Scene of the Crime: A Writer’s Guide to Crime Scene Investigation (Howdunit Series) (Paperback)

by Anne Wingate (Author) "Let's walk through a real crime..." (more)
Key Phrases: head hair combings, small particle reagent, identification technician, Hans Gross, Super Glue, Henry County (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-- A readable, informative guide to aspects of police/law enforcement as they relate to the crime scene. The chapters are thorough and seem to be technically accurate and up-to-date. Wingate uses examples from her career and others to illustrate the various procedures, such as determining cause of death, identifying fingerprints, autopsies, etc. Sure to be enjoyed by suspense fans, and highly recommended for libraries with a demand for mysteries or for creative writing materials.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Anyone who is trying to write a mystery will find these to be useful books, and readers of mysteries will find them equally interesting. Wilson, who is both a medical doctor and a writer, describes various causes of death, detailing both the appearance of the body and the official response to unexpected deaths. Scattered throughout the text are examples from literary works illuminating the use of medical and forensic details to strengthen the writing. Chapters deal with subjects such as time of death, autopsies, determination of murder vs. suicide, and various causes of death. Apt use is made of statistics regarding the frequency of varying causes of death. A glossary and bibliography round out the work. Wingate spent more than six years as a criminal investigator. In this book, she gives detailed descriptions of the crime scene search, methods of firearms investigation, fingerprint identification, identification of human remains, autopsies, and crime labs. The information is peppered with descriptions of cases on which Wingate has worked as a criminal investigator. The information is well presented, and the writing style is personal and energetic. Many books on criminal investigation are available, notably Colin Wilson's Written in Blood (Warner, 1991) and B.A. Fisher's Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation (Elsevier, 1986. 4th ed.). Nevertheless, owing to the moderate price and clear presentation of these books, both are recommended for public libraries and for academic libraries where creative writing programs are supported.
- Denise Johnson, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, Ill.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898795184
• ISBN-13: 978-0898795189
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #298,279 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable and helpful, July 10, 2000

By	P. Lozar "plozar" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I'm working on a series of mystery novels and have read most of the books in the "Howdunit" series. They're all more or less helpful, but this is far and away the best. The other authors seemed to think in terms of "I'm going to tell you everything I know in 100 pages," so their books often read like criminology Cliff Notes. Ms. Wingate, on the other hand, is a practicing mystery author and has an excellent sense of what an author needs to know, so the book is not only full of useful information but well-organized and fun to read (if you're not squeamish). She's clear about her areas of expertise and non-expertise: she has years of experience in fingerprinting, so she's very explicit and thorough about that, whereas in other areas (e.g., guns) she just gives a quick overview and refers the reader to the "real" experts for the technical details.
I found the sample forms and reports very helpful as a guide to what investigators are looking for, and how information is communicated from (say) the fiber experts to the police. I've always especially enjoyed Ms. Wingate's novels because of how they depict the personal dynamics WITHIN a police department, which she well knows as an ex-officer. Her anecdotes in this book are not only memorable, and often very funny, but also contribute a great deal to the reader's "feel" for how a police department operates in real life.
In general, I feel this is the most readable and helpful volume of the series. I hope Ms. Wingate revises it periodically -- the technology is constantly changing -- but as a guide to the "feel" of how an investigation is conducted, the book is ageless.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining as well as informative., March 30, 2000

By	A. Laughlin (Clinton, MS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'd been interested in the Howdunit series for some time before I finally got my hands on some of them (Scene of the Crime, Deadly Doses, Police Procedural, Malicious Intent, Private Eyes, and Missing Persons). Scene of the Crime was the first that I read, and I was pleased to find it not only informative, but also entertaining. Anne Wingate has the cockeyed sort of sense of humor that I appreciate, and her easy, conversational tone kept the book from becoming too dry--the failing of some of the other books (Deadly Doses and Police Procedural).

With regards to the person who opined that, given the errors with regards to firearms, the book could not have been very accurate, I must disagree. Ms. Wingate states upfront that she is not a firearms expert and that a writer wanting to know about firearms should read the book devoted to them, and she does not spend a lot of time in the book discussing firearms. A few errors on a topic in which the author admits to being no expert hardly constitutes a "plague of errors."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the Howdunit Series, April 17, 1999

By	Steven J. Frank ([e-mail]) (Boston, Mass.) - See all my reviews

An excellent writer's resource. Densely packed with information but not densely written, this books covers more than its title suggests. Everything you ever wanted to know about forensics is here, of course, but the author takes you well beyond the crime scene. What distinguishes this book is the consistent awareness of writers' needs. Procedure and technique are considered in terms of their fictional possibilities and the real-life people who do the work. The author also includes resources valuable to any writer -- not just those who work the mystery genre.