![Narooma resident Dr Dianne McInnes spoke about writing true crime books at Narooma Library on Wednesday, November 29. Picture supplied Narooma resident Dr Dianne McInnes spoke about writing true crime books at Narooma Library on Wednesday, November 29. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/180157781/4ae3156b-4006-410f-b555-16e929394554.jpg/r0_0_1920_1625_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Dr Dianne McInnes has written 130 books but it is her first true crime book 'Five Drops of Blood' that has an option to become a documentary.
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Hers is an extraordinary life.
Dr McInnes lived in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s and again from 1981 until 1993 when her husband passed away.
While living there she worked in various roles for the ABC, as well as wrote children's books and educational material for the school curriculum.
Dr McInnes produced inflight magazines for Air Niugini and Air Vanuatu airlines and is most proud of her four-volume Papua New Guinea encyclopaedia and two-volume pictorial history.
She is an avid taker of courses, wrote New Age courses, read tarot cards and took lessons in palmistry.
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![Dr Dianne McInnes moved to Narooma about six years ago because her son, who lives in Potato Point, wanted her to be nearby. Picture supplied Dr Dianne McInnes moved to Narooma about six years ago because her son, who lives in Potato Point, wanted her to be nearby. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/180157781/0a2ebffd-ff6c-4224-bf72-f3c7dacbb9a7.jpg/r0_179_1920_1318_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
How she came to write true crime
"On my return from Papua New Guinea in late 1998 I read in the newspaper that the man who taught me palmistry, was charged with murder for stabbing the head of the cat society," Dr McInnes said.
Andrew Fitzherbert was charged with the 1998 murder of Dr Kathleen Marshall, chairperson of the Queensland Cat Protection Society, in the Brisbane suburb of Wilston.
"They convicted him on five drops of blood.
"It was Australia's first case and only the third in the world where DNA was the only evidence."
Her account of the case became the book 'Five Drops of Blood'.
![Because Dr Dianne McInnes left her friends behind in Queensland she is always keen to have a new project to work on. She has just completed a commission to write the biography of Queensland's longest-serving governor. Picture supplied Because Dr Dianne McInnes left her friends behind in Queensland she is always keen to have a new project to work on. She has just completed a commission to write the biography of Queensland's longest-serving governor. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/180157781/6571cd93-0aae-4549-9c26-e53b874382c2.jpg/r132_0_1787_930_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Another Brisbane crime
Dr McInnes' latest book, 'The Singh Murders', was published in September 2022.
"It was the longest running court case in Queensland and the longest sentence," she said.
Max Sica was given three life sentences for the murder of his off-and-on girlfriend Neelma Singh and her two younger siblings.
Dr McInnes went to the trial, collected 900 pages of newspaper clippings and the lawyer gave her reams of transcripts from the trial.
"He killed three people but there was no trace of his DNA at the crime scene although he was in and out of the house all the time."
![Dr Dianne McInnes said true crime is not the most popular genre but the numbers are probably understated because so many people read true crime through libraries. She converted at least one of the crime fiction readers to non-fiction at her talk in Narooma Library on Wednesday, November 29. Picture supplied Dr Dianne McInnes said true crime is not the most popular genre but the numbers are probably understated because so many people read true crime through libraries. She converted at least one of the crime fiction readers to non-fiction at her talk in Narooma Library on Wednesday, November 29. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/180157781/ac63dae0-3a69-43af-aa83-cd022e270104.jpg/r0_31_1920_1371_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Readers make up their own mind
Dr McInnes completed her PhD in criminology seven years ago and is sometimes criticised by her peers for not providing her opinion in her true crime books.
"I want the reader to look at the information I present to form their own opinion and be almost part of the jury."
Dr McInnes had limited interaction with police involved in either case but she spoke with the head of the DNA lab while writing 'Five Drops of Blood'.
"They were having problems with DNA back then and they are again now.
"Neither Max nor Andrew were ever previously violent."
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