Crime Scene: From Fingerprints to DNA Testing - An Astonishing Inside Look at the Real World of C.S.I. [Mass Market Paperback]

Larry Ragle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995

One of the nation's top forensic scientists, Larry Ragle has investigated countless brutal and baffling crimes during his forty-year career. Now he takes us behind the yellow police tape and into the medical examiner's laboratory for a fascinating look at his most sensational cases, revealing how cutting-edge science and medical technology were used to shed brilliant light on the criminals and their transgressions. Here is the real world of C.S.I. -- where astonishingly detailed portraits of malefactors are painted with a single drop of blood, and a microscopic fiber can direct the police to even the most careful and elusive of murderers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the amazing world where science meets crime." (T. Jefferson Parker )

About the Author

Larry Ragle is the retired Director of Forensic Sciences in Orange County, California. During his career as a forensic scientist he investigated countless high-profile homicides, and lent his expertise to the defense team in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Mr. Ragle currently lives in Laguna Beach, California.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Avon (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380773791
• ISBN-13: 978-0380773794
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An above average reference, April 23, 2004

By 

gunngirl (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crime Scene: From Fingerprints to DNA Testing - An Astonishing Inside Look at the Real World of C.S.I. (Mass Market Paperback)

Like a reviewer mentioned, this book did need a glossary. It would have been very helpful to look up words and phrases that he used so naturally.

However, I found this book to be informative and very well written. Ragle talks to his readers and explains as he goes along. I like that. I also like the crime scene scenarios where he talks about a case and how he investigated it, how the evidence was found, how the suspect was captured and his prison sentence.

I think this book is helpful for writers because he talks about real investigators and real crime scenes. You can get an idea of what they do, when and how for a more realistic portrayal of your character. There is also inside stuff that happens at a crime scene and during an investigation that you wouldn't get unless someone on the inside, like Ragle, told you.

However, I do reccomend you find this in your bookstore, flip through it and see if it answers any questions you may have. It's fairly cheap if it were to be used for a reference book, which is why I bought it. For casual reading I wouldn't recommend it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crime Scence, March 17, 2000

By 

Jose Lozano (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crime Scene: From Fingerprints to DNA Testing - An Astonishing Inside Look at the Real World of C.S.I. (Mass Market Paperback)

Crime Scene by Larry Ragle is one of the best books that I have read on the subject of Forensic Investigation. It really provides the reader with the tools to working with crime scenes and evidence. It shows how forensic investigators put together evidence to pinpoint the cause of death, what investigators look for during an autopsy, how a bullet can identify the killer and the type of gun used, how secret blood pattern analysis can reveal about a crime, and how DNA testing works in murder investigatoins. I strongly reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how police detectives and investigaors solve crimes and pinpoint evidence to catch cold-blooded killers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best I've Come Across., August 9, 2005

By 

James B. Johnson (HUDSON, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crime Scene: From Fingerprints to DNA Testing - An Astonishing Inside Look at the Real World of C.S.I. (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the best of its type I've come across. I'm impressed. However the author doesnt address how you cope with idiots, and the system is filled with idiots: who run amok over the crime scene, destroying evidence; experts who know little or nothing about what they profess, severely damaging investigations; and political pressure to make certain outcomes likely. People get highly annoyed when your report is contrary to their bias and expectations. And newbie judges and lawyers. They arent scientists and they arent detectives, and they are arrogantly clueless when it comes to much of what you discover. This book is well-written, the author knows his stuff, and it's interesting.