One Bite at a Time: The Second Girl, by David Swinson
One Bite at a Time: The Second Girl, by David Swinson: It doesn’t mean much to me when a writer signs a deal with a major publisher. The publisher typically has dreams of a best-seller and I don...
One Bite at a Time: Twenty Questions With David Swinson
One Bite at a Time: Twenty Questions With David Swinson: David Swinson did all the usual stuff before he became a cop: attended Cal State as a film major; booked and promoted punk rock and alterna...
Early Praise For THE SECOND GIRL
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I am so overjoyed with the early praise for THE SECOND GIRL, and from such incredible authors. Thank you all!
“Like the very best of classic crime writing, THE SECOND GIRL made me want to read faster and slower at the same time. Now I want David Swinson to write faster.”
Michael Robotham, internationally bestselling author of LIFE OR DEATH and SHATTER
"Within the first couple of pages, David Swinson pulls off a
masterly piece of characterisation: he creates a damaged, damned protagonist who
no sane person would want to get close to, and then he grabs you by the collar
and hauls you into Frank Marr's mind so fast and so thoroughly that none of
that matters. The writing throws sparks, and the ferocious plot peels back
layer after layer of Frank's character as we - and he - find out how much of
his humanity is still left."
Tana French, author of THE SECRET PLACE
"Once you’re drawn into Frankie Marr’s world (in, oh, the
first few pages of this fine novel), you won’t want to leave. Marr is one of
the most compelling and complex protagonists to come along in years. And, not
content with just creating a memorable hero, author Swinson also offers up a
breakneck plot, which he recounts in muscular prose and with a commanding
knowledge of cops, bad guys and the streets of Washington, D.C. Reminiscent of
The Wire and the writing of George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane, The Second Girl
is a winner."
Jeffery Deaver, author of THE STEEL KISS
"Like Dennis Lehane and Richard Price, David Swinson gives us
a gritty urban crime novel popu-lated with morally complex, utterly believable
characters. Swinson knows how to build suspense, and he has a great ear for the
patois of the streets, but it is Detective Frank Marr’s tightrope walk between
noble and darker impulses that makes The Second Girl such a rewarding read from
start to finish."
Ron Rash, author of SERENA
"David Swinson steps into the mean streets of American
fiction with an unforgettable character, Frank Marr, and that journey takes
readers into realities most people never see.
THE SECOND GIRL is a non-stop drive through American crime, punishment
and even an alley or two of justice.
Swinson's fiction is making its mark on our cultural wall. It's great to see fiction created by an
author who paid his dues to learn our hidden realities."
James Grady, author of LAST DAYS OF THE CONDOR
"The Second
Girl is a down-and-dirty thriller with real heart from an author who knows what
he's talking about. This is firmly in George Pelecanos territory and it doesn't
get much better than that."
Mark Billingham author of THE BONES BENEATH
"In a world of pretenders and wannabes, David Swinson is the
real deal. THE SECOND GIRL crackles with authenticity, and introduces an
antihero in Frank Marr as compelling as the habit he can’t shake. In Swinson’s
hands, Marr is a reflection of the mean streets of DC he calls home: tarnished,
drug-addled, but maybe—just maybe—not too far-gone to save."
Chris Holm, author of THE KILLING KIND
"Brimming with
equal parts authenticity and heart, THE SECOND GIRL boasts a
cops-and-corner-boys milieu as gritty and compelling as anything in The Wire,
as told by a tough-talking P.I. protagonist with a vulnerable side. David
Swinson is a hell of a fine writer, and THE SECOND GIRL is a stellar first
entry in what’s sure to be a can’t miss series."
Owen Laukkanen, author of THE WATCHER IN THE WALL
"THE SECOND GIRL is as good as it gets in crime fiction.
Compelling, gritty, authentic, and an anti-hero you end up rooting for. It
reminded me of THE WIRE and I enjoyed it every bit as much. Great read; close
to perfect."
Peggy Blair, author of HUNGRY GHOSTS
THE SECOND GIRL is due to be released June 7, 2016 by Mulholland Books, and is available for preorder now in the United States and the United Kingdom.
"This is
a tight, tense tale that sucks you in [and] won't let you go. There is a feel
[of] "The Wire" about this book, along with writing that's
reminiscent of Michael Connelly or Jo Nesbo's best work. Gritty, authentic
action, spot-on dialogue, a sense of place and voice, and the plot just moves
like a river. I felt like I stuck a toe in and got caught in that cold river
where [Frank Marr] liked to dump people...I was swept away, and washed up in
the end with a sense of relief and hope...which is just what I like in a crime
story. Well told, David Swinson!”
Toby Neal,
author of the Lei Crime series
THE SECOND GIRL is due to be released June 7, 2016 by Mulholland Books, and is available for preorder now in the United States and the United Kingdom.
From Publisher's Marketplace
I'm very excited to announce this (again)!
The following is from Publisher's Marketplace:
The following is from Publisher's Marketplace:
January 8, 2015 - THE SECOND GIRL by David Swinson
Fiction: Thriller
Former DC detective David Swinson's THE SECOND GIRL, about an ex-cop and private investigator in Washington, DC, and his quest to free girls abducted by local druglords, to Josh Kendall at Mulholland Books, in a three-book deal, by Jane Gelfman at Gelfman Schneider/ICM (World).
Bouchercon 2014
Really excited to announce I'll be participating in one of the Bouchercon 2014 - Murder at the Beach panels in Long Beach, CA -
We’ve Got Grit: Traditional to Thriller to True Crime, on Saturday, November 15th at 11:30 am, along with authors, Diane Vallere (Moderator), Graham E. Brown, John McFetridge, Charles Salzberg and David Stout.
Hope to see you there.
New Blog Review of A Detailed Man
It was an unexpected pleasure to find this new blog review of A Detailed Man in the Bob Harrod - Still Missing blog. I'm almost finished with my second book, but unfortunately, it's not about detective Simeon. After reading this nice review though, I think Simeon will come back for the third book.
You can read it here - http://bobharrodmissing.com/detailed-man.html
You can read it here - http://bobharrodmissing.com/detailed-man.html
Here's a Nice Tool to Use in a Police Procedural, Guest Post by Kylie J Burgener
Just last year, a cold case
almost two decades old in Midway, Utah, was finally solved using cutting edge wet
vacuum DNA collection technology called the M-Vac System. The DNA evidence was found
on the murder weapon, a rock that had been sitting in an evidence room for the
past 18 years. Krystal Lynn Beslanowitch was found bludgeoned to death with the
rock in question, which was still near her body. However, the evidence found at
the scene was not enough to tell Krystal’s story. Fortunately, in the world of
forensic science, technology is always moving forward, offering newer and more
effective ways to catch criminals. Through an innovative process, Krystal’s
case would eventually be closed.
Originally designed to collect pathogenic bacteria off of
food surfaces, bio warfare agents from the battlefield and viruses from
critical areas in hospitals, the M-Vac wet vacuum system is amazingly adept at
collecting DNA material, even from porous surfaces such as a river rock, a
hoodie sweatshirt or from a victim’s skin. This system is the most effective
method available for collecting DNA, and is known to be effective even after
other collection methods have failed to collect sufficient DNA for analysis.
The wet vacuum method works through the combination of a
sterile spray impinging the substrate surface and vacuum pressure being applied
simultaneously. This allows investigators to pick up much more of a sample than
through the swabbing or taping method. The samples can then be spun in a
conical vial or filtered through an inexpensive filtering method. The results
have been validated by a private lab in Utah, which found that the M-Vac
collected 40 percent more DNA from a saliva stain on polyester and 88 percent
more from a bloodstain on nylon fabric than swabbing. In fact, when sampling
the material AFTER the swab in a separate product verification, the M-Vac still
pulled up 22 times more than the swab did.
So far, the wet vacuum system has been used in several very
difficult cases that had either stalled or gone completely cold and the
investigators were running out of options.
In one of the first cases, a little girl had been murdered and possibly
raped, and then her body had been discarded in a body of water where she lay
for 8-10 hours. During that time, as
every investigator knows, the DNA evidence on her and her clothing was washing
away and degrading at a rapid rate. Not
surprisingly, by the time she was pulled from the water and her clothing was
swabbed, no suspect DNA could be detected, even with the most sensitive lab
equipment and processes.
Fortunately, the forensics lab had an M-Vac System available
and they were able to resample the victim’s underwear. Amazingly, the M-Vac was able to collect
enough DNA material to generate a partial profile of the suspect and the case
was able to move forward. Additional
cases have seen similar results. Of
course, not every case, but the bottom line is if there is DNA material on the
evidence, even when it is minute amounts of touch DNA, the M-Vac System is the
best tool to collect it.
In the case of Krystal Beslanowitch, the M-Vac wet vacuum
method was able to provide critical DNA collections to close the case.
Eventually this evidence led to an arrest and closure for the family.
No doubt this new method would add a compelling element to
any true crime fiction story, particularly those surrounding cold cases or
seemingly “clean” crime scenes. For more in-depth details on the forensics,
including a video showing the DNA collection, visit http://www.m-vac.com/forensics.
Jared
Bradley is the President and CEO of M-Vac Systems, based in Sandy, Utah.
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