrument, drowning, blunt instrument, hit by car (two victims again! And there's a stabbing in that one, too), blunt instrument, blunt instrument, drowning, strangulation, a bomb!, victim pushed in front of train (ick!), strangulation, gunshot, poison, and stabbing!

You can see that I'm not very inventive--I work on the theory that most murderers use the easist/most accessible means, especially if the crime is spur of the moment--and also that I have favorites in my murderous arsenal! Drowning and bludgeoning, obviously, are high on the list, but which one is it in the book in progress, Kincaid/James #20? (Working title is some iteration of The Long Cold Sleep, but we shall see...it may end up something altogether different.)

Just for fun, check out the poor drowning victim in the ridiculously awful original hardcover art for my third book, LEAVE THE GRAVE GREEN. 

The British poet Stevie Smith's poem "Not Waving but Drowning," comes to mind. Does that setting look anything like Henley-on-Thames to you? Or even remotely like a British mystery??

Here's a snippet from K/J #20 (which will hopefully have a much better cover,) in which Gemma, the detective inspector on the case, consults with our dashing favorite pathologist, Dr. Rashid Kaleem.

Raising an eyebrow, Rashid said, “Nothing like jumping back in the deep end, then. Let’s see what we’ve got.” Pulling up his hood, he crouched beside the body and began his examination. “The victim appears to be a Caucasian male, in good physical condition. Probably, judging by his clothing, a runner.” He manipulated the fingers of the corpse’s right hand, then the left. “Rigor is established, as you can see, but from the flexibility in his digits, I’d guess it’s still advancing. However,” he glanced up at Gemma, “immersion in water can play havoc with all our usual indicators, as you know. There’s some bloating and discoloration, but not much sign of marine predation yet.”

“Why is he curled like that?”

“Drowning position. Back to the surface, arms and legs dangling. Normally bodies sink in this position and may show abrasions on fingers and toes, and even the face, from scraping the bottom, but I’m not seeing that here.”

The features were distorted enough that Gemma couldn’t get a clear idea of the man’s looks, or even his age. He’d been clean-shaven and his hair, although still wet, looked dark. He wore running shoes, and above them loose-fitting jogging trousers and a gray t-shirt in some sort of moisture-wicking material.

 Rashid, who’d been examining the clothing, held up an unmarked set of keys. “Zipped in the key pocket. House keys, I imagine. There’s also a mobile phone pocket at the back of the trousers, but it’s just a slip-in type. If he had a phone, it’s come out.”

“Do you think he went in the water here?” Gemma asked. “If that’s the case, the divers may find it.”

“There’s virtually no current in the canal, so in all likelihood, I’d say the body didn’t move far.”

“And time of death?

Rashid flashed a smile at her. “You’re not pinning me down on that until I get him in the lab. But I’ll schedule the postmortem as soon as possible. Bodies that have been in water start to decompose very rapidly once they’re exposed to air.”

“So, this guy was running, fell in, and drowned?” Frowning, Gemma added. “He did drown, right?”

Rashid had moved from the victim’s torso to the head, and was now running his fingers gently over the skull. His hand went still. He looked up at Gemma, all levity gone. “He very well may have. But that would have been after someone bashed him over the head.”

This week's other exciting news, other than writing progress and a blunt instrument or two, is our new REDS & READERS private Facebook group! It's a great place to make friends, find new authors, and of course keep up with the REDS. We'll be doing live chats and LOTS of giveways! I'll be giving away a copy of Kincaid/James #19, A KILLING OF INNOCENTS, so click here to join the fun, and leave a comment there to be entered for the contest!

Readers, do you like your murders complicated, or straight up?