When local author Tim Downs read an article in a science magazine about the field of forensic entomology, he knew he had found the perfect theme for an original suspense novel. Eight books later all the novels in the ‘Bug Man’ series have become national bestsellers — and N.C. State is sharing in the fame.
‘It seemed like everything in crime fiction had been done before,’ Downs said. ‘When I heard about forensic entomology it was fascinating to me. Forensic entomologists don’t fit in at crime scenes — they are people with Ph.D.s in the study of bugs who just happen to be using that knowledge in crime situations.’
Downs created his main character in the ‘Bug Man’ series with this idea in mind. Nick Polchak, his central character, is a fictional professor of entomology and forensic entomologist at the University.
‘Dr. Nick Polchak is a strange man because he loves bugs but doesn’t like people,’ Downs said. ‘Bugs are rational and predictable but people are not. Nick identifies more with bugs than he can with people.’
According to Wes Watson, professor of entomology, forensic entomology is based on gathering information relative to a crime by examining the insects associated with the crime.
‘Factors such as temperature, moisture and daylight are considered by forensic entomologists to determine when insects arrived to the body,’ Watson said. This information can be used to determine the time of death at a murder site.
Watson developed an undergraduate course on forensic entomology for the University a few years ago. Students interested in the subject could also take criminal science classes. According to Watson, some forensic entomologists have crime scene training, while others learn during on the job situations.
Downs contacted Watson for one of his novels that dealt with the potential use of insects as biological weapons.
‘Entomological warfare has been used throughout history and is definitely a potential threat in the future as a form of terrorism,’ Watts said.
Downs went to college as a graphic design major in Indiana but moved to Cary after he and his wife took a quiz that told them they would enjoy living in North Carolina.
‘My wife and I grew up in the Midwest but didn’t want our children to grow up in California,’ Downs said. ‘We’ve never regretted moving to North Carolina.’
This past Saturday Downs hosted a book signing at the Campus Bookstore featuring his latest release in the ‘Bug Man’ series, ‘Ends of the Earth.’
‘Ends of the Earth’ focuses on the dangers of agro-terrorism, which Downs believes should be of special interest to many N.C. State students.
‘Agro-terrorism is a type of terrorism in which countries attack another nation’s crops and livestock, which can be just as detrimental if not more than other types of terrorist attacks,’ Downs said.
Downs consulted retired University professor of entomology J.R. Bradley for information on agro-terrorism. Bradley said Downs’ books accurately portray biological and entomological information and should be a fun read for students.
‘The books are easy reads and also interesting and entertaining,’ Downs said. ‘They would appeal to students because they move fast and never get boring. At the same time, they deal with real issues, such as agro-terrorism, that could hypothetically happen at our school or in our state.’
In the novel, the crime scene is an organic farm in rural North Carolina, where Dr. Polchak is surprised to find that the victim’s estranged wife was an old friend. Polchak reconnects with the woman while working to stop an agroterrorist from unleashing an environmental holocaust on the entire world.
Andrew Sirls, a freshman in computer engineering, went to the book fair and decided to buy Downs’ book ‘PlagueMaker,’ winner of the Christy Award for the best CBA suspense novel in 2007.
‘I hadn’t heard of his books before but I thought they looked interesting,’ Sirls said. ‘I’m really interested in the bubonic plague, which is the focus of this book.’
Downs said students should enjoy the books because of the local setting, such as Polchak’s office location in Gardner Hall.
‘In the ‘Bug Man’ series Nick travels to a new city in each book,’ Downs said. ‘One book takes place in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina, for example. ‘Ends of the Earth,’ however, takes place right on N.C. State’s campus.’
The books should also appeal to students because they are fun to read and will give students a break from textbooks, according to Downs.
Christy Bright, a recent graduate student from Texas living in Raleigh, came to the book signing Saturday to meet Downs.
‘I heard of his books through my family,’ Bright said. ‘The ones I’ve read I really liked because they stand on their own in the fiction category.’
All of Downs’ eight novels, which include the ‘Bug Man’ series and other novels, are classified as mystery suspense. The author plans to release his first romance and comedy novel, entitled ‘Wonders Never Cease,’ this spring.
‘I know I will have at least one more ‘Bug Man’ story,’ Downs said. ‘But we’ll see where it goes from there.’
Downs has a daughter, Kelsey Downs, who will graduate with a degree in graphic design from the University this year. Apart from being an award-winning novelist, Downs created a comic strip, ‘Downstown,’ which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate in 1986. His cartoon designs have been published in over a hundred newspapers worldwide.
