Nearby Author of Mystery Novels Encourages Girls to Study Math

Camille Minichino, a physicist who works at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has published the first book in her third series of mystery novels. 

The Square Root of Murder was released Tuesday. Click here to read chapter one of The Square Root of Murder.

Minichino creates strong, academic heroines in her novels to encourage girls to pursue science and mathematics careers that are dominated by men. Her hope is to teach girls that science and math is fun.

Under the pen name Ada Madison, Minichino introduces Dr. Sophie Knowles, a mathematics professor at a small Massachusetts college campus. 

Her students enjoy her classes because of her ability to make math easy to understand. During her spare time, Sophie creates puzzles for publication, enjoys beading with her friend Ariana, and spends time with her handsome boyfriend, medevac pilot Bruce Granville. 

When a professor disliked by most of the college staff and student body is found murdered, Sophie adds amateur detective to her list of hobbies. Rachel Wheeler, Sophie's assistant, becomes the police's primary suspect. Sophie sets out to prove Rachel's innocence, putting her own life on the line.

Minichino has published eight novels in her first series, the "Periodic Table Mysteries." In it, Dr. Gloria Lamerino, a retired physicist, signs on to help the police department in science-related homicides. 

The Hydrogen Murder is the beginning of Gloria's adventures and she soon realizes she may have 118 cases ahead of her. After the eighth novel, The Oxygen Murder, was published, the "Periodic Table Mysteries" continued in short stories on Kindle and on smashwords.com.

The "Miniature Mysteries" series, published under the pen name Margaret Grace, features retired high school English teacher Geraldine Porter. Retirement suits Geraldine well because it gives her time to spend on her hobbies: dollhouses and miniatures. When a murder happens in her small town, Geraldine and her 10-year-old granddaughter, Maddie, find themselves playing detective to solve bigger-than-miniature murder mysteries. 

Geraldine will return in the spring in the sixth book of the series, Mix-Up in Miniature.

Minichino is a Bay Area resident with an impressive resume.

She received her doctorate in physics from Fordham University in New York City. She is a faculty member at Golden Gate University and is on staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Minichino has contributed to many publications involving nuclear and fusion energy. 

In addition, she received the Jack London Award from the California Writers Club in 2007. She is a board member of the California Writers Club and NorCal Sisters in Crime.  She also is a member ofNorCal Mystery Writers of America and San Francisco Romance Writers of America. 

Minichino uses her expertise in science and math, and her hobbies, dollhouses and miniatures, to inspire her creative fiction.  

Minichino's fan club includes her husband of 34 years, Dick Rufer. His continued support of her passion to write, her hobbies and the need to travel has been the foundation of their successful marriage, she said.

The Square Root of Murder by Ada Madison can be purchased at Towne Center Books and Barnes & Noble in Dublin.