Category Archives: Designing Murder Plots

Conspiracy Theory Heart Attacks

Posted on June 29, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In previous blogs (here and here) I’ve discussed how to construct a murder plot using a drug or medical device that could mimic a heart attack that would be virtually undetectable as a murder—the so-called perfect murder weapon! But there … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, About Writing, Aggregate Anaphylaxis, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Calcium Gluconate and Heart Attacks, Calcium Gluconate and Murder, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Designer Drug Deaths, Designing Murder Plots, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drugs Used to Murder, Electrolyte Imbalances and Heart Attacks, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Art of Storytelling, the perfect murder weapon, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

TOXIDROMES: Wet vs Dry Symptoms

Posted on June 15, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog, I introduced the concept of toxidromes—defined as a group of specific symptoms and clues which medical examiners use to identify the specific substance used to poison a victim. In that blog, I discussed two of the … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Murder, Anticholinergic Toxidromes, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Chemical Poisons, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Cholinergic Toxidromes, Deadly Poisons Discussed, Designer Poisons Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Difficult to Solve Murders, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drugs Used For Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Lethal Anticholinergic Drug Symptoms, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Lethal Cholinergic Drug Symptoms, Methods of Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Tools of Murder, Toxidromes and Murder, Toxidromes and Murder Mysteries, Toxidromes in Murder Mysteries, Toxidromes to Identify a Poison, Toxidromes to Solve Murders, Unique Lethal Compounds, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TOXIDROMES: Solving The Poison Puzzle

Posted on June 8, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

The murders that occur in my novels and short stories often involve a lethal medicine or a poison. To create a believable plot, I make sure to do my homework to get the toxic effects of those substances correct. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemical Poisons, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Depressant and Stimulant Toxidromes, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Poisoning, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, James J. Murray Blog, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Methods of Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapon Groupings and Categories, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Murder, Toxidrome's, Toxidromes and Murder, Toxidromes in Murder Mysteries, Toxidromes to Identify a Poison, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DIELDRIN – An Old Remedy For A New Kill

Posted on June 1, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In the past I’ve blogged about many compounds that have been used for murder or been used as wartime bio-weapons. One of the common denominators of these lethal compounds is that many were first developed as pesticides and used for … Continue reading →

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Aconite – A Two-Edged Sword!

Posted on April 13, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Many botanical compounds have important medical uses, and some of modern medicine’s most important drugs were derived initially from plant sources. However, some of these botanical compounds have a very narrow dosage range between a therapeutic effect and toxicity. This … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, Aconite - A Two-Edged Sword, Aconite and Homeopathic Medicine, Aconite and Murder Mysteries, Aconite as a Medicine, Aconite as a Poison, Aconite Used For Murder, Aconitine Dosing and Usage, Aconitine Toxicity, Aconitum Plant Species, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, Blog About Poisons in Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Blue Rocket Plant and Murder, Botanical Murder Weapons, Botanicals That Kill, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Contact Poisons, Deadly Plant Poisons, Designer Poisons Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Devil's Helmet and Murder, Drug Poisoning, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, Eating Poisonous Plants, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing With Poisonous Plants, Leopard's Bane and Murder, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Botanicals, Medical Uses of Aconite, Methods of Murder, Monkshood and Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons, Murder With Drugs, Murder With Poisonous Plants, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plant Poisons, Plants That Kill, Plants Used For Murder, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisonous Aconite, Poisonous Plants, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used to Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Wolf's Bane and Murder, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Mysteries vs Thrillers

Posted on March 23, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

A few years ago, mysteries were the hot genre. It seemed as if everyone was reading a mystery novel. The thrill of guessing “Who done it!” was the excitement that kept me, and many others, reading book after book. More … Continue reading →

Posted in A Mystery Novel, A Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, Adrenaline Rush, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Driven Writing, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Mysteries and Thrillers, Growing As A Writer, James J. Murray Blog, Mysteries and Thrillers Compared, Mysteries Vs Thrillers, New Blog, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Use of the Written Word, Role of Suspense in Mysteries, Role of Suspense in Thrillers, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mad As A Hatter!

Posted on March 9, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

More than 200 years ago, hat making was a profitable business, but it could also be a deadly one! The furs used to make felt hats were dipped in a preservative made with mercury nitrate solutions. The soaking also helped … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemical Poisons, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Contact Poisons, Designing Murder Plots, Dimethylmercury, Dimethylmercury as a Potent Neurotoxin, Dimethylmercury is Lethal, Dimethylmercury Poisoning, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Hatter's Disease, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Mercury Poisoning, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Dimethylmercury, Murder with Neurotoxins, Neurotoxin Poisons, Neurotoxins, Neurotoxins and Murder, New Blog, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

LADY KILLERS’ PHARMACEUTICALS

Posted on March 2, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

 ~ Female Murderers are the Exception! ~ That’s what I found out when an author friend asked me to guest blog on her “Profiles of Murder” blog site this week. Diane Kratz is a crime fiction writer who holds three … Continue reading →

Posted in A Diane Kratz Interview, A Guest Blog, A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, Blog Interviews, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Deadly Drugs in America, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Poisoning, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, Free Book Downloads, Guest Blogging, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, James J. Murray Blog, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Methods of Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Profiles of Murder Blog, Published Novel by James J Murray, The Psychology of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Lethal Compounds, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

IBOGAINE – A Miracle or a Curse?

Posted on February 10, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Isolated as a psychoactive alkaloid that originates from the bark of a West African shrub called Tabernanthe iboga, ibogaine is a drug that’s been the center of controversy for decades. With a rich history of use in ancient African spiritual … Continue reading →

Posted in A Free Short Story Offering, A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Botanical Murder Weapons, Botanicals That Kill, Designing Murder Plots, Drug Abuse, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, Heroin Addiction and Ibogaine Therapy, Ibogaine and Drug Addiction, Ibogaine Clinics, Ibogaine Therapy, Ideas for Murder Scenes, James J. Murray Blog, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Book Release, New Free E-Book, New Methods of Murder, New Murder Mystery Novel, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Successful Drug Addiction Treatment, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Ways to Murder, Why Not Use Ibogaine Treatments for Drug Addiction?, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Race To Death With Racing Fuel

Posted on February 3, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

There was an intriguing, and yet startling, report in the news recently about two teenagers who died when they decided that drinking a mixture of racing fuel and Mountain Dew was a great way to get high. The notion that … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Street Drug, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, Blog About Poisons in Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Abuse, Formic Acid is Lethal, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, James J. Murray Blog, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Methanol and Murder, Methanol Poisoning, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, Racing Fuel and Mountain Dew, Racing Fuel Is Lethal, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments