Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers - Hardcover

Lyle, D. P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312309457 ISBN 13: 9780312309459

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2003

Synopsis

In Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers, Dr. D. P. Lyle culls the best of his popular "The Doctor Is In" question-and-answer column for the Mystery Writers of America, in which he answers medical and forensic questions from writers all over the country.

A frequent advisor to published mystery writers, as well as writers for TV shows such as Law and Order, Dr. Lyle tackles subjects such as traumatic injuries, doctors and hospitals, weapons of death, poisons and drugs, police and the crime scene, the coroner and the crime lab, and more. In extremely organized and accessible detail, he answers questions spanning a wide range: Do pupils shrink or enlarge with death? Can X rays be copied? Can ingested cocaine kill? How soon do strangulation bruises appear?

Lively and accessible, this solid reference book is bound for every mystery writer's shelf.

About this title

About the Author:

D. P. Lyle, M.D., writes "The Doctor Is In," a monthly medical and forensic Q&A column for The March of Crime and The Sleuth Sayer, two newsletters for the Mystery Writers of America (Southern California and Southwestern chapters). He has practiced cardiology in Orange County, California, for the past twenty-five years.

Review:

"Lyle offers straightforward medical information, bound to be snapped up by savvy mystery writers everywhere."--Rocky Mountain News, 1/24/03

"[Lyle] takes a matter-of-fact approach to some very grisly questions."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/22/03

"This surprisingly funny book is for writers, readers, or anyone fascinated by medical or forensic details....The medical information is well researched yet simple enough to understand."--Library Journal, 1/1/03

"An essential reference work for the fiction writer: informative and fun. I can't imagine my bookshelf without it."--Taylor Smith, author of Deadly Grace and The Innocents Club

"Dr. Lyle has an unerring ability to diagnose what it is writers need to know in answer to their questions about forensic medicine. His fascinating replies to questions writers have posed to him are precise and clearly stated, so that while he'll provide the medical terms you want, he'll also give the definitions you need."--Jan Burke, author of Bones, Flight, Hocus, and Liar

"An invaluable source for writers who want to get it right and for readers fascinated with the mysteries of the human body. Dr. Lyle's explanations are accurate, clear, entertaining, and thorough, and you'll wonder how you managed without him."--Rochelle Krich, national bestselling author of the Jessie Drake series

"This book is at once wise, informative, funny, factually reliable, and accessible."--Barbara Seranella, author of the Munch Mancini crime novels

"In my samurai novels I usually have people dispatched by lopping their heads off with a sword. For more difficult medical-related problems, Dr. Lyle's responses are always outstanding. They're lucid, succinct, and provide the information a writer needs. What a tremendous resource Dr. Lyle is!"--Dale Furutani, award-winning author of the Samurai Mystery Trilogy

par"Whenever I have a new 'Law & Order' episode to write, the first person I call for help is Dr. Lyle. He has an amazing ability to explain complex forensics in simple laypersons' terms. He thinks like a writer and gives you exactly the information that a writer will need. This book is a terrific resource."--Matt Witten, executive story editor for Law & Order and author of the Jacob Burns mystery novels

"It's three o'clock in the morning, you're hard at work on your mystery screenplay, and all that's missing is the essential medical clue to solve the murder...who ya gonna call? Dr. Lyle is the go-to-guy for writers looking for the perfect piece of medical knowledge, filling the blanks that imagination alone simply can't."--Lee Goldberg, executive producer for Diagnosis Murder and Martial Law, and author of Writing For Television


"Edifying and ghoulishly entertaining." (Raleigh News & Observer)

"A treasure trove of medical and forensic information . . . A must for every mystery writer's bookself." (Rhys Bowen Cozies, Capers, and Crimes)

About this edition

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0312309457
• ISBN 13: 9780312309459
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304