This spring and summer, the Warren County Public Library will present a thrilling series of popular suspense writers. Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, the writing team of Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson (aka Jefferson Bass), and Catherine Coulter will talk about their work and delve into the world of forensic science, police detection, and criminal investigation. If you’re not familiar with these authors, drop into the library and check out some of their books in advance.

Jeffery Deaver, author of the bestselling novel The Bone Collector (made into a feature film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie) kicks off the series Thursday, May 13. Deaver’s most popular series draws readers into the fast-paced world of forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme. These stories offer the diabolical villains, engaging protagonists, and sense of menace that thriller fans crave, with a uniquely situated main character: Rhyme is a quadriplegic who received his injury in the line of duty. Readers not only follow a murder investigation but also get a glimpse inside the life of a man with extremely limited mobility. This rather cranky criminalist is aided by detective Amelia Sachs, a former model with physical challenges of her own. Reviewers have called Deaver “master of the plot twist,” “cunning and deceptive,” and “the cleverest puzzle maker in the business.” Deaver claims to be “an entertainer first and foremost,” so expect to be entertained!

Thursday, June 17, come hear from Tess Gerritsen, perhaps best known for her popular series in which homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles team up to solve abductions and murders. Ice Cold, the 8th novel in the series, is due out in June. (If you’d like to read them in order, start with The Surgeon.) Gerritsen’s fans will be able to see these characters come to life this summer when TNT premiers the TV series “Rizzoli & Isles.” Gerritsen has written more than twenty novels, including romantic suspense as well as medical thrillers. Her background lends authenticity to her novels: she was a practicing physician before beginning her writing career while on maternity leave. She posts an interesting blog at her web site, tessgerritsen.com, if you would like to keep up with her career or just find out what’s on her mind.

Have you ever heard of the Body Farm? If you’re curious about the world’s only research facility devoted to the examination of human decomposition in a natural setting, attend this presentation Thursday, July 22 by Dr. Bill Bass, the founder of the Body Farm at the University of Tennessee, and Jon Jefferson, journalist and producer of two National Geographic documentaries about the facility. Together, Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson have penned two nonfiction books about Dr. Bass’ career and a fiction series about the Body Farm. The fifth book in the series, The Bone Thief, hit the shelves in March. This series combines a Southern setting with the adventures of a forensic anthropologist, and appeals to mystery readers with strong stomachs! If you’d like to dig into the Body Farm before Jefferson Bass arrives, you can take a virtual tour at the official Jefferson Bass web site, jeffersonbass.com.

Catherine Coulter, author of the FBI novels featuring Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich, finishes up the series. Coulter’s fiction employs nonstop action and a sense of humor. When an interviewer asked about her background research, she replied that since the FBI is a bureaucracy, she sometimes thinks of what she would do if she were in the FBI, and then has the characters do “the opposite of what common sense would dictate.” Coulter, the most prolific author in the series, will visit Bowling Green Thursday, August 12. That leaves plenty of time to read the 14th book in the FBI series, Whiplash, before she arrives – it is due out in June. Some readers may want to check out Coulter’s historical romance novels as well. Just to give you a sampling, she has written a Viking series, a Regency series, and a Bride series. If you need help deciding where to start with Coulter’s backlist, you could try The Cove, book one in the FBI series, or perhaps Beyond Eden, which Coulter calls her own personal favorite novel. 

The Fact, Fiction, and Forensics series will take place at the Main Library at 1225 State Street or next door at the Episcopal Church. These events are free and open to the public, and each begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are required and can be obtained at the library in advance of each presentation. For more information, call the library at 781-4882 or visit the website at www.warrenpl.org.

Holly Hedden is a reference librarian at the Warren County Public Library.