Crime Scene Sisters

One of our favorite Etsy shops is from Kim Hammond and it's called the Crime Scene Sisters. It has witty and fun mystery themed merchandise, like the Sherlock tote above and the Poirot blanket below. 

I also love these pocket mirrors made from vintage Clue games cards. 

They add new items regularly, so check back often. 

Crime Scene Sisters' Jewelry & Accessories

Sisters Kim and Kerry Hammond (and Mystery Playground bloggers) have opened up an Etsy store filled with wonderful Sherlock and mystery themed presents, like the creative iPad cover above. It might be time to get some of your holiday shopping done early. 

The earrings link bees to Sherlock's violin. 

The photo below shows a pocket mirror made with a Sherlock card. 

Love the Sherlock necklace. 

Speakeasy Denver: Retrograde

Denver has a new Speakeasy called Retrograde and Mystery Playground bloggers Kerry Hammond and Kim Hammond are here to tell us all about it.

At Mystery Playground we love to visit speakeasies, both in our hometowns and in cities we visit. At the top of my list in Denver is Williams & Graham and if I had to choose a favorite from my travels it would be Prohibition in Atlanta’s upscale Buckhead neighborhood. 

I recently came across an article about a Denver speakeasy that hadn’t even been on my radar. It’s called Retrograde and is in a neighborhood known as Uptown. It opened in April of this year, which is probably why it wasn’t yet on my radar. The fun part is that the speakeasy is hidden inside an ice cream shop called Frozen Matter. If you don’t know it’s back there, you may be intrigued by a very small sign on the counter that tells you to ask about their freezer.

To enter the speakeasy, you walk through an actual freezer door that is set into the wall behind some café chairs. You are then in a small room that has a set of swinging metal restaurant doors on the opposite wall. When you go through those, you enter the secret bar. It’s dark and you need to let your eyes adjust. It’s a small space, but very cool (pun intended). The bar is beautifully lit up behind the shelves holding the liquor bottles.

We tried three drinks and each was excellent. The Donkey Hotay was made with Vodka, Amontillado Sherry, Green Chartreuse, Lime, Ginger, and Cava. The Concentrated Dark Matter contained Rye, Rock Candy, and Orange Bitters. Lastly, we sipped on a City in a Garden, with Gin, Allspice Dram, Lemon, Lavender, Angostura, and Rosemary.

The bar serves Charcuterie and Cheese plates in case you get hungry, or you are more than welcome to purchase ice cream and bring it back with you. The staff was great and made drink suggestions. What a fun concept this place is.

You can follow Kerry on Twitter @kerryhammond88 or Mystery Playground @mysteryplaygrnd or find us on Facebook.

Have you visited any neighborhood speakeasies this year?

A Day in the Life of A Cadaver Hunting Dog

Kim Hammond is back today to report about how police dogs help the law enforcement find cadavers. 

Northeast Ohio Sisters in Crime (NEO SinC) had a very special visitor for one of its meetings. Jet is a Czech German Shepherd who specializes in trailing, tracking and cadaver recovery and his owner/handler, Ed, does all of this on a volunteer basis. They can get called out in the middle of the night and be in uncomfortable or downright grueling circumstances and they carry on. Jet can work with any state or federal agency, and he has worked in the past with the ERT (Evidence Response Team) and BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) in Ohio and the FBI.

Search and rescue dogs are invaluable during a natural disaster, mass casualty event, or a missing person. It requires a dedicated handler and a well-trained dog for the search to be effective. These dogs are hand-picked and their training is rigorous and time-consuming, both for the dog and the handler. It is best to begin training early in a puppy’s life and training can last as long as 12–18 months. Eight years is a good work life for a dog, but it varies with each dog. Jet received his training at a police dog academy in Hiram, Ohio. 

The dog must be taught socialization and obedience, and has to bond with its handler. Training usually starts with a game played with puppies, starting with a simple reward based training method. Jet has a special toy, when he does a good job, ie. find the scent he is commanded to and he is rewarded with his toy to play with. The toy becomes a goal and he will do anything for that goal.

tools of the police dog trade

So what is the dog actually smelling? Be prepared to be grossed out. A person‘s skin cells drop off their body at the rate of about 40,000 cells per minute. At that rate dogs must think we stink. These skin cells carry a person’s scent and that is what the dog smells. This can be used to track a specific person, or a dog can be trained to alert or follow a category of scent such as cadaver scent. Scent sources can be detected from a distance of 1/4 mile or more by these amazing canine noses.

Dogs have 20 times more scent receptor cells than humans, and the scent-processing section of their brains is larger than ours. Scent is a big part of a dog’s life. How much better can a dog smell than a human? Studies vary, but all agree that a dog can smell a lot better than humans. The canine nose contains 220 million olfactory receptors compared to 5 million olfactory receptors that humans possess. Scientists say that dogs can detect some, if not most, odors at concentrations of parts per trillion.

Cadaver dogs are used to locate the remains of deceased persons. Depending on a dog’s training, it can locate skeletal remains, body parts such as blood, tissue, hair and bones, or decomposed bodies. These bodies can be buried in the ground or submerged in water. Jet trained with real material obtained from the medical examiner’s office, metro hospital, and funeral homes.

Jet only takes commands in Czech, not English. That way a bad guy won’t have any ability to command the dog to do something contrary to what his handler wants him to do. He is loyal and protective. He can attack a full grown man and take him down, locking his jaw onto a body part and not letting go.  His handler had Jet hold on to his toy and the dog held so hard the handler was able to use the toy to swing the dog in circles.

We had an amazing demonstration of what these beautiful animals can do, their dedication and that of their owners. SRT K9s are responsible for bringing missing children home and bringing closure to the families of victims who just want to lay a loved one to rest. Thank you to all of the brave SR K9s out there.

Kim Hammond

Book Review: Constant Fear by Daniel Palmer

Kim Hammond is back today to review Daniel Palmer's latest, Constant Fear. 

"Death doesn’t schedule an appointment."

This is the gripping first line in Palmer’s 5^th standalone.  We meet single father Jake Dent who has been raising his son Andy since he was a toddler diagnosed with diabetes.  Once Jake had it all, a beautiful wife and child, and a professional career in baseball, until one bad decision took it all away and threw him into a downward spiral.

After a long bought of depression that cost him more than he’s willing to talk about, Jake’s the head custodian and grounds manager at prestigious Pepperell Academy run by his brother. It’s not pitching in the major leagues, but it puts food on the table and Andy gets to attend school at “The Pep” as the kids called it. Jake couldn’t have afforded the education otherwise and for that he’s grateful.

He’s even dating again.  Jake met Ellie Barnes, a local police sergeant in Winston, at the range, but they realized they had a connection when she told Jake she trained service dogs for people with diabetes and he confessed Andy’s battle with the disease. But Ellie knows Jake’s hiding something from her. He won’t commit any further in their relationship and he doesn’t get into a lot of personal things with her.

Jake can’t tell Ellie about how he got out of his deep depression. He doesn’t want her to judge him or worse, walk out on him.  He was at a low point in his life when he came across a survivalist blog by a man named Thomas Wiggins. The blog helped him feel empowered and inspired and made him feel secure again and in control of his life for the first time in a very long time.  It made him get out of bed again and care for Andy, instead of his parents doing it for him. But he has become a little extreme with his GOOD Pack (get out of dodge), and his hidden BOL (bug-out location) fully stocked with food, supplies and weapons. Jake‘s ready for the end of the world and he plans on he and Andy surviving.

The last thing 16-year-old Andy wants to do is humor his father by participating in night drills where they run through the woods like the devil is on their heels to get to their hideaway under The Pep through its series of secret tunnels. Andy wants to be with his close group of friends working on their Robinhood scheme. They call themselves The Shire and this group of six kids are robbing from the rich to give to the poor. The adolescent hackers take small sums from rich Pep parents and donate the money to worthwhile charities. 

All was going well until they stole from the wrong man, and their “small sum” turned into $200 million dollars. Suddenly they had the attention of a vicious Mexican cartel who didn’t care how they got their money back or who they had to kill to do it.  A staged chemical spill and fear of contamination enables them to kidnap The Shire. Jake’s suddenly a father that is willing to sacrifice his life to save Andy and his friends, and this doomsday prepper may be the only hope these kids have. 

I enjoyed this book and liked the characters even though Jake initially came across as a bit weird. He ended the book as a hero. He really was just a father just trying to protect his child and as a mother I know I would do anything for my daughter. The story line was interesting and believable, although the bitcoins subject was a little above my head. I think Palmer's writing is growing with each book and I look forward to his next one.

A Luncheon with Castle Costume Designer, Luke Reichle

Kim Hammond has been lunching with the costume designer from the TV Show, Castle, and she's here to tell us all about it.

Are you a fan of Castle, CSI Miami or Without a Trace?  Do you like what the actors wear from episode to episode?  Well, you can thank Luke Reichle for that. He is a renowned designer and recognized expert in the fields of costume design, fashion and personal style, and he just happens to cloth some of today’s favorite stars. Each week, over 30 million viewers worldwide are treated to Luke’s costume designs.  I was lucky enough to attend a luncheon put on by Friends of the Twinsburg Library and listen to him speak.

He sold his first garment at the age of 16, and while still in school at Pacific Fashion. He worked for Perry Ellis and went on to design for fashion icons Calvin Klein and Alexander Julian. He has done work for every major film studio and television network, including Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, United Artists, ABC, NBC, CBS, The BBC and HBO.

The first book in Luke’s Secrets of the Red Carpet® series is available on Amazon.com. It’s Not About the Clothes: How to Change Your Mind About How You Look is a step-by-step guide to changing the way you talk to yourself when you look in the mirror, so you can dress the body you have and love the body you’re dressing.

Luke was impeccably dressed and had just the right amount of sass and attitude when he came on stage.  He explained to the attentive audience that he tells a story with costumes, and he looks for clues on the pages of the script.  He has designed over 55,000 costumes, and that’s a lot of stories told.

Luke shared that an actor and designer are in a room to do their job. They know they’ve finished that job when a third person is in the room with them, and that person is the finished character.

Luke took audience questions, and there was a comment about how younger people are dressing these days. Luke chuckled and shared a story. He said that he lives in Hollywood, and there are a lot of clubs in his area and he is shocked by the abbreviated attire the kids are wearing. He used to be very good at dressing hookers for television shows and movies. But now that he sees what an average kid wears out he wonders, “now what am I supposed to dress the hookers in?”

Luke’s industry has had many changes over the years. The actors used to be able to buy their costumes for half price after they were done using them in a film or episode, but not anymore. Now the outfits go to ABC to rent out.  Luke’s $1,000,000.00 budget (no, that is not a mistake in the zeros) for a season of Castle allows him to splurge on a costume and not feel guilty. He referenced an elaborate Elvis costume he made for an episode.

When asked about the cast of Castle he said everyone is wonderful. Beckett can really run in obscenely high heels. She’s 5’10” without them and about 6’2” with them on. Luke said she likes to be able to stare the criminal in the eye. The must have a lot of tall criminals. 

When asked about Nathan Luke said he is fabulous. Although he did confess that Nathan prefers to wear jeans and a t-shirt. “If you ever see him in public and he looks nice, I’ve dressed him.”

I took away from the talk that everyone can dress nice, no matter if you’re buying designer labels or shopping at Kohls. You need to know what you look good in and maximize your good qualities. Confidence in yourself  will also take you a long way and the right clothes can help get you there.

One tip Luke repeated towards the end of his talk was “People who dress for where they want to be get there faster.” He added that a lot of times it’s about power.

Find Luke at www.secretsoftheredcarpet.com

www.facebook.com/redcarpetluke

Twitter: redcarpetluke

Pinterest: redcarpetluke

You can find Mystery Playground on Twitter @mysteryplaygnd and on Facebook.

Find us at Bouchercon

The gang from Mystery Playground is going to Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention, next week. The convention is being held in Long Beach, California, November 13-16. Kim, Kerry and I will be together and we'll reporting as much as we can. 

This is an optimistic and ambitious group, and we always think we can get more done than we actually can, so I can promise you that there will be more posts after the convention is over. 

If you are at Bouchercon, come find us at a panel and introduce yourselves. 

Here's where you'll be able to find us...

Your Intrepid Bloggers: 

Deborah Lacy

That's me in-between Carol and Mary Higgins Clark at Bcon 2012

A Place by Any Other Name (Promenade 104A)
Friday, 10:00 am
John Connolly, Tammy Kaehler, William Kent Krueger, Mark Pryor, Julia Spencer Flemming, Moderator: Deborah Lacy

Shaken, Not Stirred: Bars and Booze as Settings and Plot Devices(Regency C)
Friday, 1:30 pm
Eoin Colfer, William Lashner, Con Lehane, Johnny Shaw, Marshall Thornton, Moderator: Deborah Lacy

Major Crimes (Promenade 104 C)
TNT's Major Crimes: Behind the Scenes The Cast and Crew from TNT's Major Crimes talk about how their show portrays the art of the deal in the American justice system while providing a glimpse of how the show is developed, written and filmed. 

Kim Hammond

Doesn’t Play Well with Others (Regency B)
Thursday 2:30 pm
How Dysfunctional Characters Enhance Plots and Series
Moderator Kim Hammond, Darrell James, Brad Parks, Twist Phelan, Mara Purl, Jeri Westerson

Murder Among the Medical Profession (Regency A)
Saturday, 8:30 am
Moderator Kim Hammond, John Burley, Annette Dashofy, Linda Reid, Andy Siegel


Kerry Hammond

All About the Fans (Regency D)
Super Fans and How They Got Involved
Friday 10:00 AM
Moderator Brad Parks, Al Abramson, Kerry Hammond, Dru Ann Love, Doris Ann Norris, Janet Rudolph

Friends of Mystery Playground:

Laura K. Curtis
Four Funerals and a Disappearance (Regency A)
Detectives Who’ve Lost Loved Ones
Saturday, 4:30
Moderator Laura K. Curtis, Linwood Barclay, Peter James, J.A. Jance, Katia Lief, Stuart Neville


Catriona McPherson
Simon Wood, Toastmaster Interview (Regency A)
Friday 11:30 am
Simon Wood, our Toastmaster, will be interviewed by Catriona McPherson
Moderator Catriona McPherson, Simon Wood

The Lure of Secret Work (Promenade 104 C)

Talking Spies, Espionage, and Special Ops

Moderator Catriona McPherson, Marc Cameron, John Gilstrap, Sarah Lovett, Francine Mathews (Stephanie Barron), Stephen Templin

Terrie Farley Moran
Long and Short of It (Promenade 104 B)
Friday 1:30 pm
Writing Short Stories and Full-Length Novels

Moderator Terrie Farley Moran, Dana Cameron, Jeffery Deaver, Brendan DuBois, Toni “Leigh Perry” Kelner, Simon Wood

A Strange Mixture (Regency D)
Sleuthing and Other Pastimes
Moderator Clare Toohey, Beverly Allen, Terrie Farley Moran, Don Passman, Susan Shea, Tracy Weber

Cathi Stoler

PIs Coast-to-Coast (Seaview ABC)

Friday 8:30 am

(M) Kevin Burton Smith, Anthony Bidulka, Rex Burns, Greg Herren, Thomas Sawyer, Cathi Stoler

Clare Toohey
A Conversation Among Authors (Promenade 104 A)
Friday, 3:00 pm
Moderator Clare Toohey, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, J.A. Jance, Sara Paretsky

A Strange Mixture (Regency D)
Sleuthing and Other Pastimes
Saturday 10:00 am
Moderator Clare Toohey, Beverly Allen, Terrie Farley Moran, Don Passman, Susan Shea, Tracy Weber

Tammy Kaehler
A Place by Any Other Name (Promenade 104A)
Friday, 10:00 am

John Connolly, Tammy Kaehler, William Kent Krueger, Mark Pryor, Julia Spencer Flemming, Moderator: Deborah Lacy

All Guest of Honor Panel (Regency ABC)
Panel with Jeffrey Deaver, J.A. Jance, Edward Marston, Eoin Colfer, Simon Wood, & Al Abramson. 
Sunday 11:30 am 

Moderator Tammy Kaehler, Al Abramson, Eoin Colfer, Jeffery Deaver, J.A. Jance, Edward Marston, Simon Wood

Why I'm Excited About Bouchercon

Kim Hammond is here to talk about why she's excited about attending Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery 
convention. Kim and I love Bouchercon so much that she is on the national board and I am on the committee for this years' con. So you can bet this won't be the last you hear about the conference in the coming months. 


I am a mystery/thriller genre fan. Some may even say a mystery book geek.  I only read in the mystery genre and I consider attending a book signing a great evening out. I look forward to mystery conferences like Bouchercon, and I’ve attended Left Coast Crime, Thrillerfest and Sleuthfest. There are many others on my bucket list. 

Bouchercon is one of my favorite conventions and one of the reasons is its sheer size. It is the largest fan based mystery convention in the world and typically there’s 450-500 authors attending every year. It’s four fun-filled days of panels, buying books, getting said books autographed, seeing old friends, making new ones, meeting iconic authors… you get the picture.

Imagine meeting Harlan Coben (Bouchercon 2009 in Indianapolis) and discussing Myron Bolitar, or sitting in a hotel bar having a drink with Lee Child and talking about why he wanted to write books. I’ve also met greats like Linda Fairstein, Karin Slaughter, Michael Connelly, Sara Paretksy, Mary Higgins Clark, and many more. These are memories that I cherish dearly. I have a fabulous collection of autographed books in my home library and I will continue to collect more, although I may need to add some new bookshelves soon.

There’s also a fabulous charity auction at every Bouchercon. You have the opportunity to be a character in a book, win a fabulous basket loaded with books, and many more tempting items. I’ve won a happy hour with Barry Eisler, a character naming in two of Chris Grabenstein’s books, and my friend won 3 days at a Daytona Beach summer house owned by Julie Compton.  I cannot wait to see what is in store this year in Long Beach.

 One of my favorite parts about these mystery conferences is the friends I’ve made. You share a kinship with the people you meet, all there for the same love of books and mysteries.  I am friends with some fabulous ladies I met almost ten years ago and we get together at these conferences whenever we can. We may not see each other but for once a year, but it’s precious time for us to catch up, laugh, talk about good books and stalk authors (we’re getting really good at it). So if you love reading mysteries like I do, I recommend coming to Bouchercon in Long Beach in November. It’s going to be a wonderful time, and maybe we’ll even teach you some stalking tricks!