Researching The Daisy Zick Murder

If you are unaware at this point, I am writing a book about the unsolved murder of a Calhoun County woman in 1963 – Daisy Zick.  I got drawn into this case while working on Secret Witness.  When I would tell someone I wanted to interview them about a crime in the 1960’s in Calhoun County they would almost always respond, “Ah, the Zick case.”  After about four of these responses, I knew I needed to look into this murder. 

Daisy lived in Wattles Park outside of Battle Creek, only a mile or so from where I was raised.  She worked at Kelloggs on the line.  Her murder was 50 years ago next January and was exceedingly violent – she was stabbed over 25 times.  The struggle with her killer took place in three rooms of her house.  Whoever killed Daisy planned it; they came to her house specifically to murder her.  They fled in her car, abandoning it in a bitter cold snow on Michigan Avenue. 

This crime remains unsolved to this day.  That doesn’t mean that that police haven’t had good theories over the years.  I obtained a copy of the police reports through a Freedom of Information Act Request and have pieced together not only the crime but the theories. 

In terms of cold cases, this one is almost frigid.  I considered walking away from this story because of that but I couldn’t.  Too many people still talk in hushed whispers about Daisy Zick, her rumored little black book, the marriages at Kelloggs that were allegedly shattered because of the investigation of her death.  It struck me as odd how the rumors sometimes outlived the reality.    

Were there mistakes in the investigation?  Let me say there are mistakes made in almost every murder investigation and you have to remember that 1963 was a long way from CSI-style investigations.  Having said that, yes, some mistakes were made.  Daisy was not a faithful woman, she had numerous affairs in her life and even at the time of her death.  As one person put it to me, “If you worked at Kelloggs back then you were the exception if you weren’t having an affair.”  Daisy’s lifestyle seemed to draw the focus of the investigators time and efforts – and with good reason.  Yet for every path they explored, few offered any tangible results. 

Every so often the case was taken up by a new generation of investigators who tried to stir public interest in the crime, perhaps surface a new clue.  Each time, the results were more disappointing. 

As a writer of history and true crime, you may be wondering if it is possible to write a book about an unsolved case.  The answer is yes.  Mark Fuhrman wrote Murder in Greenwich about who killed Martha Moxley and that led to an eventual conviction.  Mardi Link wrote the inspiring and brilliant, When Evil Came to Good Hart, which was a great story about an unsolved murder of a family in Michigan.  Yes, it can be done, and in this case, I intend to do it. 

I have interviewed a number of investigators on the case over the years.  Furthermore, I have had some tips come in which are interesting and potentially helpful.  I have been fortunate to get to interview Daisy’s son who gave me an incredible amount of information on the background of his family and about his mother.  I didn’t get to know Daisy, but I feel like I know her…if only a little. 

This case deserves to be resolved.  Fifty years does not mean that her son doesn’t deserve some closure, as does the rest of the community.  Someone out there has heard something that is tangible – something that police could use today.  Someone bragged or revealed what they did.  Fifty years have passed – the threat of retaliation is gone.  Someone got away with murder…but they had to have made mistakes.  The time has come for the truth to come out.  

If you’ve heard something that might help – please reach out to me at bpardoe870@aol.com    Who knows – you might help bring closure to this vicious murder after half a century.  

Writing in multiple genres

This is going to be a big year for me as an established author.  I have four books coming out with a possible fifth.  Usually I have one book a year published, but this year the stars came into alignment.  Even more interesting is that I have books coming out in four different genres – Business, Horror, True Crime, and Military History.  There’s a possibility of two books in that last category – we’ll have to see.    

Traditional wisdom usually calls for a writer to specialize in one genre and become well known and established in that genre.  They usually write in that space for some time until they finally try and branch out and do something different.  Their fans protest.  The author finds him/herself typecast into being a X-writer (insert the genre of your choice.)  That’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It sure works for Stephen King and a lot of other authors. 

I don’t subscribe to this thinking. 

I write because I like to write.  I read books in a varied group of genres.  Sure, I like science fiction, but sometimes I’m in the mood for a good true crime book or a good military history story.  I started out primarily as a science fiction author with a dozen or so novels under my belt from Penguin Putnam’s ROC imprint.  I bucked the trend when I wrote my first business management book (Cubicle Warfare) and my first military history book (Cruise of the Sea Eagle.) I am confident that my choices of direction gave my agent ulcers but ultimately I write the kinds of books that I like to read.  In the end, I write books that I would enjoy reading – I don’t pander to the fans or try to out-think them in terms of what they want to see.  Besides, no matter what, you can’t satisfy everyone. 

While I acknowledge that some people may read books from only one genre; I also believe that many readers are like me – and read a wide range of books depending on their interests and tastes.  I don’t want to lock myself into one genre because I have good ideas for books that are beyond that narrow focus. 

There are risks with this approach.  I have regular readers in each genre, so how do I get them compelled to read the books outside of that area?  The short answer is, I don’t.  I let my different fan communities know that I have new books out and they make the choice.  In my opinion most loyal readers are not lemmings that mindlessly follow an author, blindly buying every book they crank out.  Don’t get me wrong, it used to be that way.  The publishing industry is changing though and fans now can explore a wide range of books.  Amazon.com’s linking of books other people have purchased to the book you are reviewing is a classic example.  I have found a few new books out there because of these linked suggestions.  I believe that the influence of the internet, on the long term, broadens what people read. 

The publishing industry and agents try to force you, as a writer, into a niche.  They have a 1950’s view of readers that does not match how book purchasing, reading, and publishing are changing.  This is why the publishing industry is reeling so heavily under the influence of Amazon.com.  Trust me, in three years, the industry is going to be a very different place…and better as a result. 

For me, I can be at my creative best when I write what I feel like writing.  If that means I want to do some short stories for Battlecorps.com or for Leviathans, I do them.  I don’t need to worry if I am isolating my fan community.  Those fans that like my books who are interested in the new genres, will buy the books.  Those that don’t will wait for me to crank out another BattleTech/MechWarrior novel. 

Do I have plans to branch out into other genres?  Of course.   I have a Steampunk idea that I really love that I think will be a great set of novels, for example.  I have a neat Fantasy series I’ve been mulling around for years too.  For the most part, my next few books will simply enlarge my fan bases out there in the genres I already write for.  

So, if you are an author out there, don’t hesitate to write what you want to.  Don’t buy the hype from the “publishing experts.”  Do what you feel best.  For you fans out there, what are your thoughts?  Post your comments up on this blog and let me know.   Do you read more than one genre?  Do you automatically purchase books from one author no matter what? 

Is True Crime History?

This spring I’m adding true crime to the genres I write in.  My book Secret Witness which comes out in April, is my first foray into this class of books.  I have written business, science fiction and military history thus far in my writing career.  I have always enjoyed reading true crime books so this was not a stretch for me. 

It was also easy because for the last few years of writing military history, there was almost no difference in writing true crime.  Almost…

From a purely researching and writing perspective – true crime books are no different than writing history books.  You need to get to primary sources, you organize your findings accordingly, and the writing is not different at all.  I have encountered a few people, mostly mainstream historians, who see true crime as something less than historical books.  I don’t agree with them.  In my head, these are history books – they are simply the history of specific events which lead to death or some other crime.

The structure of true crime books is different than most historical or biography works.  True crimes usually start with the horrific event – with just enough graphic tantalizing detail to draw the reader in.  There is the pursuit of the murderer, the capture, and the resolution (trial).  History books tend to do a lot more of a build up to a traditional climax.  True crimes tend to start with the climax in many regards.  Capote’s In Cold Blood, one of the first of the modern true crime books, didn’t do this – but that tends to be the exception to the rule.   

Just like with a history book, as a writer, I have to lay the context of the event out for the reader.  Secret Witness is set in Marshall Michigan in 1967.  I had to take the reader back to that time.  There were race riots in Detroit that summer – and a real fear that racial tensions would reach small towns like Marshall.  I had to delve into small-town culture as well.  If you have ever lived in a small town in America you realize they are very different places to live. 

The research is exactly the same process for both genres in terms of gathering information and organizing it.  I have to admit, I enjoy reading the typed police reports a great deal.  You really get a feel not just for the investigators themselves, but their thinking processes during the investigation.  Since I tend to write a lot of WWI books, I don’t get to interview people who were actual witnesses to events when I write military history.  When I do true crime, there are people still around who can offer me their perspectives and views. 

A significant difference in writing true crime vs. history books is the willingness of participants to have the story told.  When I was working on a book about Medal of Honor winner Frank Luke Jr. (Terror of the Autumn Skies) everyone was willing to talk to me and looked forward to the story to be told.  Not true with Secret Witness.  Out of professional courtesy I contacted members of both the victim’s and murderer’s families to: 1.  Let them know the book was being written so they wouldn’t be surprised; and 2.  Allow them a chance to offer their perspectives.  With true crime books, people prefer to let the event remain buried – they don’t necessarily want the story to be retold.  There was “resistance” – some of which I included in the book (sorry, you’ll have to read about it.)  It is perfectly understandable.  As a writer, however, I cannot let govern whether I write the book or not. 

I’m working on a new true crime book set in Battle Creek Michigan in 1963, tentatively titled A Special Kind of Evil.  This involves the unsolved brutal stabbing murder of Daisy Zick in Wattles Park.  Now this book will have to break more an a few true crime rules.  First off, there was no capture and trial of the guilty party.  Having crawled through the police files on the case and doing several interviews with people connected to the crime, I know the police had narrowed their suspects down to one or two people.  Getting the evidence to prove that is something they are still pursuing – even now, almost 50 years after the crime.  As a writer this is going to make me break with the traditional true crime genre format – which is proving both challenging and fun.

So, what do you think?  Is true crime really just a variation of history book?   

Cover For Secret Witness is Done!

When you write a book there are couple of truly joyous moments tied to the process.  One is when you finish the book.  It’s the kind of moment you tend to enjoy all alone – but it is great.  There’s when you see the final edit (blue line) copy of the book for your last pass through it.  At that point months have passed and it’s like reading a new book all over again.  When you see your book for the first time in a bookstore is another fantastic moment.   Then there’s those moments that people contact you and say, “your book really touched me.”  These are some of the fun and private parts of being an author – that sense of accomplishment. 

Another one of the cool moments you get to experience as an author is when the art/production department shoots you over the cover for your book.   This week, the University of Michigan Press sent me the early cut of the cover for my upcoming book Secret Witness.  Here it is!

Personally, I love it.  I like the “true crime” font used – very 1960s’ which was pleasing since the book is about a crime in the 1960s’.  The address you see at the top and blending into the title is from the poison pills sent to the victim, Nola Puyear, which proved instrumental in catching her murderer, Enoch Chism.  I like how the words “Marshall Mich” blend into the text.  Seeing the scrawled address brings back memories of the evidence in the case, of a devious plot to kill an innocent women that took months to accomplish.  Nola’s death, on Michigan Avenue, by a bomb blast, tore at the heart of hometown Marshall’s innocence.   All of that came back to me.   

Seeing the cover it suddenly hit me; the book is going to be out in a few months.  The release date is now at the end of April, 2012.   Seeing the cover tells me that the edit copy of the book is going to be coming soon for my final read and approval too. 

Wow, what a journey. 

I am from the Battle Creek/Marshall area – my family is Marshall-based.  I was raised on Louie’s donuts and still have fond memories of the few times a year we ate at Win Schuler's.  I go back a few times a year, eat at Roma’s and the Hi-Lite, watch the Brooks fountain at night, and think back to the Marshall of my youth. 

Writing a book about one of Calhoun County’s most infamous crimes has been a real treat for me.  It is a chance to connect back to the Marshall of my childhood, back to 1967.  Oddly enough, not a lot has changed.  That is one of Marshall’s charms, it is a city that is almost suspended in time.  Like I say in the book, the clock stopped in the 1950’s in Marshall and never moved forward. 

Seeing the cover also tells me that I have to begin the task of setting up some book tour events.  With my daughter getting married in May, that means planning for things sometime in June.  I have a long list of contacts and places that I need to see if I can coordinate and arrange.  I enjoy the public appearances—it is a chance to go beyond the book and tell more of the story.  I also get to meet some interesting people along the way. 

Despite the sensitivities to the families involved with the events in 1967, I will be doing some events in Michigan and Virginia to promote the book.  Promotion of a books is a necessary and fundamental part of being a writer these days.  For those of you that live there, follow my blog and hopefully we can connect. If you are in a book club, I love doing virtual sessions where you can ask the author questions…so keep that in mind.

The inevitable question I get right about now is, “can I order the book now?”  Not quite yet – orders will start a few weeks before April.  I don’t sell personally sell copies of my books.  You need to get them from your local bookstore or online from the University of Michigan Press or whatever your preferred online source (i.e. Amazon.com).  Watch my blog – you’ll see updates as the book release gets closer and I firm up some book signing and speaking events.

Book Review: Skyjack - The Hunt for D. B. Cooper

I have been a closet D. B. Cooper aficionado for some time. With the recent news story that the identify of the hijacker might finally be known, I was even more jazzed that the book Skyjack was being released. The story of the identity of the hijacker fizzled after a week or so. Sadly, so did my enthusiasm for this book.

I thought that Skyjack was about the D. B. Cooper Case. It uses that as a basis for the book, but really does not offer too much in the way of new information. Instead the author uses this platform to tell the story of his fringe involvement in the case and how he came to write the book. I was hoping that someone that had access to the FBI files would have produced new information, new leads, interesting tips, etc.. What we get instead is the story of the author tracking down several wannabe Coopers, never giving us closure on anything. All of this is put in with a sprinkling about the actual hijacking and the investigation.

As a true crime author myself, you have to put a little bit of what drew you to the case into the book. This is a significant portion of this book however.  More than once in the book the author fanaticizes about his getting the Pulitzer for this very book. Frankly, I don't see that happening.

The tracking down of the Lyle (Kenny) Christenson as a suspect, for example, has been covered in TV documentaries already…to no avail. The FBI ruled him out in 2007 yet the author doggedly follows this lead, adding no new information or details.  
 
It is difficult to write a book about a crime that hasn't been solved - I myself have been working through that in recent months. Having said that you need to offer the reader new information or this is just a rehashing of things they may have been exposed to. The author fails here, if not in new details, in their weight and validity.

I came away knowing nothing new about the crime or the investigation. A disappointment? Unfortunately yes. Should you pick it up? Only if you know nothing about D. B. Cooper or the crime, even then you'd be better off going to the internet and reading from some of the postings there.  This book is heavy on fluff, light on entertainment or new information. 

Sadly, I recommend passing on this book.  I say "sadly" because I am still waiting for a very good Cooper book to be written. 

Movies I Watch When Writing – Part II: Stuff I Watch When Writing True Crime

True Crime requires mood, and concentration.  At the same time there are movies I play in the background when I’m doing work on this kind of book to help me focus.  Here’s Part II of my movies list…

Fargo.  I cannot say enough good things about this movie.  Let’s face it, once you see it you never look at a woodchipper in the same way. Great characters and atmosphere make this a classic to write-by. 

Sherlock Homes.  This is the new edition of this character portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.  Alright, it’s not a true story, but that wasn’t a criteria to make this list.  These are simply the movies I play when I write.  This one is neat on a many levels.  To hell with the critics, check it out.

Tucker – The Man and His Dream.   It’s almost impossible for me to write true crime without having this on at some point (or many points).  I worked in the auto industry early in my career and this movie is wonderful.  It’s a pure American story and even though the ending is not happy, it’s great. 

Zodiac.   I’ve read the books on the Zodiac killings.  This movie was incredibly intense.  When I’m writing about a killer, this is one that has to be on the office.  Zodiac makes me type faster and is scary, and I’ve seen it about 10 times so far. 

Capote.  How did I miss this movie when it was in the theaters?  Truman Capote, according to some pundits, create the true crime genre.  I won’t argue the validity of that.  This movie is neat if you’ve ever read In Cold Blood because it gets at how that book was written. 

In Cold Blood.  Yeah, after mentioning Capote you knew I was going to go there.  While dated by today’s standards, this is a good movie when you are wading through police reports doing research. 

All of the President’s Men.  Watergate was a massive crime and this movie is fun to watch or have on in the background. 

October Sky.  I’m sure you’re scratching your head at this point.  What does this have to do with true crime?  This genre is about telling stories about people (some of which happen to be dead).  Character generation is critical and October Sky helps you get an idea of how to set a scene very well for a reader. 

The Informant.  I saw this originally on a business trip on the plane.  This is a neat way to get your creative juices flowing.  How this story begins and unravels is fascinating. 

Catch Me If You Can.  This is one of those movies that goes in a direction you’d never expect – just like some of the books I write.

Cinderella Man.  I don’t give a damn about boxing.  I do care about people.  This movie swells up tears at the end every time I play it.  It’s well worth having on when you want to drive home an emotional point in the story. 

V for Vendetta.  I’m one of those geeks that read the graphic novel first…so shoot me.  This movie has a rich background story that unfolds in the movie slowly and carefully.  There’s something there for any aspiring writer. 

Munich.  This movie is not one I play a lot, but it is neat to have on.  Vengeance is important with many true crime books. 

Frost Nixon.  Nixon is a neat guy.  There, I said it.  I don’t like him, I’m just stating fact.  This movie has a lot of depth to it and it’s important for my books to have that kind of depth. 

Spirit of St. Louis.  Jimmy Stewart – come on, you gotta love this true story.  It’s wholesome, deep and cool.  I live having it on because you don’t have to watch it – it can be experienced with a few quick glances when I need a break. 

True Grit.  Actually either version of this movie gets played in my house when I write – that includes when I’m working on science fiction.   This is story-telling at its best.  I love the new version even more than the John Wayne version.  “I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man!”  Wow!

Any recommendations from you folks?

True Crime Book Review: Bind, Torture, Kill - The Inside Story of BTK

The beauty of true crime books is that they are timeless; so I hope this relatively late review of Bind, Torture, Kill is well received.  I got the e-book for my Kindle because, like many people, I remembered the news snippets about this serial killer.  The BTK killer struck in the 1970’s then disappeared, only to resurface a few years ago.  The apprehension of Dennis Rader and his icy confessions to the crimes were incredible – but like most people I didn’t know the whole story. 

This book did not disappoint.  There are a few BTK books out there but this one was penned by Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and Hurst Laviana, journalists that covered the story (some from the beginning).  These folks are writers, which makes this book complelling to read.  So many folks jumping into true crime in the last few years lack the ability to paint a compelling story.  These authors do a very good job.  With so many authors I was worried that it would be choppy, as if each section or chapter were penned by someone else.  That is NOT the case.  This book is a smooth and eerily addicting read. 

The authors really told the story from both sides of the investigation.  You got to know the authorities that were going after this killer – faults and all. The many years that these crimes covered were consuming for many of them and they come across as sympathetic real people – not cardboard characters from central casting.

They provided a good picture of the murderer, Dennis Rader – though there still seemed to be a gap here – why?  Like most serial killers, we are left with that open question.  I think, out of the other BTK books out there, this book does the best job of giving us insights into the killer’s mind.   

HarperCollins did a great job with this as an e-book.  There were a lot of photographs included and they did it right, putting the images throughout the book rather than a section in the middle or the end. 

Is it worth reading?  Hell yes!  Download this book now!  It is captivating summer reading for true crime fans. 

Done writing another book...whew!

This week I finished the primary writing on my new book.  The working titles now are limited to:  Grip of Terror or In the Shadow of Fear.   It is my first true crime effort and I’m quite pleased with how the book feels and reads.   I saved the footnotes for the last – always a pain.  I swore in college I would never write footnotes again.  Now here I am, doing it as part of my second career. 



The bomb damage at the Tasty Cafe (author's collection)



This book is a game-changer for me because it introduces me to a new writing genre.  True Crime books have always fascinated me and the chance to write one has been wonderful. It’s one of the genre’s I read quite a bit of.  I am already working on two others if you can believe that, another set in my home town too.  I’m expecting a bundle of research material in the next two weeks from the Michigan State Police archives which will keep me busy for months.   I still plan on writing military history and sci-fi, this simply offers me  another area to write in; one I’m passionate about.

This book has me jazzed on a lot of levels.  One of the more interesting things I tried with this book is to introduce the town as a character.  Marshall Michigan has a distinct personality and culture.  I wanted people to feel that the community itself was part of the story.   Don’t read too much into this.  It’s not a speaking character – but it is one of the key players in the drama that unfolded in 1967.  If you’ve ever visited Marshall, chances are you understand what I am talking about.  It is a place that is special in my heart and in many ways reflects every small town in America.  When people read this book they will find themselves reflecting on how this small town is like ones they are familiar with. 

I incorporated a lot of period pieces to transport the reader back to Marshall in 1967.  I talked about the headlines, whether it was the Redskins playing the Beavers for football or which movie was playing at the Bogar theater…I used these devices to set the feeling, tone, and time.   I did some neat things as well about the passage of time and how it is measured in this little town.  It is interesting to read the headlines from 1967 to 1970 and see how things changed, from the font of the newspaper to the stories about a little place called Vietnam which went from being a sidebar to a headline article.  

I enjoyed the key characters well.  Enoch Chism, the murderer in this case, really was a new kind of evil.  The investigators of this crime, men like Fred Ritchie and Detective Kenney really relied on old-fashioned police work to solve the crime.  Part gut-instinct, part experience, part skill.  I hope that I was able to do “justice” (pun intended) to all parties involved.

You might think there is a moment of celebration when the book is done but that isn’t the case.  First, it needs to go for a review read and there may be changes that come out of that.  Second, there will be edits from the copy-edit process that I will need to do (hopefully minor).  Then there’s a “final pass” edit, what we used to call a blue-line edit, which is a review of the book in its final form.  I do get excited a little bit when I see the artist mock up of the cover, mostly because it’s interesting to see how a graphics person interprets what the book is about.  Truthfully I don’t get to celebrate until the actual book arrives and is in my little hands.  Up until that point, a lot can happen.  When I hold the physical book, then I know it’s real.    

So…any questions?  Which title do you like?