The Complete Idiot's Guide to Criminal Investigation

Since the O. J. Simpson murder case in the mid-1990s and the many instances of DNA evidence ultimately releasing people convicted unjustly of crimes, there has been a fascination with not only "true crime" per se but many other aspects of criminal investigation--processing crime scenes, fingerprints, blood spatters, expert witnesses--and the list goes on. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Criminal Investigation is the perfect entry point for anyone who has ever been fascinated by crime, criminals, and the ways they are investigated and studied. The book has the benefit of both a terrific writer and an expert who can offer wonderful insights into criminal investigation from his many years as a professional. And because the book covers methods of investigation other than the forensic sciences, it gives a better-rounded picture of the subject than competing titles.

Alan Axelrod has written widely in the areas of trade reference, popular history, biography, and business. He is the author or co-author of eight previous Complete Idiot's Guides® and is the co-author of Cops, Crooks, and Criminologists: A Biographical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. He has served as consultant to numerous museums and cultural institutions, television documentaries, and is historical consultant for The Discovery Channel.

Guy Antinozzi is a practicing law enforcement professional. Trained as a lawyer (J.D., Emory University), he is special investigator in the Solicitor General's Office of Dekalb County, in metro Atlanta. His office processes about 16,000 investigations every year. A veteran police officer and criminal investigator, he also teaches in the field.