Would-Be Priest Turns to Crime

Crime busting, that is. Tom Basinski, author of NO GOOD DEED (May 2006) and CROSS COUNTRY EVIL (January 6, 2009), is a retired 34-year veteran cop who almost became a priest. After five years in the seminary he earned a degree in English Literature but decided against a Catholic priest’s collar.

Basinski launched his professional writing career while still a homicide detective for the Chula Vista California Police Department by writing over 125 true crime stories for various pulp magazines.

His first book, NO GOOD DEED, enjoyed considerable commercial and critical success. His second book, CROSS COUNTRY EVIL , will be released January 6, 2009. Berkley True Crime Books published both books.

The murders in each of the books happened in San Diego and are true stories. The case in NO GOOD DEED took three years to solve, while the investigation in CROSS COUNTRY EVIL took 18 long years to bring the killer to justice. Read more about Tom Basinski.

NEWS: After having her conviction overturned by the court of appeal, and backed up by the supreme court, a jury convicted Ny Nourn of second-degree murder on November 30,2007. The same jury acquitted her of arson in the burning of David Stevens' car. By law she will be sentenced to 15-years to life in prison on January 18, 2008. Ronald Barker has exhausted his appeals and is serving life-without-parole