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

Colin Evans (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

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Anyone can summarize a collection of cases, but not everyone can make them read well. With a flair for compressed narrative worthy of a good short story writer, Colin Evans entertains and instructs the reader with 100 cases that exemplify the use of 15 different forensic techniques (ballistics, fingerprinting). Some (like the Lindbergh case) are famous, others are barely known, yet each has some unique twist that sets it apart. Many "firsts" are included, such as the first murder conviction without a body, the first use of psychological profiling, and the first use of DNA typing. Evans also brings out the distinct (often flamboyant) personalities of the pioneering experts of forensics and some of their more notable courtroom theatrics. Each case is labeled by name of criminal, forensic technique, date, location, and significant feature(s), making this a useful reference as well as a fun book to read. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

This well-organized compendium by Evans (Killer Doctors in Britain) covers cases from 1751 to 1991, arranged according to the methodology by which they were solved. Fifteen areas are listed alphabetically, ranging from ballistics through DNA typing, fingerprinting, odontology, serology and toxicology to the still-disputed voiceprint analysis. Only a few twice-told tales like the murder of Gay Gibson and Willie Guldensuppe have been included. Otherwise, even the most dedicated devotee of the genre will find much that is new in these brief but exciting accounts of the brilliant and persistent scientific work that brought murderers like John List (through forensic anthropology), Ted Bundy (through odontology) and Jeffrey MacDonald (through trace evidence) to justice. Those still convinced of the innocence of Sacco and Vanzetti or Bruno Richard Hauptmann are in for some surprises. Fifty photos include many of the pathologists and detectives whose exploits are related in the text.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
Strictly speaking, balistics is the science that deals with the motion of projectiles and the conditions affecting that motion, but in criminal investigation it has come to mean specifically the study of firearms and bullets. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding general history of forensics and reference book, Jun 27 2003
This review is from: The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World's Most Baffling Crimes (Paperback)
This is the perfect starter book for anyone interested in forensics. It is organized by forensic discipline, then chronologically within each section. The author covers a number of famous cases, but has also included many more that are obscure, but equally fascinating. Each case is described ecomonically, but there is enough detail given to fully describe the case and the forensic techniques used to solve it. The writing is plain, precise, and jargon-free.

This book is also an excellent reference volume. The index and table of contents make it easy to find a specific case and I refer to this book often while reading other true crime or forensics book for names, dates, etc.

Anyone looking for a well-written, informative forensic science book need go no further than this book.

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3.0 out of 5 stars OK but not great, Nov 4 2007
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This review is from: Casebook Of Forensic Detection (Mass Market Paperback)
Overall not a bad read. Not a lot of suspense or who dunnit factor. I was especially disappointed with his treatment of the Steven Truscott case. He supported two pieces of since discounted "forensic " evidence used at the original trial. Mr. Truscott was recently acquitted of Lynn Harper's murder by an appeal court in Ontario.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Casebook for Forensic Science & Law, Jun 7 2004
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This review is from: The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World's Most Baffling Crimes (Paperback)
This is an ideal book for a student of forensic science or law, who may need help to find out various cases for their studies. It gives a guide to many different cases throughout the last century, with enough detail for the student to be able to do further research.

Each new section has a brief review of what the subject matter is eg Ballistics. Colin tells a little of what ballistics is about, including some history, then he writes a little about the subject of firearms and then what can happen when firearms are fired. Other subjects covered are Cause of Death, Disputed Documents, DNA Typing, Explosives and Fire, Fingerprinting, Forensic Anthropology, Odontology, Psychological Profiling, Identification of Remains, Serology, Time of Death, Toxicology, Trace Evidence and Voiceprints.

The appendix in the book is on Forensic Pioneers and Their Cases and here Colin lists 9 forensic scientists giving their year of birth and if dead, their year of death, also a brief outline of their career or some other pertinent detail, with a list of the significant cases which they worked on.

This book is well written and with enough detail to give those who are not involved in this field a very enjoyable read.

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