No Stone Unturned: The True Story of the World's Premier Forensic Investigators (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: pig people, human identification, locating clandestine graves, Tony Emery, Michele Wallace, Diane France (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Founded in 1991 as a nonprofit forensic investigative team, NecroSearch International specializes in homicide cases shelved because of "corpus indelecti" that is, a body cannot be produced as evidence that a murder has taken place. Coming from a wide range of backgrounds geophysicists to "cadaver dog" specialists to chemists and rank-and-file cops the members of NecroSearch combine their skills to produce the most proficient (and most exciting) detective work since Sherlock Holmes. They take the coldest cases and comb for hidden graves on rural hillsides, in suburban backyards and at the bottom of mud-choked riverbeds, searching for remains that have been buried anywhere from two to 20 years. (Or 70, as in the notorious Romanov family case.) Having sharpened his true crime teeth on Monster, Jackson competes here with two other books on forensic science to appear this season: Michael Baden and Marion Roach's Dead Reckoning and Corpse by Jessica Snyder Sachs. But while those books concentrate on the establishment of forensic methods as formidable weapons in the fight for criminal justice, this book combines the burden of scientific proof with rousing tales of police work out in the field or the quarry, the Rocky Mountains or someone's backyard. The book covers the group's quirky beginnings and digs into its most important cases suspensefully; Jackson's sharp eye misses nothing in the painstakingly rendered details. A must-have for true crime fans, it should also be of great interest to anyone fascinated with the practical applications of science. 32 pages of photos not seen by PW.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

True-crime author Jackson (Monster) has created a fascinating account of a group of extraordinary people who volunteer their time and expertise to locate hidden murder victims for the police and prosecutors. Before the advent of NecroSearch International, police had few choices in searching for buried evidence. Using a backhoe for clues buried in the ground often destroyed the data, while searching in water was difficult and risky. Often, police would be within a few inches of evidence and not realize it. G. Clark Davenport, a geophysicist who had expertise in using equipment the police were not familiar with, knew there had to be a better way. At the same time, two law enforcement officials were coming to the conclusion that experts in different fields could help the police solve crimes. Davenport and the two officials met, and "the evolutionary tree of forensic science grew a new branch." From this meeting, NecroSearch International was eventually born. Recommended for public and academic libraries. Karen Evans, Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786015772
• ISBN-13: 978-0786015771
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,087 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Police procedurals and amateur sleuths, January 22, 2002

By	Ron Franscell, Author of 'The Darkest Night' - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Stone Unturned: The Story of Necrosearch International Investigators (Hardcover)

True-crime writer and newspaperman Steve Jackson explores NecroSearch International's history in "No Stone Unturned," a simultaneously macabre and uplifting new book. And the soul of NecroSearch's work is not just finding hidden corpses and collecting clues, Jackson says, but easing pain.

Jackson is a newspaperman's newspaperman, the kind of guy for whom "journalist" is simply too pale a term. He once joined two Indians from the remote mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, crossed the border at Tijuana and journeyed more than 1,000 miles to Oregon to document the hopes, dreams, trials and travails of migrant farm workers. At Denver's Westword, where he worked for eight years, he once wrote a series called "Dealing with the Devil," tracing the rise and fall of a Hispanic street gang against the backdrop of a murder trial.

"No Stone Unturned" delves into cases that would make good novels, but they're real. Furthermore, he describes a group of uncommon people performing uncommon tasks, and he does it with respect, accuracy and genuine style.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Turning over a new Stone, October 2, 2004

By	paul mason "dedarkone" (Barrie On) - See all my reviews

When people think true crime, this person anyhow, I think Mafia, Hell's Angels, Grisly murders, etc... none of which particularly appeals to this particular reader.

Steve Jackson has written a forensic true crime "biography?" that I could not put down. He chronicles the history of forensic science in crime investigation from the time of Doyle and his fictional Sherlock Holmes, albeit briefly, until the present day. Jackson focuses on a particular group that have modestly changed the face of criminal investigation. NECROSEARCH INTERNATIONAL, a group of criminalists, archaeologists, anthropologists, naturalists, paleotologists and many other ists and isms;).
The group was founded in the late eighties and early nineties (although their roots as told by Jackson stretch even further back than that.) experimenting at locating pigs and corpses. From Project PIG NECROSEARCh emerged as an team utilized by investigative agencies throughout the world.

Jackson focuses on three cases that have been a few examples of Necrosearch's successes. He writes the groups and victim's stories with such passion and empathy that it is almost like reading a thriller except these are real cases. That is to say this is a very readable true crime book that should appeal to armchair detectives, scientists, and people like myself ( and I am guessing from ratings there are a few) who are CSI fans.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Book That's Factually Accurate!, January 13, 2002

By	Kathy Young (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Stone Unturned: The Story of Necrosearch International Investigators (Hardcover)

As an investigator involved in one of the cases written about in this book I found the stories to be compelling and factually accurate. NecroSearch is truly a group of dedicated professionals whose goal is to seek the truth. Steve Jackson tells their tales well and shows the world that the passage of time does not take away grief nor make the value of a lost life any less. His hard work in seeking the facts of how each case was handled has paid off and No Stone Unturned is a great read. I hope others in law enforcement will pick it up and be inspired to continue working on their own cases or seeking assistance from NecroSearch or others in the scientific community despite the passage of time.