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Loading... Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime (Wellcome) (2014)
Work InformationForensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid (2014)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Val McDermid turns her considerable narrative skill to a non-fiction history of the development of forensics, from the days of Jack the Ripper to the 21st century. It's almost as gripping as one of her novels. Each chapter deals with one branch of forensics (Toxicology, DNA and Blood Spatter, Facial Reconstruction, etc.) and how it has come to be essential to crime scene investigators, prosecutors and defense attorneys. "The courtroom is the anvil on which scientific evidence is struck. With a well-prepared lawyer playing the part of the hammer, forensic techniques are either strengthened or broken, according to their merit." McDermid uses some classic cases, both unsolved and resolved, to illustrate what can be proven in a court of law (and equally what sometimes cannot be known for certain). The details of some of them were already familiar to me, but her perspective on the scientific evidence was still worth reading about. Comparisons of procedures in the US and the UK were often surprising, and who knew how much the insect world has to contribute to interpretation of a crime scene! no reviews | add a review
AwardsDistinctions
Medical.
True Crime.
Nonfiction.
HTML: Val McDermid is one of the finest crime writers we have, whose novels have captivated millions of readers worldwide with their riveting narratives of characters who solve complex crimes and confront unimaginable evil. In the course of researching her bestselling novels McDermid has become familiar with every branch of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science, real-world murders and the people who must solve them. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)363.25Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Other social problems and services Police Services Criminal investigationLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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This did not quite warrant 5 stars as there are quite a few typing mistakes and even words missed out occasionally, which is not expected in a traditionally published book. Would have deducted half a star but GR does not permit that so have rated this as 4 stars. ( )