Security News > 2007 > October > Local author pens computer forensic thriller

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071019/NEWS/710190395/-1/NEWS11&sfad=1 By Jennifer Feals seacoastonline.com October 19, 2007 An Exeter author's first novel is not only based on the idea of women helping women, but is taking the concept literally. "The Black Widow Agency," by Felicia Donovan [1], is the story of four strong, sexy, smart and stealthy women who aim to bring justice to wronged women like themselves, using a lethal blend of computer forensics, surveillance technology and women's intuition. For the most part, reviews for Donovan's debut novel are positive. Publisher's Weekly called it a "sharp series debut" and Deadly Pleasures Magazine said it was a "delightful book." But an assessment by Kirkus Reviews dubbing the book a "bitch-a-thon" inspired Donovan to take action. "The review is not about the book, not about the writing, nothing about the characters being flawed or any of those kinds of comments," Donovan said. "I decided rather than make it a negative situation, to take the concept of women working together to help others, and right away, I thought of Womenade," Donovan said. Womenade is a national nonprofit organization with chapters all over the country that provides grassroots assistance to neighbors in crisis. Donovan plans to donate a portion of her profits from book sales to the organization. "This is the perfect opportunity to say women working together to help others is not a "bitch-a-thon," it's women helping others," Donovan said. "That's what prompted me to raise funds and see Womenade could benefit from that." The Black Widow Agency, released Oct. 1, will be the first in a series, Donovan said. The book is based on four women who have each been wronged by a man in their life. As this is the case, Donovan said there is always the question of whether the women do their work for justice or for revenge. "The fun thing about the book is that it's four very different female investigators from different backgrounds, different walks of life and ages. The only things they have in common are a love of chocolate and they love to help other women," Donovan said. "They have a raucously good time when they are working on a case and sometimes don't get along, so it's a lot of fun." The field of computer forensics is nothing new to Donovan, who is the information systems manager at the Portsmouth Police Department and is a recognized expert in the field of law enforcement technology. She is founder of Communications, Law Enforcement and Technology (CLEAT), a New England-based organization that specializes in law enforcement technology. Donovan was introduced to computer forensics several years ago while working as the Portsmouth Police Department's IT manager. She was asked to recover files from a computer that was suspected to have been stolen from a local business. Despite the hard drive having been reformatted, Donovan recovered enough evidence from it to prove it was, in fact, the stolen computer. She has also assisted the FBI in a child pedophile case by using her digital photography skills to enhance photos of child victims from videotape. Writing all her life, Donovan said she always dreamed of publishing a novel. The idea for the series came from a discussion with Detective Kristyn Rogers-Bernier at the Portsmouth Police Department. "She said something to the effect of what I am going to do is open a private investigative agency with only women and call it the Black Widow Agency," Donovan said. "It was as if something had just popped in my head. It sent so many different visions of what that would be like and how much fun that could be." After asking permission to use the title, Donovan wrote the first 75 pages of "The Black Widow Agency" in one week and finished the entire book in two months. The second book in the series will be out next July. "It's exciting and I seem to have touched a nerve with a lot of people with this book, both good and bad," Donovan said. "I think a lot of women have been through similar situations. I also think the book levels the playing field from a technical standpoint, it has some women who are very technically savvy who can play with the same toys that were traditionally in the male computer world." [1] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738710822/c4iorg __________________________________________________________________ CSI 2007 is the only conference that delivers a business-focused overview of enterprise security. It will convene 1,500+ delegates, 80 exhibitors and features 100+ sessions/seminars providing a roadmap for integrating policies and procedures with new tools and techniques. Register now for savings on conference fees and/or free exhibits admission. - www.csiannual.com

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