April 25 was National DNA Day! On April 25, 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick formally announced their discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in a short letter published in the science journal, Nature. Their discovery has changed the world.
Disease and health care, genealogy, and crime investigation are three areas that have been hugely impacted by the discovery of DNA.
Where would crime fiction be without DNA evidence? So many cases, fictional and real-world, have been solved using DNA evidence.
The information that they can pull from your DNA now is amazing.
Reading science magazines in the 1980s, I predicted that someday we would reach the point where we would be able to describe a perpetrator (hair and eye colour, etc.) and maybe even face or body structure from a DNA sample left at the scene. Well, that day is today!
My fictional character Micah Miller is a forensic artist who works with composite pictures like this one to construct the likeness of criminals, victims, and persons of interest. In honor of National DNA Day, I have put Virtually Harmless on sale for a limited time for just $1.99 on Kindle and my eStore. Get it now, because it won’t last.
Virtually Harmless
From award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman
Micah lived a quiet, comfortable life, her involvement in law enforcement limited to the composite pictures that she produced with her computer and colored pencils.
But everything is turned upside down when she involves herself in the case of an infant found abandoned in the Sweetgrass Hills.
With the help of her knowledge of DNA and law enforcement contacts across the country, Micah is closing in on a killer. But her investigation draws the killer’s attention, and she finds herself in the middle of an operation that could mean the end of her career—or worse, her life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This cosy thriller with a neurodivergent, aro-ace MC will keep you turning the pages long after you should have logged into your day job. Oops.
Love CSI and other forensic mysteries? Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author brings you this fresh new nail-biter for your next read.
Join Micah as she picks up her pencils and starts on a new case.
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“P. D. Workman has outdone herself with this riveting techno-thriller featuring Micah Miller, a forensic artist specializing in composite renderings based on forensic DNA phenotyping … This book offers plenty of thrills, chills, suspense and white-knuckled tension as the plot unfolds and it kept me turning pages until late into the night. The story is clean and well-written, the plot is fascinating, the pace is relentless and the characters are realistic and relatable. I highly recommend this absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable thriller to anyone who favors CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Forensic Files or any high-tech inspired crime-solving theme.”
—Kim, Goodreads reviewer
Another of my books that features DNA advances is He Was Not There, which uses genetic genealogy to solve a case. Another of the Zachary Goldman Mysteries, He Drowned in Memory, has one main character discovering biological family members through a DNA test like those done by Ancestry and 23andMe. This technology has become increasingly popular in recent years, with companies like Ancestry and 23andMe offering DNA tests to help people discover their ancestry. In fact, I have helped my son to construct some of his biological family tree using a similar DNA test. It was very exciting for him to learn more about his background. The test confirmed some of the speculations we’d made about his ancestry.
But don’t forget that while DNA can put a perpetrator at the scene of a crime, it can also lead investigators in the wrong direction. What if someone you had contact with transferred some of your DNA to someone who committed a crime, unintentionally leaving your transferred DNA to the scene?
Secondary DNA Transfer and Unsafe Conviction
National DNA Day is a reminder of the incredible impact that DNA has had on our world. From solving crimes to discovering our ancestry, DNA technology has opened up new possibilities and changed our lives in countless ways.
