Noir at the Bar II: Counteracting the C.S.I. effect

Back in January, I wrote about the excruciating experience of being trapped in front of a big screen showing Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at a pizzeria, and the ordeal had nothing to do with the pizza, which was fine. Rather, my agita was induced by the show's massive information dumps, the scenes in which crime-scene investigators spout facts rather than talk like real people.

That's why I was pleased to host Jonathan McGoran at this evening's Noir at the Bar reading in Philadelphia. Under the pen name D.H. Dublin, McGoran writes carefully researched forensic thrillers, but he never forgets that his job is to tell a story, and that stories are about people.

His series about Philadelphia forensic investigator Madison Cross, now up to three books, adopts the clever strategy of following Cross from the beginning of her police career. This, McGoran says, lets the reader learn along with her. In practical terms, it means there is little need for the globby blocks of story-stopping information that make forensic TV shows hard to watch.

McGoran, while acknowledging that his novels are in essence police procedurals, said he hates the word procedural because it reminds him too much of manual, "something I'd get with my microwave." That's another indicator of the human touch he brings to his work and another indicator that forensic, scientific crime fiction can have heart, and not just severed body parts.

Why not make this a question to readers? What writers manage to make difficult, highly technical, potentially dry material interesting? How do they do this?

© Peter Rozovsky 2008
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Jonathan McGoran
D.H. Dublin

Noir at the Bar this Sunday

Celebrate America tomorrow; celebrate crime fiction on Sunday at Noir at the Bar II with:

Jonathan McGoran

writing as D.H. Dublin and reading from and answering questions about his latest novel, Freezer Burn

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"Come for the crime fiction; stay for the fried candy bars."

Where: The Tritone1508 South St., Philadelphia, PA
215-545-0475http://www.tritonebar.com

© Peter Rozovsky 2008

Noir at the Bar II

With the first Noir at the Bar reading safely in the can, Detectives Beyond Borders is pleased to present Noir at the Bar II on Sunday, July 6. This second crime-fiction event at Philadelphia's Tritone bar will feature Jonathan McGoran, who, under the name D.H. Dublin, has written three forensic thrillers published by Penguin.

The novels feature Philadelphia forensic investigator Madison Cross, and McGoran lends his sometimes grim subject matter a human touch by following Cross from the beginning of her career as a crime-scene technician. This, McGoran says, lets the reader learn along with her. And the reader just may learn quite a lot. One reviewer wrote that "If you are tired of all the unrealistic CSI shows and books and are looking for an author that delivers realistic crime scene and investigative procedures, D.H. Dublin is the author you are seeking. "

The Noir at the Bar reading should be especially enjoyable because McGoran does a terrific job with his characters' voices. varying them enough to keep things interesting without, however, going over the top. He also has a tendency to giggle at the gory parts, which lends his readings an unexpectedly delightful and macabre touch.

So, if you're anywhere in the Northeastern United States a week from Sunday, drop in to the Tritone. Come for the reading, stay for the music, the mahi-mahi burgers, and the fried Mars bars.

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Who: Jonathan McGoran a.k.a. D.H. Dublin
Where: The Tritone
1508 South Street Philadelphia, PA
215-545-0475

“Cool bar. Great food. The most diverse music venue in Philly”

When: Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 6 p.m.

© Peter Rozovsky 2008Technorati tags:
Jonathan McGoran
D.H. Dublin