Joseph Paglino is the author of two books, MODUS OPERANDI and MURDER ONE, both published by Writer’s Digest/Penguin Random House in the US and China. These books are used by writers, television and motion picture producers and directors, screenwriters, literary agents, and writer’s groups who want the most accurate and factual information on police procedures, forensics, crime scene investigation, murder, blood spatter, ballistics, drownings, poison, arson, criminal profiling, suicide, and other things that go bump in the night to add mystery and red herrings to their works.

Do you know what a sector search of a crime scene is? He’ll tell you.

Do you know what petechia is? He’ll show you.

Ever heard of adipocere? He’ll explain it to you. 

His writing is based on over 36 years of experience as a  Detective. Joseph has been a Confidential Investigator for the New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, a Detective Investigator for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in New York, and a County Detective for the Monmouth County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, teaching at police academies and universities throughout New Jersey, and is a member of professional forensic, law enforcement and writer’s groups. He has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint John’s University, New York, and a Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College, New York. In his career, he has investigated thousands of crimes, from child abduction to mass murder, including the high profile cases of serial killer Richard Biegenwald in NY, and the “Prom Mom” murder case of Melissa Drexler in NJ . His specialty is crime scene investigation, criminal profiling and forensics. 

His interactive presentation dealing with crime scene investigation, “WHODUNIT: 101 Mistakes Mystery Writers Make” has been shown at writer’s conferences across the country, such as Bouchercon, Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., MENSA, California Writer’s Club Conference, Book Passage Annual Mystery Conference, Sisters in Crime, Lehigh Valley Writers Conference, Dallas Area Romance Writers Conference, Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and many, many more.

He has also appeared in national media such as television (CNN Showbiz Today, Fox News, Good Day New York, News 12 New Jersey ‘Jersey’s Talking with Lee Leonard); radio (BBC, National Public Radio NPR All Things Considered, WWDB with Marty Moss-Coane, Philadelphia); as well as in the printed media (Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Orlando Sun Sentinel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, American Writer’s Review, and the Asbury Park Press). He has hosted the America On-Line Monday Mystery Forum and the Kiss of Death mystery online workshops for the Mystery Writers of America. He maintains a social media platform on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and an Amazon author page.

If you are an aspiring or published writer, screenwriter,  television or motion picture producer or director, he will help you succeed in writing accurately and factually about all aspects of police procedural and criminal investigation. Your readers or viewers demand accuracy and authenticity, from the way police actually speak to each other and their slang, to how they investigate every type of crime under the sun. He can guide you to the real deal.

To see what services he can offer you, Click here.