The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World's Most Baffling Crimes

by Colin Evans

Outlining the development of forensics from the 19th century to the present day, this text is broken down by 17 main types of forensics, with cases arranged chronologically within type, including: DNA testing; handwriting analysis; hypnosis; odontology (identifying criminals by the teeth marks they left on their victims) psychological profiling; and other techniques. Included is the story of how forensics experts were able to identify a person with only one thousandth of her body (a few hairs and nail and tooth fragments), and the tale of how a psychological profile helped catch a dangerously insane criminal who drank his victims' blood.

• ISBN10: 0471076503
• ISBN13: 9780471076506
• Publish Date: 16 August 1996
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 6 June 2002
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 318
• Language: English

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

The Casebook Of Forensic Detection As I said earlier, this was a fascinating book, it just felt like it took forever to read it.  And it was only 350 pages or so.
 
I liked the style of the book, a short summation of each forensic technique (time of death, fingerprints, DNA, etc) that gave a little bit of an explanation and a little history before delving into specific cases.  And a great selection of cases, from murder to forgeries to poisonings, all over the last few hundred years to show how each aspect of forensics moved the science forward.  Each case was given just a few pages to lay out the facts of the case and then another page or 2 to cover the science used and the outcome.  So each case was around 5 to 10 pages at the most. Which means there were a lot of cases, so much so that after a few, I was ready to move on to the next chapter, but unwilling to skip ahead and miss a good story. 
 
So I think that's why it felt like it took forever to finish the book.  It's not that it was dry and boring - far from it.  Just too much of a good thing, and I'm sure the author found it frustrating not to add "just one more case..."
 
Overall, riveting and fascinating read, but became overwhelming after awhile.  But if you love true crime stories and the science that goes along with solving them, then you will enjoy this book.