Crime Scene Investigation: Crack The Case With Real-Life Experts

Rating:
Summary: CSI can't lay out the facts like this
Review: I'm not much of a TV watcher but when "Cold Case Files" or something like it is on, I'm glued to the television set. I'm fascinated by the field of forensic science and just how increasingly sophisticated it gets everyday. There is no such thing as the "perfect crime" as, literally, a drop of blood or a strand of human hair will place a criminal at the scene of the crime and lead to a conviction so I don't know why criminals (murderers in particular) keep trying.

This book lays out the varied, gruesome, and hectic duties of people in the field of forensic science: From forensic pathologists to forensic dentists to botanists (who play vital roles in describing where certain plants and flowers grow just in case a murderer comes up with the brilliant idea that cactus can grow in water), various fields of expertise are explored in great detail and emphasis is placed time and again on the fact that these very different people and fields must work together as a team in order to process a crime scene effectively, conduct an autopsy correctly, and later put together an air-tight case in court.

Despite the confusing layout (why do publishers insist on putting these shaded boxes and side charts and bars on every other page? It's confusing and takes away from the message of the text), you'll come away from this book with a deeper appreciation for what these people do on a daily basis.

After seeing some of the photos in this book and digesting the depth of their responsibilities, I can really understand why some folks in law enforcement snap. It's hard to keep your emotions in check when you have to process or even look at a crime scene where, for example, a child, literally, had their head bashed in by a hammer. It's a requirement for the job in order to collect all pertinent information for the prosecutor to later use in court but it must bother many of these law enforcement officials, no matter how many years they've put in.

From arriving at the crime scene to conducting the autopsy to performing a toxicological test to getting a conviction in court, an excellent job was done in breaking forensics down by who does what.