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9781665154338

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"""A gripping history of the anatomy of crime...contains a wealth of surprising information...If McDermid is ever stuck for inspiration for her novels she could do worse than turn to her own book of the dead for inspiration."" -- ""Independent (London)"" ""A guide to criminal forensics that is every bit as compelling as the best of the fiction...She combines science with the macabre, from the Great Fire of London to some of the most sensational trials of recent times."" -- ""Irish Times"" ""A highly readable, eye-opening account of the way in which criminals have slowly had their wings clipped and their getaways thwarted over the past hundred and more years."" -- ""Herald (Scotland)"" ""Examines the creativity of forensic experts through the analytic techniques they apply to real-life crime...McDermid has not lost her early journalistic genius for telling a good story plainly and with passion."" -- ""Times Saturday Review (London)"" ""From a bestselling mystery author, a curiosity-fueled look at the realities behind crime science...A satisfying insider's excursion into the scientific realities behind CSI-style pop culture."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""In charting the 'astonishing leaps' that forensic science has made over the past two centuries, McDermid provides a grimly absorbing account of crime and its detection."" -- ""Observer (London)"" ""The crime novelist burrows into the wild history of forensics...to explain practices like using maggots to calculate time of death."" -- ""Entertainment Weekly"" ""This gruesomely fascinating book [is]...a mix of science and true-crime accounts...Fans of McDermid's fiction will gain a greater understanding of where her ideas come from."" -- ""Publishers Weekly "" ""Using historical examples, author McDermid brings to life the various subspecialties within forensic science...[in this] no-frills primer. Additionally, McDermid's experience as a crime writer and former journalist allows her to present the facts of the individual illustrative cases in compelling ways."" -- ""Library Journal"""

A gripping history of the anatomy of crime...contains a wealth of surprising information...If McDermid is ever stuck for inspiration for her novels she could do worse than turn to her own book of the dead for inspiration. -- Independent (London) A guide to criminal forensics that is every bit as compelling as the best of the fiction...She combines science with the macabre, from the Great Fire of London to some of the most sensational trials of recent times. -- Irish Times A highly readable, eye-opening account of the way in which criminals have slowly had their wings clipped and their getaways thwarted over the past hundred and more years. -- Herald (Scotland) Examines the creativity of forensic experts through the analytic techniques they apply to real-life crime...McDermid has not lost her early journalistic genius for telling a good story plainly and with passion. -- Times Saturday Review (London) From a bestselling mystery author, a curiosity-fueled look at the realities behind crime science...A satisfying insider's excursion into the scientific realities behind CSI-style pop culture. -- Kirkus Reviews In charting the 'astonishing leaps' that forensic science has made over the past two centuries, McDermid provides a grimly absorbing account of crime and its detection. -- Observer (London) The crime novelist burrows into the wild history of forensics...to explain practices like using maggots to calculate time of death. -- Entertainment Weekly This gruesomely fascinating book [is]...a mix of science and true-crime accounts...Fans of McDermid's fiction will gain a greater understanding of where her ideas come from. -- Publishers Weekly Using historical examples, author McDermid brings to life the various subspecialties within forensic science...[in this] no-frills primer. Additionally, McDermid's experience as a crime writer and former journalist allows her to present the facts of the individual illustrative cases in compelling ways. -- Library Journal

Author Information

Val McDermid was a journalist for sixteen years and is now a full-time writer living in South Manchester. Among her awards are the Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year for The Mermaids Singing. Her novel A Place of Execution won a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Sarah Barron is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.

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