Val McDermid

Draws on interviews with some of the top-level professionals, ground-breaking research, and McDermid's own original interviews and firsthand experience on scene with top forensic scientists.

What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us about Crime

Forensics

Forensics is both an informative text and a powerful reminder of the human stories behind the science. McDermid's ability to explain challenging material in a clear and exciting way is one of the things that makes the book worth reading for anyone interested in forensic science, much less true crime.

Doyenne

it’s crazy on how much important information it has 

drea <3

Rachel Evans

(3.75/5) 3 hours 36 minutes - A brief but informative introduction to many aspects of forensic sciences, including many well-known processes (eg. fingerprinting) as well as some I'd never really thought about before (eg. entomology). I enjoyed reading about all the cases both past and present that have used the different forensic techniques discussed. However, sometimes it became a little dull to read, but only on occasions. Overall, a good read.

Ley Stanton

Such a fascinating read. This provides a fantastic overview of forensics and how the different disciplines came to be, including some of their landmark cases. It debunks how most crime procedural shows tend to show forensics. Sadly, forensics isn't nearly as glamorous as some of those shows portray but its still equally as interesting. Would definitely recommend to someone trying to learn more about forensic science, this is a good jumping off point. There's a decent list in the back of other books to pick up next if you want to delve deeper into anything referenced in the book.

The dead talk. To the right listener, they tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died - and who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help justice to be done using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene or the faintest of human traces. Forensics uncovers the secrets of forensic medicine, drawing on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research and Val McDermid's own experience to lay bare the secrets of this fascinating science. And, along the way, she wonders at how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death, how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist uncovered the victims of a genocide.In her crime novels, Val McDermid has been solving complex crimes and confronting unimaginable evil for years. Now, she's looking at the people who do it for real, and real crime scenes. It's a journey that will take her to war zones, fire scenes and autopsy suites, and bring her into contact with extraordinary bravery and wickedness, as she traces the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.Published in partnership with the Wellcome Collection, a free visitor destination that explores the connections between medicine, life and art.

An Anatomy of Crime

Mary Baldwin

I've never read any of her fiction work, but I fell in love with this brilliant amalgamation of forensic science disciplines. I doubt this book would appeal unless you have a prior interest in forensics, and it so happens I do; so when I walked past this on the shelf it was irresistable.

The topics are all familiar ones: finerprinting, DNA analysis, forensic psychology and forensic computing to name a few, but the latest developments and current limitations of each technique are discussed whilst relating them to real case studies.

The level of detail is spot on for a book like this, and its well referenced so easy to know where to go for more.

Its a keeper.

Fiona Coffey

I enjoyed this book a lot, especially the audio-book. I both read a physical copy and listened, and really liked that way of experiencing the book. The narrator for the audio book is great! Overall though, the topic is something I’m very interested in, and I really love how in depth this book goes. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in true crime or crime as a genre!

The dead talk. To the right listener, they tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died - and who killed them. Forensic scientists can use a corpse, the scene of a crime or a single hair to unlock the secrets of the past and allow justice to be done. Bestselling crime author Val McDermid draws on interviews with top-level professionals to delve, in her own inimitable style, into the questions and mysteries that surround this fascinating science

The Anatomy of Crime

Áine Murphy

Jeni Enjaian

I really enjoyed this book. McDermid wrote with a comprehensible, engaging narrative. However, due to the fact that I read this book in pieces after watching some true crime documentaries on Netflix that discuss in-depth the problems with some of the exact same techniques that McDermid also talks about. Unfortunately, McDermid barely mentions some of the ways that these techniques have led to wrongful convictions when not applied correctly while stressing that the people she profiles always process things the right way.

Addison Mecklenburg

Jan Miczaika

Bestselling author of Broken Ground “offers fascinating glimpses” into the real world of criminal forensics from its beginnings to the modern day (The Boston Globe). The dead can tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died, and, of course, who killed them. Using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces, forensic scientists unlock the mysteries of the past and serve justice. In Forensics, international bestselling crime author Val McDermid guides readers through this field, drawing on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research, and her own experiences on the scene. Along the way, McDermid discovers how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine one’s time of death; how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer; and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist were able to uncover the victims of a genocide. Prepare to travel to war zones, fire scenes, and autopsy suites as McDermid comes into contact with both extraordinary bravery and wickedness, tracing the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.

What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime

Gigi V

Alistair James

Courtney

Kelly Gutzmer

Aphrodite bartels

Mutter

Reilly

Liam Byrne 

Jess Grossmith

In the course of researching her best-selling books, McDermid has become familiar with many branches of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science and the people who make sure that for murderers, there is no hiding place. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help serve justice using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces. Now available in paperback, "Forensics" goes behind the scenes with some of these top-level professionals and their groundbreaking research, drawing on original interviews and firsthand experience on scene with top forensic scientists. Along the way, we discover how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death; how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer; and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist were able to uncover the victims of a genocide. The journey takes us to war zones, fire scenes, and autopsy suites, reveals both extraordinary bravery and true wickedness, as we trace the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.

Forensics What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us about Crime

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