Police Lab: How Forensic Science Tracks Down and Convicts Criminals (Paperback)

by David Owen (Author) "The scene of the crime is where forensic investigators start their examinations..." (more)
Key Phrases: ridge patterns, Lindy Chamberlain, United States, Georgi Markov (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-What with CSI one of the more popular shows around, forensic-science methods have made an entrance into many living rooms around the country, and there has been corresponding activity in the previously placid 363.25s. This addition to the genre discusses current methodology interspersed with actual forensic investigations into crimes as diverse as a brutal murder in 1889 to the causes of the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989. Poison, strangulation, burning, drowning, shooting, and stabbing are some of the murderous methods explored in the readable text, as are such forensic tools as facial reconstruction, bite matching, ballistics, DNA screening, and the old standby, fingerprinting. Color photos abound, as do "Forensic Fact" and "Crime File" boxes. This title is on a comparable level with Andrea Campbell's more stolid Forensic Science (Chelsea, 1999) and Brian Lane's Crime & Detection (DK, 2000), and more difficult than Charlotte Foltz Jones's chattier Fingerprints and Talking Bones (Delacorte, 1997). Couple Owen's book with Mark P. Friedlander, Jr., and Terry M. Phillips's competent When Objects Talk (Lerner, 2001) and Donna M. Jackson's superb The Bone Detectives (Little, Brown, 1996) and put CSI on TiVo.
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Part forensics lesson and part historical crime review, this book blends fascinating and manageable detail with specific examples of famous cases most readers will recognize. Owen does an excellent job of explaining how forensics experts gather, analyze, and assess data on forgery, poisoning, suicides, explosions, and murder by fire, water, suffocation, and various weapons. Detailed descriptions of the forensics process are always put into historical context, with brief, gripping summaries of many famous cases and historical events, including the assassination of JFK, the discovery of diaries attributed to Hitler, the crimes of such serial killers as Ted Bundy, individual high-profile murders, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The durable, glossy pages contain eye-catching color photos of criminals, crime scenes, and lab work, as well as occasional gruesome shots of victims. Whether moved by morbid curiosity or by Owen's command of his topic, both middle- and high-school readers will find this book an exciting, enlightening read. A lengthy glossary is appended. Roger Leslie
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; First Printing edition (October 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155297619X
• ISBN-13: 978-1552976197
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #317,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Presentation, June 19, 2004

By	M. Moffatt (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an easy read for those wanting an introduction to forensics. All the basics are covered: scene investigation, identification, poisons, weapons, fingerprints, ballistics, blood, DNA, etc. Accompanying each subject are a couple of case studies that explain how that particular subject was used to solve a crime. Many of the crimes are well-known and the well-read student of crime will already have a knowledge of them, but there's also lesser-known crimes covered.

What makes this book really stand out is the presentation: the layout is suburb with hundreds of photos and illustrations. For a crash course in forensics this book is ideal.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 3, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

For those interested in how forensic science works, then POLICE LAB is a must-read.

Author David Owen presents a great beginning presentation into how forensic science works in regards to ballistics, DNA processing, fingerprint evidence, bite marks, tire imprints, and even handwriting analysis -- and how they can be used to figure out the person who has committed a crime. Using more than twenty true-life cases, from the death of INXS rocker Michal Hutchence to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, Mr. Owen takes us inside the science that helped cracked the case.

Although there are other books that delve deeper into the actual workings of the science behind the science, this is a great starting point for teens interested in the forensic field. Be warned, though -- the book includes several full-color photographs of actual dead bodies, which might not be suitable for everyone. On the other hand, if you're planning on a career in the field of forensic science, you might do well to get used to such things now!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"