When the dead speak.

Author : Val McDermid
Title : Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime
Published : 05/02/2015
Pages : 320
Format  : Kindle
Publisher : Wellcome Collection;






    
The dead talk. To the right listener, they tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died - and who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help justice to be done using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene or the faintest of human traces. Forensics draws on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research and Val McDermid's own experience to lay bare the secrets of this fascinating science. And, along the way, she wonders at how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine 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 uncovered the victims of a genocide.

    While we all have a love of crime fiction the great detective or the common person trying to put right what when so horrible wrong. Every now and again it’s interesting to go behind the scenes of what relay takes place when a crime happens. I realise this is not for everyone they may not want to be confronted with the gruesome facts of how some ones life comes to an end. For me it all stared years  ago when I came  across a little know series at the time CSI. This obviously went on to become a huge world wide phenomenon. But it peaked an interest that never really died. Once in a while I like to take a trip in to the world of true crime. So when this book flicked up on my Twitter feed I jumped at the chance to spend some time with it.

     While the author is more known for her fictional exploits she does an amazing job when it come to this non fiction outing. She breaks each section of the book down in to the different disciplines of crime scene investigations. Within these she gives us the birth of each of the categories. How they came to be and who was responsible for them. They are then backed up with actual case study’s some of these crimes are well known others not so much. The author also brings to us testimonials from people in the fields. I like this as it brings to light the hard work of people who’s names we may never have heard of otherwise. The way in which she chose to present all this information to us is done in an easy manner. Her style lends its self well as I never felt overwhelmed by the flow of text. She has clearly spent a great deal of time in the researching of this book. Both in the facts we are given and the cases she chose to use as examples. This book is also not for the faint of heart. I know that’s kind of stating the obvious. But some of the descriptions given of murder victims are very vivid and the images painted in my mind will surely hang around for a while. This book allowed me to get a better grasp of how all these things came into being. Some times we just assume they have always existed. In the world we live in I think we take for granted all the advance that allow a modern criminal case to come to fruition. Through the author I got learn the names of the people who fought the battles now long forgotten to get there theory’s proven. It’s thanks to them that not only have criminals been sent to prison. But also wrongly convicted people to finally get set free.

     In a world now saturated with flashy lights and camera tricks in the world of forensics on t.v and in film it’s nice to come across a book that shows it warts and all. It doesn’t glamorise a world the deals with the worst side of the human experience. I think it’s good to not only show the triumphs but also at times when it has all gone so tragically. Be it by ego or by factors way out of people’s control. If you want to know more  about this subject it will be worth you grabbing a copy for your self.