“The
darkness still loomed around him, but there was a quietness that overcame him.
A
brief hundredth of a second, a peculiar whizzing noise filled Roger’s ears and
then a brutal blow struck his head and knocked him off his feet. With a ringing
in his head and a groggy consciousness, he tried to sit up but more savage
blows pummeled his body. It sounded as if a tree splintered just before it fell
in the forest. His breath caught in his lungs. Everything went dark.
The
anonymous whispers stopped.
All
buzzing in his ears stopped.
Roger
Case’s heart stopped too.”
From Scene
of the Crime by Jennifer Chase
Jennifer Chase is a multi
award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting
criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor
degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal
justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the
criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath,
providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In
addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal
profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic
Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers. Her latest
book is Scene
of the Crime, Book 2 in the Palmer Forensic Mystery series.
Book Description:
A calculating cold-blooded predator closes in…
When a community has barely recovered from a ruthless serial killer six months earlier; now two more horrifying murders hit the radar again. It leaves police burdened with two of the most shockingly contaminated crime scenes ever documented in California’s law enforcement history. The Slayer works behind the scenes as a sinister puppet master, precisely pulling the strings, taunting the police without leaving any viable evidence, and orchestrating his killer hit squads.
The sheriff and district attorney bring in the best investigators. Reunited again, Dr. Chip Palmer, a reclusive forensic expert, joins DA Inspector Kate Rawlins to sort through the crime scene aftermath in search of the truth—all without a probable suspect or a solid motive. Complicating the investigation—sparks reignite between the two.
Ratcheting up the suspense, Chip suffers a nasty fall hitting his head, impairing his perception and giving him a mind-blowing ability for specific detailed recall. Palmer and Rawlins assemble an unusual team including a rookie detective, a forensic supervisor, and an ex-military operative turned bodyguard. After one of their own is kidnapped and the investigation is taken over by the FBI, the now rogue team must pull together their own resources—alone—with a killer waiting to take each one of them out. Scene of the Crime takes no prisoners and leaves everyone fighting to stay alive.
When a community has barely recovered from a ruthless serial killer six months earlier; now two more horrifying murders hit the radar again. It leaves police burdened with two of the most shockingly contaminated crime scenes ever documented in California’s law enforcement history. The Slayer works behind the scenes as a sinister puppet master, precisely pulling the strings, taunting the police without leaving any viable evidence, and orchestrating his killer hit squads.
The sheriff and district attorney bring in the best investigators. Reunited again, Dr. Chip Palmer, a reclusive forensic expert, joins DA Inspector Kate Rawlins to sort through the crime scene aftermath in search of the truth—all without a probable suspect or a solid motive. Complicating the investigation—sparks reignite between the two.
Ratcheting up the suspense, Chip suffers a nasty fall hitting his head, impairing his perception and giving him a mind-blowing ability for specific detailed recall. Palmer and Rawlins assemble an unusual team including a rookie detective, a forensic supervisor, and an ex-military operative turned bodyguard. After one of their own is kidnapped and the investigation is taken over by the FBI, the now rogue team must pull together their own resources—alone—with a killer waiting to take each one of them out. Scene of the Crime takes no prisoners and leaves everyone fighting to stay alive.
Interview:
Welcome Jennifer! Can we begin by having you tell us how you got started
writing mysteries? Did the movies influence you? Books?
Jennifer: Books, movies, news headlines, true crime stories have all
inspired my writing. I’ve loved books ever since I was old enough to appreciate
the amazing stories at the library. Mysteries have a special place for me. I
love puzzles, forensic evidence, and the delicate balance of the human psyche
of what makes a person do the things they do. I’ve always written stories and
screenplays, but it was not until 2008 did I chose to write novels
professionally and I have not looked back.
Do you find writing mysteries comes natural to you or did you struggle
sometimes?
Jennifer: I think when you love something, it comes a bit more easily
and you don’t have to fight as hard. I have more ideas than I could ever write
in a lifetime. It’s difficult to turn off the writer’s brain sometimes. These
ideas come to me when I’m basically anywhere, running errands, exercising,
driving, and even in the shower.
Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions
strongly?
Jennifer: Anyone can write. You have to sit down with something to say
and convey it to the reader. But, I do feel that you have to understand
emotions, not necessarily feel all of them in order to express emotions in your
characters that readers will respond to. It helps, for example, that if you’ve
felt great loss or extreme fear at some time in your life to write those strong
emotions with conviction.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
Jennifer: That’s a very interesting question. The way I see it, at least
for me, is that it’s the ultimate expression to tell a story and have your
readers experience an incredible journey understanding what you’re trying to
express. My first novel, Compulsion, was actually similar to therapy for me as
I wrote it. I had experienced a violent psychopath neighbor, so being able to
write through my stress and experiences was very liberating.
How hard is it to establish and maintain a
career in fiction writing?
Jennifer: It’s a difficult balancing act. I don’t mean to sound
pessimistic, but it is challenging field because there’s no sure thing in this
career. There are definite successful levels that you can achieve, such as a
best seller and award winner, but that doesn’t mean you’ve now have it made.
Every book you write there is always some type challenge you must meet and
overcome.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book, Scene
of the Crime?
Jennifer: Taunting the police and
orchestrating killer hit squads, The Slayer is the ultimate puppet
master. He believes that he has discovered the recipe for the perfect murder.
Dr. Chip Palmer, a reclusive forensic expert, joins DA Inspector Kate
Rawlins, together they are reunited as a team to sort through the crime scene
aftermath in search of the truth—leaving them vulnerable and fighting to stay
alive. But that still doesn’t stop the sparks to ignite between them.
What was the hardest scene to write?
Jennifer: With my background in criminology and profiling, most would
think that writing from the mind of a serial killer would be easy. To some
degree it is for me, but it takes the most energy and effort to create the
killer in a way that doesn’t seem contrived and superficial. I make sure that I
put aside enough time with breaks to complete this part of the book.
They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point when the
reader just can’t put the book down. Can you give us one of those pivotal
points in your book?
Jennifer: Without giving anything away, there will be someone within the
underdog team that will be kidnapped and you’re not going to see it coming.
Everything changes from that point on for the characters.
Will there be a follow up book to Scene of the Crime or other books in
the near future?
Jennifer: Absolutely. I love creating mysteries for Dr. Chip Palmer to
solve. Evidence of the Crime will be out early 2019. In addition, Dark Lies
from the Emily Stone Thriller Series will be out this fall.
Thank you so much for the interview!
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