Lisa Black--My Life in God's Waiting Room

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  Here is what I said about Lisa Black's newest Locard Institute book, WHAT HARMS YOU:

"Lisa Black's second Locard Institute novel is clever, chilling, and enormously gripping right up until the very last page. Black combines spot-on forensic detail with empathetic characters I can't wait to see more of--this series tops my list of new favorites."

And here is what Hank said:

"A brilliant idea, and the ultimate locked-mansion mystery-- a serial killer possibly on the loose at an elite CSI school! -- fully realized into a cinematic and riveting page-turner. Two experts in their forensics fields zero in on the shocking danger in their midst, and the oh-so-knowledgeable Lisa Black immerses us in the fascinating science, the deadly secrets, the authentic details, and the personal danger. Fans of Tess Gerritsen and Kathy Reichs will especially be drawn to this compelling and fast-paced novel.  Do not miss this!" 

Which should be enough to tell you that you must run to your nearest bookstore or library and read this book right now! I'll tell you more about it, but first, here's Lisa with what is one of my favorite essays we've ever featured on Jungle Red.

My Life Here in God’s Waiting Room

Lisa Black

Otherwise known as southern Florida—a sarcastic moniker with a degree of not only truth, but pride. Yes, I am surrounded by retirees (and hoping to join their ranks within the next five years), and because of that, I am surrounded by stories. Fascinating, hilarious, sometimes poignant stories, and every day I encounter new ones.

I work for a police department as a civilian forensic scientist. I am also an author who speaks at luncheons and libraries. I volunteer with the local hospice, keeping patients company (and often writing my words for the day) while their caregiver runs errands or have lunch out. So I encounter a lot of ‘older folks.’

 The retirees of Florida are not crotchety and dull. They are dynamic careerists with a lifetime of experience to share. Now they volunteer, they speak up, they never met a cruise they wouldn’t take.

Some had been civil engineers or nurses for forty years. Last week I met a woman who taught schoolgirls in Afghanistan before its collapse and said they were the best students she’d ever had—so motivated to learn. I was invited to address a book club by a woman who had danced on Broadway for a decade or two. I met a talkative guy who had been part of inventing liquid crystal displays for wristwatches and other applications. One of my patients had spent his life as a rock drummer for bands like Meat Loaf, Styx, and Alice Cooper. He had argued with his girlfriend about needing a ‘sitter’, but as soon as I burst out “You were Alice Cooper’s drummer?” we became fast friends.

I’m close friends with a domestic violence survivor, and heard the harrowing story of how she endured her final weekend with him, waiting for a space to open at the women’s shelter. She brought both her young sons into bed with her so that when he came in that Friday night, drunk and looking for a fight, she pointed out the boys sleeping at the foot of the bed. Somehow that kept her safe. The moment he went to work on Monday morning, she packed up the four kids and whatever else she could and fled. It took him months to track her down, but by then she was safe from all but the nightmares for years. Only when he died, did they stop.

I met a woman who had done the beauty contest circuit and was writing a book on its corrupt nature. A former firefighter explained to me what a ‘two-alarm’ or a ‘four-alarm’ fire meant. Another patient had been a journalist for the Washington Post and wanted to publish his three mystery novels. As I’d practiced with one or two of my own, I uploaded his to the platform, designed cover art and wrote his bio.

 

But this area isn’t called the waiting room for nothing—I encounter death frequently in my job. This does not depress me. What it has done is teach me to appreciate this short, short life.

 

The other night I told my husband that I had meant to do something and hadn’t gotten to it, and he griped: “That’s because you spend all your spare time with writer’s groups and the animal shelter and community orchestra practice. At your age you should be slowing down.”

“No.” I spoke forcefully, surprising him. “It’s time to speed up.”

 

Pay attention to that bucket list. Take that trip. Direct your kid’s school play. Learn that instrument.

Write that book.

That’s the lesson I’ve learned, hanging out in God’s Waiting Room.

 

So…what’s on your bucket list, and when will you get it/do it/see it/go there?

Lisa Black is the full-time CSI, NYT bestselling author of the Gardiner & Renner series and now the Locard Institute thrillers. The second in that series, What Harms You, will be available July 25 wherever books are sold. Find out more at: www.lisa-black.com

DEBS: Here's more about WHAT HARMS YOU.

The Locard Institute is a state-of-the-art forensic research center where experts from around the world come together to confront and solve the world’s most challenging and perplexing crimes. When Dr. Ellie Carr arrives for her first day as an instructor at the prestigious facility, the buildings glimmer amid the brilliant fall foliage on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. But within hours a colleague, Dr. Barbara Wright, is found dead on the floor of a supply closet. Her death appears to be an accident—but Ellie and her new supervisor, Dr. Rachael Davies, suspect a more sinister explanation.

 

A young woman attending a professional training program then disappears, only to be found in a gruesome tableau. Other than their link to the Institute, there seems to be no connection between the student and Dr. Wright. Although forensic traces are elusive, Ellie and Rachael are determined to find the bizarre link between the violent and diverse deaths.  

 

As reporters shatter the privacy of Ellie’s new workplace, she searches old files and finds evidence of a crime that feels much too personal. But who, among those dedicated to justice, could be the threat? No matter how skilled she and Rachael may be in uncovering the truth, they may not be able to prevent a well-schooled killer from striking again.

So how about it, REDS and readers, what's on your bucket list and when will you do it?