Hidden Evidence: Forty True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped Solve Them - Softcover

Owen, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1552094839 ISBN 13: 9781552094839

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2000

Synopsis

Hidden Evidence takes you to the scenes of 40 infamous crimes and into the heart of the forensic investigations. These are the true crime shockers that have grabbed headlines and aroused public passions. David Owen explains the scientific procedures that helped crack every one of these cases -- from the gathering of elusive physical clues to the examination of weapons and bodies, to the use of sophisticated scientific analysis.

Threaded throughout the book is the history of forensic science and the technologies that support it, including:
fingerprinting, autopsies, handwriting analysis, ballistics, hair sampling, blood typing, DNA testing, dental records, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, compound and electron microscopes, and toxicology.

The high-profile cases David Owen used to illustrate forensic developments are from as early as 1775, when Paul Revere used dentures to identify a slain soldier, to the latest developments in the Oklahoma bombing. Most will be familiar to readers, such as: The Lindbergh Kidnapping, Pan Am Flight 103, The Kennedy Investigation, The Hitler Diaries, Wayne Williams, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey MacDonald, Dr. Josef Mengele, Robert Maxwell's suicide, Tsar Nicholas II, and The World Trade Center bombing.

David Owen presents the facts, steering clear of speculation. Comprehensive in scope, thoroughly researched and expertly compiled, Hidden Evidence is, in the words of former Los Angeles County Coroner Thomas T. Noguchi, "a fascinating book ... [and] an excellent mini-encyclopedia of widely discussed, high-profile cases."

About this title

About the Author:

David Owen, a graduate in engineering, moved from the aerospace industry into scientific writing and journalism. His works include publications on military deception and air accident investigations plus radio and television documentaries on electronic intelligence and computer crime.

Thomas T. Noguchi, M.D. was Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles, where he was involved in the investigations of the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Sharon Tate and Janis Joplin. He is Professor Emeritus of Forensic Pathology at the University of Southern California.

Kathy Reichs is author of the best-selling murder mysteries "Déjà Dead" and Death du Jour. She is forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaries et de Médecine légale, Québec. She is also on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences

Review:

The book is a treat for the eyes and the mind. Reading the book doesn't feel like you're learning, it feels like you're watching the Discovery Channel. Your students will thank you for this treat. (Enrico Pelazzo The Forensic Teacher)

More than 420 photos (many in color) enhance the text, retired L.A. coroner Thomas Noguchi and mystery writer Kathy Reichs vouch for the book in two short introductions. (Publishers Weekly 2000-07-17)

The writing is lively but succinct, complete without being morbid. The illustrations and photos complement the text and go a long way in explaining sophisticated techniques ... Highly recommended for public libraries. (Christine Moesch Library Journal 2000-10-01)

This is fascinating reading for a range of readers from forensic scientists to professional and amateur sleuths, but the graphics are not for the squeamish. (Vanessa Bush Booklist 2000-09-01)

This work is the perfect nonfiction booktalking book -- attractive layout, intriguing subject, and truly gruesome pictures. This book is not for the faint of heart, but most teens will be fascinated by its combination of scientific fact and voyeurism. (Sarah Flowers VOYA [Voice of Youth Advocates] 2001-02-01)

Every page is peppered with photos, mostly in color, coupled with synopses of case histories that are illustrative of the various forensic sciences ... This is a monumental work. (Elwyn Loomis Science Books and Films 2001-02-01)

A thought-provoking look at the role of forensic science in criminal investigations. (Forecast 2000-08-01)

Morbidly compelling ... an engaging, if sometimes creepy, read. (Lee Bacchus Vancouver Province 2000-09-03)

Deaths by drowning, asphyxiation, burning, poison, gunshots, blunt instruments and stabbing are treated in fascinating, if sometimes gruesome, detail. (Robert Armstrong Minneapolis Star Tribune 2000-09-03)

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1552094839
• ISBN 13: 9781552094839
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240