Cape Coral author discusses her latest book
Residents of Pine Island had a special treat Friday afternoon, thanks to the Friends of the Library, which sponsored an author luncheon at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church.
Lisa Black, a Cape Coral resident and forensic specialist for the Cape Coral Police Department, talked about her new book “Defensive Wounds,” along with showing those in the the packed room how to use a fingerprint kit.
Vicki Morrison, president of the Friends of the Library, said Friday’s luncheon was the group’s biggest guest speaker event yet. The Friends hold the luncheons twice a year. The second will be held in March.
Black entertained the crowd Friday with her journey as a writer and forensic scientist. Her latest book is the fourth in a series and her sixth overall.
She said the idea of “Defensive Wounds” grew out of police officers and attorneys functioning in different worlds, which she hashed out, with her husband, from Tampa to Bradenton.
The book is about “a serial killer stalks attorneys at a classic Cleveland hotel, putting Theresa and her daughter in the direct line of fire.”
Black received her bachelors degree in biology. She said her mind was always set on crime and mysteries because she wanted to be a detective, but did not want to be a police officer.
Although she never thought writing was an option for a career, she has written many stories since grade school. Over the years her stories became longer. After she was a secretary for 10 years, sitting in front of a word processor, she thought she would give her first book a try.
After she moved to Florida with her husband, she did not have a job, or anyone here that she knew, so she starting writing again.
“It made sense to apply forensic science,” Black told the crowd about why she chose that theme for her books.
Once she was done talking about her latest book and writing career, she demonstrated how she used her fingerprinting kit when on duty with the police department by asking members of the audience to touch various items. Black told the crowd that fingerprinting is about the surface.
A smooth and glossy surface, she said, allows her to obtain the fingerprints easier. She said the vast majority of fingerprints do not find a match in the database. That database solely comes from people arrested in the city of Cape Coral.
Approximately 12 percent of fingerprints are matched to an individual, which Black said is good for Cape Coral.
For more information about Black’s books, visit www.lisa-black.com