How to solve a crime : real cases from the cutting edge of forensics

Gallop, Angela (author.). Smith, Jane, 1954- (author.).

Summary: Forensic science is one of the most important aspects of any criminal investigation. It can allow the authorities to do everything from positively identify a suspect in a crime to determine exactly when and how a crime occurred. Professor Angela Gallop has been at the forefront of forensics for over 45 years. During her remarkable career, she has worked on hundreds of cases from the seemingly unsolvable to outright bizarre and is often essential in finding the crucial piece of evidence to help solve them. In How to Solve a Crime, Gallop takes readers behind the police tape and into the heart of the crime scene. From being bemused by mediums to helping identify the man who stabbed George Harrison, the crimes in this book offer a real insight into the mind of a forensic scientists. With unparalleled access and insight, Gallop explains what forensic scientists look for in a crime scene and how crimes are really solved.

Record details

ISBN: 9781529331356
ISBN: 9781529331349
Physical Description: x, 260 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
regular print
Publisher: London : Hodder & Stoughton, 2022.
Copyright: ©2022

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction -- What insects can tell us about crime -- No body, no crime? -- Blood: patterns and trails -- Human prints and marks -- Other marks and trails -- DNA profiling -- Hair -- Cold cases -- The importance of independent checks -- Crimes against children -- Water -- Glass and paint -- Knives and firearms -- CCTV and other digital evidence -- Forgery and fraud -- Presenting evidence in court -- Knots, ropes and cordage -- Never assume -- Fetishes -- Poisoning and toxicology -- Quality control and contamination -- Returning to the scene of a crime -- Serial offenders -- Textile fibres -- Plant material -- Unsolved cases -- Worrying verdicts -- What's next?