Title: Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime

Author: Val McDermid

Publisher: HighBridge Company

Publication Date: July 2015

Genre: Non-Fiction/Science

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Synopsis can be found here.

I bought this book for review.

 

Review:

 

Do you want equal parts intriguing, fascinating, scary and gross? Look no further because I found the perfect non-fiction book for you.

Forensics is deep look at the current forensics world that we live in, everything from blood and DNA to fingerprinting and fire. McDermid does a fantastic job explaining and overall view of the specialists she interviewed, giving the reader a more clear understanding of the challenges and obstacles they face on a day to day basis. (CSI effect anyone?)

At the same time, the book is heart pounding and tragic. Peppered with true crime stories in each of the chapters, I felt mesmerized on my ride home, afraid to turn off the car stereo or get out of my car. The world is a dangerous place, I know and while many of McDermid’s cases she cites are solved, the grizzly brutality of them still lurked in my mind well after the story was done. This book gives a well rounded and general view of these special sciences and supplies a lot of grisly details to true crime support.

I was glued to my seat, and totally uncomfortable.

If you’re into true crime or love CSI, this is the book for you. It’s a stunning window into a world that I knew little about (except from what I saw on CSI and let’s be honest, that isn’t real).
I’m interested in reading McDermid’s fiction books as she is first, a very talented and popular mystery/crime writer. But I’m afraid I’ll start those books during the day with my husband nearby.