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As the title suggest, the book is the true account of the activities of medical pathologist Dr. Simeon and his secretary Molly Lefebure (who is also the author of the book) ,during the Second World War . The book describes several murder investigations during this time and it is interesting to see who ordinary crime did not stop simply because there was a war on. 

 Overall the book gives the reader a fascinating insight into forensics during WWII in England and is a definitely a must read for these with a interest forensics from this period.
  
Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime
Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime
Val McDermid | 2015 | Biography, Crime
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Psychology (5 more)
Crime
Patterns
Clear chapters
Educational
Photos
Extremely interesting
Took this book on holiday with me and could not put it down! Managed to read it very quickly. So interesting to learn about forensics and pathology! Behind the scenes of crimes that ordinary people would not realise. Read about interesting cases as the forensic/pathology/psychological/detective work that goes into solving such crimes. Fascinating! Clear chapters also. Including some pictures!
  
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Lynne (18 KP) rated Mindhunter - Season 1 in TV

Jan 23, 2020  
Mindhunter - Season 1
Mindhunter - Season 1
2017 | Crime
There is so much out there on this stuff I was reluctant to watch. Now I'm hooked! Not for people who are offended by language and pretty graphic descriptions of violent crimes. I like how they delve into the personal lives of each task force member to see how listening to these serial killers is so emotionally draining and seriously affecting their relationships. Fascinating look into how profiling and forensics have evolved since the 70's.
  
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Lowri Catryn (229 KP) Jan 23, 2020

I enjoyed this series but it's not as good as the book! Was quite taken aback by the difference between them actually, but nonetheless, the psychology was incredible, especially when concentrating on Holden Ford. Would definitely recommend the book though, you get to enjoy the difference cases in more detail

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Lynne (18 KP) Jan 24, 2020

I've found the book is usually better in most cases! I'll definitely check it out :)

The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme, #1)
The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme, #1)
Jeffery Deaver | 1997 | Fiction & Poetry
2
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
I remember when I was at university, I had an English tutor who stated that he though crime fiction was the best kind of fiction there is. At the time I didn't agree with him. I still don't.

Indeed, I think that if he had read this book he would have changed his own tune: this is needlessly graphic, uncomfortable and plodding, with crime scene forensics being the main 'draw' (if I can even use such a word about this) to any potential reader.

In short: one to avoid.
  
See What I Have Done
See What I Have Done
Sarah Schmidt | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
6.6 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
The infamous Lizzie Borden was the woman the public (but not a jury) believed murdered her father and stepmother with an axe. Since the science of forensics at the time was primitive at best, they found neither proof of Lizzie's guilt or any other suspects. That means we will never know the whole truth. Sarah Schmidt has her own ideas about Lizzie Borden, her family and the murders, all of which she put into her debut novel "See What I Have Done." Read my review of this fascinating book here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/06/10/the-clock-on-the-mantle-ticked-ticked/
  
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000 | Crime
9
8.4 (31 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Hugely entertaining, with a bit of artistic license
I’ve just started watching the original series of CSI again from the start, and like the many times I’ve seen it before, I absolutely love it. From the opening title sequence set to The Who’s ‘Who Are You’ and the numerous sweeping panoramas of the bright lights of Vegas, CSI for me was always one of the better crime shows out there. And instead of focusing on dashing detectives, for a change it instead chooses to look at the science behind the crimes. It has engaging and well developed characters, and even the less prominent lab characters are more than just two dimensional extras, even developing into some of the main stars in later series. The crimes are a little bit bonkers, filled with equal parts of blood and gore and humour, and there are some very thrilling multi-episode serial killers thrown in across the many seasons.

It is a little bit far fetched, but you’d be bored if it actual stuck to reality. The forensics are very advanced and not entirely realistic (I studied forensics at uni, not quite as flashy as it appears on screen), but again, it’s nothing more than a bit of artistic license. My only criticism is that I mich preferred this series with the original cast. It was never quite the same after Grissom left.
  
BF
Blood from Stone (Retrievers, #6)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It feels like a spoiler, but since Gilman says this at the front of the book, I suppose it isn't: <i>Blood From Stone</i> is the last Retrievers novel, at least for a time. She's moving on to focus on other characters in the Cosa Nostradamus universe. I wasn't happy to read that, but after reading the book, I'm okay with it.

<i>Blood From Stone</i> definitely isn't a book to start with if you're new to Gilman's work. The Retrievers series really does need to be read sequentially. If you have read the rest, you know that Gilman has developed a very interesting universe and some very well-developed characters in the series. Book 6 doesn't disappoint at all, and brings the major plot threads to a very satisfactory close. I can't be more specific without real spoilers, though!

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel in the universe, which will focus on Bonnie and the PUPIs (Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigators). I adore <i>CSI</i>, <i>Bones</i>, <i>NCIS</i> and the like, so I'm curious as to how forensics will work in urban fantasy settings. Jes Battis' <i>A Flash of Hex</i> is supposed to be waiting for me at the library, so by the time I get to <i>Hard Magic</i> I'll have something else to compare it to.
  
Fascinating
I don’t often choose to read non-fiction books, I’m not entirely sure why except for the fact that I prefer escaping the real world. However there are some real life topics that really grab me, and forensic pathology is definitely one of those areas.

This book is truly a fascinating read. It’s an interesting mixture detailing Richard Shepherd’s personal life and the many cases he’s had involvement in over the years. It balances these two aspects very well, and I found I was as interested in his personal life as I was in the cases. It is the cases though that take precedence in this book and Shepherd really has left no stone unturned. There is an immense amount of detail in this about the deaths, bodies, medical terms and outcomes of the cases, and by the end of the book you feel completely satisfied that nothing has been missed.

Shepherd has had a truly impressive career, spanning a number of decades and quite a lot of high profile cases and inquests; Stephen Lawrence, Princess Diana, 9/11, 7/7, Derrick Bird, Harold Shipman. His involvement in all of these cases is impressive and with some, I’ve learnt a fair amount that I’d never known previously (i.e. Diana’s cause of death and the pathology side of 9/11). Shepherd is obviously a very knowledgeable and respected pathologist and it shows from his experience and his writing.

I may be biased as forensics, crime and pathology have always been an interest of mine (I did my dissertation at university on alternatives to traditional post-mortems), but this book is engaging, intriguing and beyond fascinating. I’d liken it to This is Going to Hurt by Adam McKay, obviously this is a lot more serious without the funny anecdotes but if you enjoyed the medical side then you’d probably enjoy this too.
  
Show all 3 comments.
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Sarah (7798 KP) Oct 18, 2020

Ooh thank you, I've never even heard of it so I'll give it a go 🙂

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AJaneClark (3975 KP) Oct 18, 2020

I have been reading a lot of this style of book, and stumbled across Corrupt Bodies in the Works. Definitely an eye opener

Hunting Prince Dracula
Hunting Prince Dracula
Kerri Maniscalco | 2017 | Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.9 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hunting Prince Dracula is the second book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, which is a fantastic Victorian-era forensics mystery that takes its readers on a harrowing journey with its main characters. In Hunting, Audrey Rose and Thomas travel to Romania to study at one of Europe's foremost schools on forensic science. Although they expected to examine cadavers, they never thought the bodies would belong to victims of a killer in the midst of their spree.

I found the plot of Hunting Prince Dracula to be more enjoyable than its predecessor, Stalking Jack the Ripper. There was a new cast of supporting characters which brought a depth to the storyline that wasn't as prevalent previously. There were more characters that had been introduced and developed that you formed bonds with or questioned their intentions - could they be the killer or the next victim?

By far my favourite aspect of the series was the Holmes/Watson-esque relationship between Thomas and Audrey Rose. Thomas' quips and barbs were the most enjoyable parts of the book, despite his sometimes rakish manner. He was my favourite character in both the first and second book. It was nice to see his emotional development over the course of the novel as he had previously been hiding that aspect of himself.

Audrey Rose continues to monologue incessantly in her head, both chastizing herself profusely for her feelings and reliving the events of Stalking Jack the Ripper. It is clear that she is suffering from a traumatic event, but is unable to determine how to deal with it. It was interesting to see her attempting to cope, yet sometimes falling prey to fits of her imagination as she was unable to process the events completely. Stalking pushed Audrey Rose in ways that she was not equipped to deal with and her struggle throughout the book feels authentic.

I felt that the mystery was very well done and the culprit wasn't obvious from the first few pages, rather you questioned everything up until the very end. Our heroes conclude the story with the news that they will be traveling once more and Escaping from Houdini in the third book in this series.
  
Black-Eyed Susans
Black-Eyed Susans
Julia Heaberlin | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
When she was sixteeen, young Tessa "Tessie" Cartwright was found, hanging on to life, in a field of Black-Eyed Susans. The other girls "dumped" with Tessa did not survive (in fact, some were just bones), and Tessa is doomed to live her life as the surviving "Black-Eyed Susan" in the press. Justifiably, the event haunts her life and her nightmares. Further, she is tormented by the fact that her testimony about what happened helped put the suspect, Terrell, on death row.

Now, a grown woman and mother, Tessa is working with the Terrell's legal team to exonerate him. This includes a forensic scientist (the forensics in the book are detailed and excellent). Her main reason? It seems wherever she lives, a patch of Black-Eyed-Susans follows, forcing her to live in fear, and to wonder if the sentenced killer truly is guilty. But if he isn't, are Tessa and her daughter safe? Why can't she remember what happened nearly 20 years ago? Tessa fears she is going insane, but also can't live with herself if she doesn't try to find out what happened so long ago.

This was a wonderful book; the subject matter is frightening, but the book itself was a captivating page-turner. The mystery is extremely well-plotted and riveting. Even when I was pretty sure I had things figured out, I was rapidly turning pages, still guessing and eagerly awaiting to find out what had happened to Tessa (and the other "Susans," as she calls them) back then. The book flips between present-day Tessa's point of view and to "Tessie," as a younger Tessa was known, talking about events leading up to and right after Terrell's trial. It's a suspenseful plot device that works well here; I was up late turning pages, desperate to know what happened.

Tessa is a well-formed character, even with her angst and anxieties resulting from her horrific past. Her supporting cast - her daughter, Terrell's lead lawyer, the forensic scientist, a quirky neighbor, her best friend from her youth - are all well-done, too. At times, the book is confusing due to Tessa's unreliable narration; she is suffering from memory loss and anxiety, after all, but it only adds to the book's suspense and intrigue. Perhaps the only thing I can find to complain about is that the ending is a bit too pat: it pops up suddenly to resolve things, but there's still a door left open, and it does nothing to diminish how enjoyable the book and the story is. Overall, an excellent thriller and a worthy read.