Someone asked me the question, “Why did you choose a forensic radiologist as your main character?”

I can’t remember exactly where I saw the lecture by Dr. Brogdon. I was an eager learner in medical school and had never heard of the field of radiology. Dr. Brogdon spoke eloquently about the field of forensic radiology — radiology imaging used to help solve crimes. He showed a number of cases and I remember my gut wrenching reaction to seeing these X-rays and CAT scans of murder victims.
One case in particular is forever burned into my memory. A patient reported to the emergency room with blood and water leaking from his nose from the beating he received from his assailant. No matter how hard the physicians tried, they could not stop his nose bleed. He soon died. Post mortem X-rays revealed an astonishing finding. Turns out he did not die from the beating. Rather, he died because of the knife blade in his brain.

Years before, in a similar fight for this “wanna be” gladiator in the Saturday night knife and gun club, he had been stabbed in the top of his head. He escaped from his assailant with only a cut on the top of his head. Or so he thought. The knife blade actually broke away from the hilt and lodged itself right between the frontal lobes of his brain, miraculously inserting itself between brain tissue. Over the years, the blade caused him headaches and unending pain which no doubt contributed to his drug use. Over time, the knife blade migrated downward under the pull of gravity until its tip pierced the roof of his nasal cavity. He had a runny nose for months but the latest fight had dislodged the knife blade causing it to pierce completely into the nasal cavity. He died of a nose bleed!

Years later, when I decided to become a radiologist, I felt the tug and pull of the mystery provided by a set of images. Each patient became a puzzle to be solved. I did not want to miss something as dangerous as a knife blade in the brain! In many cases, the radiologist is the knot at the end of the rope in a physician’s attempt to finding a diagnosis. I recall many such strange cases such as the child who was helping her father with remodeling the house. She pulled a nail from the wall with a claw hammer and somehow, the hammer bounced backwards and downwards and imbedded the nail through her sternum almost into her heart!

In today’s world of forensic medicine, forensic radiology is a growing tool for determining cause of death. Post mortem CAT scans are almost as reliable as an autopsy. Post mortem X-rays have been done for years and now, with the addition of CAT scans and even MRIs, the cause of death can be more reliably determined.

One day while working at one of our hospitals, the ER physician came over from his post in the emergency room to go over CAT scan results on one of his patients. I keep the lights low in the office to remove reflections from the high resolution screens. He stepped into my darkened office and laughed.
“Ah, the shadow merchant at work. Plying the shadows and seeking out truth in the darkness.” He said.
My perplexed look of confusion clued him to the fact I had no idea what he was talking about.
“When I was in the military, we called radiologists shadow merchants.” He said gleefully.
And now you know why my first book was named “Shadow Merchant”. I am intrigued by forensic radiology and like my main character, Dr. Jack Merchant, I want to learn more about the discipline of forensic radiology. I decided to write his story about his journey or discovery. And now, you too can join Dr. Jack Merchant as he plies the shadows and darkness for truth in the first book, “Shadow Merchant” and the follow up newest book, “Merchant of Justice”. Go to www.hopeagainbooks.com for more information.