Bodies of Evidence: The Fascinating World of Forensic Science and How It Helped Solve More Than 100 True Crimes [Hardcover]

Brian Innes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2000

This fast-paced, authoritative book offers a compelling look at the way scientific techniques have helped investigators solve some of the most famous crimes in history. More than 100 true crime cases discussed.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (October 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762102950
• ISBN-13: 978-0762102952
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,786,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Picture book of forensic science, May 26, 2002

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bodies of Evidence: The Fascinating World of Forensic Science and How It Helped Solve More Than 100 True Crimes (Hardcover)

"Bodies of Evidence" is a Reader's Digest book about forensic science, featuring more than a hundred true crimes and many gory, full-color photographs. It's definitely not a text-book, but more of an overview of different methods of forensic detection. I didn't find the explanations particularly clear, and the cases chosen to illustrate the detective work were the usual, tried and true (or tried and convicted) Dr. Buck Ruxton, Aunt Thally and her poison tea, Sacco and Vanzetti, etc. The 'Boston Strangler' case was used as an example in the 'Suffocation and Strangulation' section, but no mention was made of the fact that DNA analysis has recently been used to clear Albert DeSalvo of at least one of the murders.

For those who are following the Chandra Levy case, "Bodies of Evidence" will provide an overview of the forensic techniques that the Washington D.C. police force may be employing.

The body of the book is divided into the following chapters, each with lots of illustrations and a case history or two: "Gathering the Evidence;" "Suicide or Murder?;" "Mark of Death (Physical assault, bruising);" "With Poison Deadly;" "Skull and Bones;" "Breath of Life (death by oxygen deprivation);" "Worm in the Flesh (decomposition, insect traces);" "Finger of Suspicion (fingerprints);" "Written in Blood;" "DNA Fingerprinting;" "Hanging by a Hair;" "The Speeding Bullet;" "Fire and Destruction;" "Fragments of Evidence (broken glass, paint fragments, etc);" "Speaking Likeness (voice prints);" "The Guilty Party (handwriting, identity parades, etc.);" "The Forensic Hardware (hi-tech methods and devices such as Neutron Activation, Mass Spectrometry, etc.);"

One minor criticism---I wish the publishers hadn't decided to stamp "CASE CLOSED" over the actual text of the case. It made the case histories slightly hard to read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This one depends on the reader...., June 29, 2003

By 

Betti Trapp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bodies of Evidence: The Fascinating World of Forensic Science and How It Helped Solve More Than 100 True Crimes (Hardcover)

This book was fair to midlin, depending on the perspective of the reader. I usually read for entertainment and to learn and the factual information presented was good. However, for a layperson like myself, I found much of the information on DNA and other crime solving techniques very confusing. It made me wonder how juries ever can understand it all. At times throughout the book, one would have to be a chemist to understand. Despite that, there were good portions that were both interesting and instructional. Anyone interested in forensics would just love this book. It is complete with pictures (some gruesome) and many different criminal investigative techniques. If you are reading this book because this is your field, it would be a five star book, if you are reading this book solely for entertainment - skip it, if you are reading this book in the hopes of committing a crime and getting away with it, it won't happen. But, if you are like me and are reading for both pleasure and knowledge, it's worth your time and effort.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the most fascinating books i've ever read, September 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bodies of Evidence: The Fascinating World of Forensic Science and How It Helped Solve More Than 100 True Crimes (Hardcover)

On tv the witty cop gets the criminal single handedly. In reality the case against a criminal is often made in the forensics lab. If you enjoy watching the New Detectives or the FBI Files on TV you will love this book.