March is “Mystery Month” in libraries across the country. In celebration, I have decided to go through my collection and pull out books that I bought with great enthusiasm, but that have languished neglected on the shelf as newer purchases nudged them out of “nightstand prominence”. These purchases include instances where I was keen to try an unfamiliar author (Lawrence Block); they were books to “fill in” the gaps in a collection’s chronology (Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series); the anthologies have a theme I like (Noir); or, it represented a new direction/protagonist for an author I love (Laurie R. King).

Below I have reviewed the first entry in my March Mystery Housecleaning Reading series. At the Scene of the Crime is an anthology that focuses on the methods and thought processes of the forensic investigator. Spurred in part by the wide public interest in TV shows like the successful CSI franchises, this time the detectives are the secondary characters. Collectively it presents a wide variety of forensics – from arson specialist to dental reconstruction – with a lot of interesting technical information squeezed in along with the detection.

Overall the quality of the stories was very good and it was edited by (and had a contribution by) one of my favorite authors, Dana Stabenow.

Smart Aleck by Loren D. Estleman – good – focuses on veteran police sergeant, Alexander Henry (“Aleck”) who has a reputation in the department as a wizard at connecting scattered leads into working theories when logic alone can’t make sense of the case. Note the subtle social commentary as it contrasts the approach of the young, tech-focused examiner to the “old fashioned” instinctive cop. The story utilizes an old mystery trope well, with an unusual twist at the end.

Better Lucky Than Good by Jeanne C. Stein – good – set in a rare book library at a university, told from the point of view of Detective Lorna Fitzgerald. She and her overbearing partner are sent to investigate the classic locked-room (in this case, vault) theft of a valuable set of books. The story gives a refreshingly different twist to the librarian stereotype. A good mystery that handled the clues fairly.

The High Life: A Heartland Homicide Story by Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens – very good – Great use of language: “Summer invaded Iowa in June like a horde of Huns, and kept up the looting and pillaging on through July and most of August.” BCI crime scene supervisor Dale “Hawk” Hawkins is called to examine the scene of a murder-suicide of a man and woman. Quickly he sees that it is a double murder and outlines the evidence that shows this. The work-a-day banter among the police and technicians feels authentic and creates a good sense of atmosphere. Those who enjoy the CSI-style details will particularly enjoy this story; those who don’t will not be distracted from a good mystery.

Rust by N.J. Ayres – excellent – Told in the first person by Trooper Eberhardt as he reflects on the death of one of their own, Trooper Erin Flannery. Excellent character sketches of the other officers, and his reports on the pace of the investigation keeps the tension high. “A crime of opportunity, we concluded. It happens. Even to cops.” But it doesn’t end there. Tight, strong writing.

I/M-Print: A Tess Cassidy Short Story by Jeremiah Healy – poor – Neither the main character nor the murder was particularly engaging. I didn’t find the plotting strong, and the solution hinges on a factoid that was not clearly explained.

A Trace of the Trace by Brendan DuBois – good – The main character (a forensic consultant) is not directly identified, but I certainly thought of Gil Grissom as I read it. It is a well-structured mystery, good solid writing, that played fair with the clues. A forensic consultant is called in on a perplexing case: a teen went missing, the Detective knows the boyfriend did it, but there is zero evidence in the location where she was last seen. How the consultant breaks down the puzzle into small solvable actions is engaging and leads to a satisfying conclusion. If only all law enforcement were this dogged.

Five Sorrowful Mysteries by Julie Hyzy – ok – Claire Corbett, medical examiner, and her cop husband, Mark, begin to investigate a seniors’ home when bodies begin appearing with greater than the usual frequency for such an establishment. Interesting forensic tidbits that quickly lead the reader to the obvious conclusion.The protagonists read as if they were part of a series (but they are not). Hyzy does have two other series, however. Cozy style.

Mitt’s Murder by John Lutz – poor – The only really wreak one in the bunch. The murder of former major league catcher Mitt Adams . Captain Wayne Loman is set to investigate but because of the high profile nature of the case, he calls in “outside help” in the form of freelancers Miles Dougherty and Catt Balone (!), top CSIs. Unnecessary expository/narrative drift pulls one out of the story. No chemistry between the two CSIs, no engaging characters or story. How they explain the “conflicting evidence” that gets the culprit could have been a nice twist had it been accompanied by a stronger story.

The Retired Arsonist by Edward D. Hoch – ok – Retired captain of the violent crimes squad, called in to consult on a suspicious fire that killed a firefighter. When he arrives, he finds that the suspected arsonist is Parker Oslo, a man he helped put away 20 years ago, for life. Well written, and a good mystery. We find out some interesting forensic facts about arson in the bargain.

Patriotic Gestures by Kristine Kathryn Rusch – very good – the reason I sought out this collection was to read a short story by Rusch. Told from the point of view of Pamela Kinney, forensic investigator, she finds evidence of a burned American flag on the driveway of her house. It was her flag, the one given to her when her daughter died in Afganistan. Soon other flags are found burned and, despite the painful personal nature of the crime, Kinney follows the evidence to catch the guilty parties. Strong, moving story, beautifully written. Excellent mystery with strong emotional end that packs a punch. This story will stay with you.

Articulation of Murder by Michael A. Black – good – Unusual protagonist, a forensic dentist. Tense, fast paced, not so much a mystery as a thriller. And since it is a short story, there is no guarantee that anyone is coming out of this alive. Dr. Link is prepping for a deposition on Monday to help put away a killer through his dental impressions left at the scene. But today is Friday, and he is heading to a wedding half way across the country for the weekend. We get a lot of interesting forensic info about teeth impressions, occlusions, bites, etc.

Occam’s Razor by Maynard F. Thomson – good – told as an interview of Dr. Stork, internationally renowned criminalist, to a reporter. “He’d been everyone’s favorite uncle, imperturbably explaining the evidence until any verdict save ‘guilty’ would have been absurd. Now he was a tired old man.” Asked how he got started in forensic investigation, he recalls a very high profile murder early in his career. It is that murder that, through the duration of the interview, we follow and try to solve. A refreshingly different perspective, strong, tight writing. Things do not become apparent until the very end, as it should be.

On the Evidence: A Liam Campbell Short Story by Dana Stabenow – very good – the opening paragraphs grab you. Liam Campbell, a state trooper in Alaska, gets a call from a colleague needing help with a case in Kotzebue: one of his family was a victim of a mass murder on the ice. His lover Wy, who flies the Cessna that gets them to the scene, hints at spirituality and animal nature and shamanism around the case. Atmospheric, fast paced, interesting forensics in very cold climate, as well as the social order of things in isolated and close-knit communities up north. This story is standalone, but the characters are part of a series (first book: Fire and Ice). The last line: “Forensics isn’t everything.”

About the Authors:
In the back of the book are summary descriptions of the authors, noting the awards for which they were nominated (and won), and the title of their most popular works. Of course, I encourage you to look them up on Wikipedia.org or FantasticFiction.co.uk. ( )

Good collection of one perspective of criminal investigations ( )

The success of forensic shows on television led directly to At the Scene of the Crime, an original anthology edited by Dana Stabenow, in which a baker's dozen of well-known mystery writers turn to forensic science for the inspiration of their stories. Some consider the forensic team to be entirely useless, as in Loren D. Estleman's "Smart Aleck," but most have the forensic folks as the heroes of their tales. A few ("Rust" by N.J. Ayres, "A Trace of a Trace" by Brendan DuBois) are quite poetic and philosophical in nature; others ("Articulation of Murder" by Michael A. Black) feature scientific hunters one wouldn't expect (Black's features a forensic dentist!). As always with such anthologies, some stories work better than others, but the ones I most liked (by Jeanne C. Stein, Laura Hyzy, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, the aforementioned Michael A. Black and Brendan DuBois, and Maynard F. Thomson) might not be the ones another reader prefers. Unfortunately, I felt the weakest story in the anthology was the last, editor Dana Stabenow's own contribution, but that may just be because I've never liked her style. Obviously, millions of readers differ on that! If you're a fan of forensic television shows or of good short mystery fiction, this could well be for you; recommended. ( )