Husband-and-wife team Gary Dias and Robbie Dingeman have teamed for a third book about crime in the Aloha State with the book, "Honolulu CSI," an introduction to forensic science and criminal investigation.

In their no-holds barred style, Dias, a former Honolulu detective, and Dingeman, a health reporter for the Honolulu Advertiser, use local crimes to illustrate the fascinating world of criminal scene investigation (CSI).

Chapters on crime scenes, fingerprinting and other evidence, blood, firearms, arson and explosives, documents, graphic arts, injuries and autopsies and forensic tools reveal how criminal investigations are carried out by Honolulu police.

The book could easily read like a textbook for police science students, but Dias' extensive background in Hawaii gives life to investigations, especially to those who have lived in Hawaii for a long period of time and can remember the many infamous crimes that Dias investigated during his service with the Honolulu Police Department, 1971-1998.

Also interesting are experiments that anyone can try at home, as well as a section that gives tips on how to make yourself, your loved ones and your home safe.

The two other books in this series are "Honolulu Cop, Re-flections on a Career with HPD," and Honolulu Homicide, Mur-der and Mayhem in Paradise." ONE OF THE TRICKS of becoming a successful author is to dominate a niche no one else has thought of. In the field of chatty and funny how-to manuals about the horrors of criminal behavior with a Hawaiian twist, Gary Dias and Robbie Dingeman pretty much have the court all to themselves.
It's a good thing they do it so well.

The latest is called "Honolulu CSI," and if that sounds like an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the TV shows, well then, you belong in the book publicity business. The shows have actually raised public awareness of the demanding nature of forensic science, but they haven't educated the public much about the actual procedures. "Honolulu CSI" is a layman's primer on the subject, and as such should have wide readership even beyond the islands. Basic scientific techniques and the laws of physics apply everywhere.

"Honolulu CSI" is a bit more textbook-oriented than their anecdote-rich previous titles, "Honolulu Cop" and "Honolulu Homicide." In those books, Dias and Dingeman taught through storytelling and example. Here, it's lab time. They even include lists and quizzes, suggested supplemental reading and experiments you can try at home. (Good teachers know that students learn by doing, not by memorizing.)

We're talking explanations of crime scenes, fingerprinting, blood spatter, firearms, arson, explosive patterns, document control, graphic arts in reconstruction, wounds ranging from minor injuries to invasive autopsies, and basic forensic tools. All of it is told in the informal, amusing style they've perfected, because they also know that students remember jokes better than they do hard data.

An addition, the book takes the investigative techniques a step further, into prevention: "Protect Yourself in a Dangerous World" is expert, reasonable advice on home and street safety without being paranoid. Well, too paranoid.

Aiding Dias and Dingeman here are police artists Joe Aragon and Chun Yee; like the rest of "Honolulu CSI," their contributions are concise, clear and to the point.

"Honolulu CSI" ought to be required reading for fans of crime procedurals.

You don't have to tell author and former Honolulu police officer Gary A. Dias how popular "CSI" has become.

"After I wrote 'Honolulu Cop," and 'Honolulu Homicide' with my wife (Honolulu Advertiser reporter Robbie Dingeman), I was drawn to write another book as a result of the many shows about CSI on television," he said. "I would be approached by people and asked, 'How true-to-life is CSI?' And I began thinking that I should write a crime scene book that I had intended to do."

Dias and Dingeman, co-authors of the recently released "Honolulu CSI" published by Bess Press, will be signing copies of the book starting at noon on Nov. 7 at Borders Books and Music in Waikele.

The CSI book evolved from their first undertakings, Dingeman said, because "we found that people who read the earlier books often told us they wanted to know more about the art and science of crime-solving. Some of the techniques are fascinating."

Dias said the new book seemed the natural progression for him in his career. During the 27 years he served with HPD, he was a detective for the Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Affairs, the lieutenant-in-charge at different times of the Kahala Burglary/Theft Detail, the Robbery Detail, the Homicide Detail and the Hostage Negotiations Unit.

"For a time, I was the captain-in-charge of the Scientific Investigations Section (crime lab and crime scene technicians), and I retired as a major-in-charge of the Traffic Division, which investigated negligent homicide deaths," Dias explained. "In the course of all of this, I became a board-certified forensic examiner in Crime Scene Investigation, and eventually a fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners."

Dias holds a master's in criminal justice administration and teaches the subject at Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Hawaii at West Oahu.

The current manager of security at The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu describes the new tome as an easy, fun read. "There's very little technical stuff. It was written as an introductory book for those interested in the many aspects of crime scene investigation," said Dias. "Whenever it started to sound like a text, I added humor to break it up. I also added some easy-to-do experiments that can be done at home."
Over the past several months I've been setting aside books that I thought would be good gifts for the holidays. Things to tuck into a Christmas stocking or bring along when visiting during the holidays. I was completely shocked when I pulled them out and discovered that all the books I had set aside were from just one publisher, Bess Press.

There are kids' gifts, things for the cook and things for the thinker. What's more, at least one of the kid books could be for a grown-up. Any of the adult titles could be for a man or a woman or for a young adult or teenager with appropriate interests.

For the guys

Granted, these books that I'm calling "for the guys" are potentially interesting to anyone from teenagers to retirees, male or female, just as the cookbooks above could be as interesting to kitchen-capable men as anyone else.

Honolulu CSI is subtitled "an introduction to forensic science and criminal investigation." With the popularity of the CSI (crime scene investigation) franchise on television, this is a book that will please millions. Authors Gary A. Dias and Robbie Dingeman are a husband and wife who also penned Honolulu Cop and Honolulu Homicide. If you know someone who watches crime-TV, you know someone who'll gobble up the chapters on fingerprints, blood, firearms and the rest of it. Look up luminal in the commercial breaks to understand how the chemistry and blue-light work. This is cool stuff...

...There you go. All your thoughtful shopping for smallish gifts that will be long-appreciated is planned. One-stop shopping at www.besspress.com or, very likely, Borders. Enjoy!
I know - what does this book have to do with Hawaiian culture? Well, not much actually, but it's quite fascinating and it WAS written by a "Honolulu cop!" This is Dias' and Dingeman's third (and I suspect not last) book. Their first book (Honolulu Cop) was reviewed here in 2002. The authors continue with their great combination of humor (some of which is pretty corny) and professionalism, making this book another fun read.

Given all of the TV shows covering it, it would be really easy to think that a book about forensic science would be boring. Well, a college textbook maybe, but not this one. That's probably because: 1) there are lots of descriptions of real-life scenes here, and 2) (drum roll please) there is "try it yourself" stuff!! For example - you know quick glue - the glue that will glue your fingers together? Did you know that it can be used to lift fingerprints off things (no, not off your fingers)? Me neither. It's called "cyanoacrylate fuming." The technique was discovered by accident in Japan and it has even been used on whole cars by the Honolulu Police Department! You can do it yourself using a mayonnaise jar, some aluminum foil, tweezes and superglue. These little goodies are scattered all thought the book, EXCEPT in the firearms section (whew!).
There are chapters on Crime Scenes, Fingerprints, Blood, Firearms, Arson, Explosives, Impressions, Documents, Injuries, Graphic Art, etc.

Plus, there's an excellent forty page section on personal crime prevention. There are chapters here on securing your home (both inside and outside), street smarts, safety in your car, workplace safety and preventing sexual assault. I used to work for a police department, in the Crime Analysis Unit, and I guarantee that if you follow Dias' recommendations here, you will be far safer than if you don't, by leaps and bounds.