David Bowie and Marco Conelli: Musicians and Detectives

The Ritual Art-Murder of Baby Grace Blue: A Non-Linear Gothic Drama Hyper-Cycle.

Yes, that is a mouthful. Thankfully in 1995 David Bowie titled his new album simply, Outside. A conceptual offering, Outside takes on the feel of a futuristic detective story with settings reminiscent of Blade Runner. In dystopian 1999 we see a Government commission weeding out Art-Crime. The investigator is Nathan Adler who determines what is legally acceptable as art and what is simply… trash. In case you forgot or never knew there did exist detectives in Police Departments that were art specialists or nick named Art-Detectives. Check out the remake of the Thomas Crowne Affair for an insight into that specialty. Nathan Adler’s Art-Crime work leads him to the investigation of a 14 year old Baby Grace Blue.

 David Bowie AKA Detective Nathan Adler

Throughout the 90’s I divided time between my careers as a detective and a songwriter. My music was heavily influenced by David Bowie and my first album Expectations and Dismay received numerous comparisons to David’s early work. When I knew I was going to meet him I had a mini detective’s shield with my numbers made. I gave it to David and told him Nathan Adler needed to carry credentials so he was welcome to borrow mine. He was beyond flattered as was I. David developed many characters in his music over the years and now I felt he was crossing into my world by creating Detective Nathan Adler. It was only fair; I had flirted in his world for a good long time.

 Bowie and I discuss Detective work.

David Bowie is a phenomenal artist who I have much admiration for. Looking back to 1995, I was late in my undercover days and the look I had going on must have scared the hell out of him. The truth is I studied and used David’s chameleon persona during my undercover days. It is an art of how to be yourself but come across as someone completely different whenever you need to. It runs much deeper than a physical appearance; it must touch your attitude. It is an art that David Bowie long perfected before my detective days.

In David's right hand he holds my courtesy shield 

Thank You Borders Books and Music.

On Thursday, July 21 2011, sadly a bankruptcy judge in New York approved a liquidation plan for the remaining Borders Books and Music stores. It seems the changing book industry coupled with the burden of large debts and poor management decisions forced their doors to close. I found Borders to be innovating. I remember them being a pioneer in the bookselling world because they also handled music and movies. When they added the cafe it now had something for everyone and spurned a trend that other chain and private stores seemed to capitalize with. On any given day they could host an author booksigning, a media event, or a musical artist doing a free performance.

I was lucky enough to take part in a few events at the Borders stores. I remember when my first novel Matthew Livingston and the Prison of Souls was released I headed to Buffalo New York to take part in Mystery Calvacade. The Borders Books and Music event staff were sensational and created an evening that brought out passionate mystery readers. My young adult Matthew Livingston mystery series has grown since then. Border Books and Music was there for me from the beginning.

I went book shopping this weekend. As a writer and a fan of reading I wish all bookstores large and small could survive. I try to shop at them all.  For holidays and gift giving times I  give gift cards as well as books and they are always welcomed. I believe if a bookseller is out there trying hard to suceed they deserve my buisness. Thank you Borders Books and Music.

(2007 Mystery Calvacade at Borders in Buffalo)

REALITY/FICTION, MY FINE LINE

Throughout the traveling campaigns for the Matthew Livingston mystery series a lot of intelligent young readers grill me on what parts of my books are based on real life investigations that I have conducted. Investigations are often like webs that spin out longer than what the result produces. Sadly because of such involved work, naming names and places is a bit dangerous. Still, I standby the fact that Matthew Livingston and the intense crimes he is faced with solving are loosely based on things that I have been faced with myself.

What readers might find more interesting are some of the character developments and their personality traits. Some of those are based on real people.

1.  Matthew Livingston’s intolerance of the absence of common sense.

This is completely me. When doing police work, you don’t have to be the brightest star in the sky. Simple employment of common sense goes a long way in crime analysis. Lack of common sense equals giving the bad guys a chance to succeed.

2. Detective’s Withers and Riley.

These two characters are interesting because as a detective I have to betray my own to create a character conflict. Established here is a definite prejudice against youth. Withers and Riley are two squad detectives and they have an arrogant, talk out of the side of their mouth, approach to dealing with the public and they have no time for teenagers. After all, what could a teenager possibly know? When I was very young in the police department, you often crossed paths with characters like this. The best revenge, employ something that involves a dash of technological knowhow. Then you could follow that up with a line like, “Really, you don’t know how to use one of those?” Although it is not Matthew Livingston’s goal to humiliate Riley and Withers, it does turn out that way.

3. Dennis Sommers

     When I went to elementary school, a friend of mine was very unique in the fact that he could continuously put himself down with an exceptional sense of humor. The realness of his self-doubting was displayed in a mannerism that was better than organized comedy. The constant lack of confidence in himself at times reminded me somewhat of the shtick used by comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Dennis Sommers is a lot like this and I believe he drives the book with his insecurities. It is an intense look into issues that are real in teenagers. Just another tangible layer I add to the Matthew Livingston mystery series.

Five fallacies about C.S.I.(Vegas, Miami,New York,take your pick)

Detectives make great cases! Few better statements in the investigative world can be said. It comes as no surprise that high profile criminals equal high profile lawyers. When prosecutors try a case and detectives testify, more than often they find a jury wondering why in the course of their investigation they didn’t introduce forensic evidence like they saw on C.S.I.? The popular TV show and its science fictional approach to crime-solving has even led to a few Not Guilty verdicts in the court room. Art interfering with life has inspired me to make a quick list of misconceptions about police work that people have from watching any one of the Crime Scene Investigation TV shows.

“Enhance!”

The Image Enhancer.  Det. Stella Bonasera and Det. Mac Taylor feverishly type information into a computer allowing them to zero in on digital images of a victim. Brilliantly displayed behind them are multiple views of bountiful audio (yeah we always get that) in a magnificent wav format. “Enhance,” calls out Detective Taylor as the computer obeys and the screen magnifies the eyeball of the victim. Pixels that are never blurry reveal a reflection of the killer. Ouch! Okay, I’ve had the pleasure of working in some investigative commands where the city never even provided us paper for the copy machine or a roll of Cottonelle for the toilet. The Image Enhancer? How many millions of dollars could we be talking about here? The public would believe in a few years that we actually have these machines in our patrol cars. This is a fallacy indeed. Having worked in a police unit where we had copying capabilities people always asked for digital enhancements and would stand by like they were ordering something at a deli. I always use to say, “Sure, let me plug it into the Orgasmatron!”

Stop, In The Name Of Science!

It goes like this: Cops recover evidence; police scientists in a lab analyze it. Cops are taught to preserve evidence especially in special situations such as crime scenes involving a corpse. I don’t know which one of the C.S.I. programs it is where the lady is analyzing correlated blood splatters while toting a hand canon on her hip. Oh, also I love it when the scientist places the handcuffs on a bad guy at the end of an investigation. Police Departments around the world spend hundreds of thousands of dollars screening recruits to make sure they are stable enough to carry a firearm. Then they pay salaries to chemists and scientists to work in the police lab analyzing things from drugs to forensic evidence. It’s one or the other, not both.

Infrared Over Miami!

We need to see into that boat. Use the infrared camera.Infrared cameras operate completely different than this. Heat will not go through walls in a way that will form pictures. Walls are usually designed to stop heat from getting through them, usually insulated. Fact proven that infrared when shined on a piece of clear glass usually reveals….drum roll please, your own reflection.

No, The Cops At The Crime Scene Are Not Comic Relief

Arriving perfectly on the crime scene are the CSI scientists. It seems that along with being super smart guys they are also experts at schooling the uniform guys on how the crime scene could have been preserved better. How could you not know that?

Condescending Investigation Tactics.

Getting witnesses to cooperate takes a great deal of tact. Speaking to the public like they are garbage will often get you about as much. Also in some really dangerous neighborhoods you might find some people that insult easy and can only gain something by taking a swing at a police officer. In New York City Sara Sidle would never have gotten away with the way she talks. As for Horatio Caine and his clenched teeth interrogations, he might simply have been laughed at.

The Mold For Teen Detectives Has Officially Been Broken!

He doesn't wear a deer stalker hat. There is no sign posted proclaiming "No Case Too Small".  If you can find him you won't have to traverse a salvage yard to a hidden office. He doesn't take clients or lend his services to the Bayport Police Department. No, unlike teen detectives of the past, Matthew Livingston is very unique, very unusual, and an extremely calculated crime-solver. Since 2007 when he first appeared in his debut novel Matthew Livingston and the Prison of Souls, readers have marveled at the unique approach to a teenage sleuth.

I was amazed at the following that a series like The Hardy Boys continues to have 80 years after their inception. I was impressed that in 2007 Nancy Drew was packaged and put on the big screen. I thought it was a great idea when they made one of The 3 Investigator's mysteries into a movie. I'm waiting for Encyclopedia Brown to be done properly as a film.  I felt I held the edge in creating Matthew Livingston as I had learned much from the canons of young adult mysteries before me. What would be the most unique teenage detective in the buisness? Quite simply, one who doesn't want to be one. Matthew Livingston is quite the loner, a moderate prodigy of thought and an abstract thinker. My book's narrator, Dennis Sommers is the one who finds trouble and goes to the reluctant genius Matthew. A coldness pushes Matthew into his methodical planning. Readers always ask me what that is or what drives him. Was it the death of a father he never knew? Could it be the harsh realization of the world today? I hold the answer close to my chest as you the reader benefit from this as the character continues to grow from book to book.

Sandra Small is my lady in the trio. Her agressive do it yourself attitude and true friendship display a character that we can all admire. She represents some of the most fun things about writing the Matthew Livingston Mystery Series. Perhaps on all levels I am confident that I give readers a real fresh perspective of this genre. The plots, well... I was a pretty good detective myself for 20 years in the NYPD. It's like the ingridients of a great sauce, it's all in there!  Yes the mold for teen detectives has officially been broken! Check out the Matthew Livingston Mystery Series today.

Please visit www.marcoconelli.com

When traveling across America, visiting bookstores and readers of the Matthew Livingston series, my visual image always seems to be blue and yellow. That is the respective colors on the spines of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery novels that occupy much of the Young adult section of bookstores.

It never stops amazing me at how much incredible staying power these books have considering they began in the late 1920’s.

For all the questions readers ask me about Matthew Livingston’s resemblance to Sherlock Holmes, the series is indebted a lot to the popularity of Nancy Drew and the Hardy’s.

Mysteries for young readers were always an intriguing genre and there were some great ones over the years. The concept of young men and women following clues and being smart, savvy, and brave for the sake of justice was amazing. Another series that was very popular was The Three Investigators. Three teenage friends embarked on solving hard boiled crimes while confronting dangerous criminals. Great stuff!

While embracing the spirit of these predecessors, Matthew Livingston has to exist in a world that has made a lot less sense of late and investigate crimes that prove to be diabolical and macabre. The perfect character to tackle such tall tasks is one who is himself tortured and difficult to be around. This current setting made it easy to develop the character of Matthew and make his persona so mysterious. Readers love him, hate him, and wonder about him. He is an unusual investigator but that provides him an edge to strive and survive and makes for a representative mystery series.

Looking on the shelf of a local bookstore this afternoon the blue and yellow spines stand tall. I smile as I see them as I am grateful to them. I feel like they are watching the back of Matthew Livingston.