Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Forensics by Val McDermid - Available

Forensics

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

by Val McDermid
Sarah Barron
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Val McDermid is one of the finest crime writers we have, whose novels have captivated millions of listeners 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 ever branch of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science, real-world murders, and the people who must solve them. The dead talk-to the right listener. They can tell us about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died, and, of course, who killed them. 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 human traces. Forensics draws on interviews with some of these top-level professionals, groundbreaking research, and Val McDermid's own original interviews and firsthand experience on scene with top forensic scientist. 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. It's a journey that will take McDermid to war zones, fire scenes, and autopsy suites, and bring her into contact with both extraordinary bravery and wickedness, as she traces the history of forensics for its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day. A former journalist and Northern Bureau Chief of a national UK tabloid, Val McDermid is the bestselling author of The Skeleton Road and twenty-eight previous novels, three story collections, and the nonfiction book A Suitable Job for a Woman, an inside look at female private investigators. She lives in Scotland.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 7, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781622317400
      • File size: 326750 KB
      • Duration: 11:20:43

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Veteran crime writer Val McDermid takes a turn at nonfiction, exploring the aims and techniques underlying crime investigation and the field of forensic science, the basis for her bestselling novels. Narrator Sarah Barron's Scottish accent reflects the author's background but may be difficult to understand for the unaccustomed ear. Otherwise, Barron's narration is comfortably paced. Thorough in scope--with sections that run the gamut from entomology to blood spatter, DNA testing, digital forensics, and more--this is an informative work for both enthusiasts of criminal investigation novels as well as those interested solely in the science. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 11, 2015
      In this gruesomely fascinating book, former journalist and renowned suspense novelist McDermid (The Skeleton Road) explains the science behind solving crimes. Based on interviews with crime scene investigators, such as a man who gathers maggots off dead bodies and a woman who analyzes blood spatter, McDermid recounts vivid case histories of violent crimes and details how they were solved using pathology, toxicology, anthropology, fingerprinting, facial reconstruction, and other forensic disciplines. Chapters on DNA technology and digital forensics highlight recent mind-stretching advancements in forensics, while other chapters discredit the theories set forth in the popular CSI television shows. The book is a mix of science and true crime accounts. The majority of the Scottish author’s sources are from the U.K., as are the case histories—including the infamous Stardust disco fire in England’s Derbyshire and the case of Colin Pitchfork, the first person in the U.K. to be convicted of double murder on the basis of DNA evidence. Fans of McDermid’s fiction will gain a greater understanding of where her ideas come from. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company (U.K.).

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading