The Mammoth Book of Murder and Science

by Roger Wilkes (Editor)

A compelling true-crime collection of infamous murder cases cracked by forensic know-how. In the tradition of the popular top-sellers The Mammoth Book of True Crime and The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crime, this volume offers an absorbing anthology of thirty actual murder cases in which forensic evidence ensured criminal justice - from the blood evidence in the murder trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard, the case that inspired the TV series The Fugitive, to the bite marks on the daughter of Lindy Chamberlain, the Australian woman who claimed her child had been abducted by a dingo, to the handwriting that convicted Texas attorney Albert T. Patrick of a millionaire businessman's murder.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kristi Drouin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is an anthology of various murder cases and how the ground-breaking forensics of the time was used to solve them. Each case was written by someone who either followed the case as it broke (in the case of a few of them, by the officers who investigated) or journalists reporting on the trial.

There are a wide range of writing styles as the cases date from the 1800s to the 1970s, and all are from the US or UK. It was interesting to see how not only how investigations have changed over the years, but also the way science has pushed the boundaries of what is capable of being investigated.

[Viji (Bookish endeavors) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of infamous crimes involving forensics. The cases are described by various persons,many of which are true-crime writers. It might seem dull sometimes depending on the ability of the writer,but the fact that all these happened for real is compelling in itself. Not too analytical,these are just brief descriptions ranging from ten to thirty or forty pages per case. A handy reference for those interested in forensics and criminology.

[Betty Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was very good if you are in to murder books

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of crime and murder cases and the science that solved them (or didn't). Also interesting for the history backing up the current CSI type dramas.

The stories are written by journalists and historians, and the variation of styles and voices is worth noting.

Purchased used from Chronicles of Crime in Victoria.

[Kjsbreda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an informative collection of contemporary reporting of famous criminal cases where forensic science was used to either identify the murder or prove time or manner of death. The quality of the writing and editing is uneven. Many of the chapters are abridged newspaper reports, abridged journal articles and book excerpts, with the unfortunate result that some of the chapters leave the reader with the sense that a lot of key information was omitted. There was one article where there was virtually no description of the CSI involved in the case and no indication of the results of the investigation and trial. The book does, however, contain a detailed bibliography for further research into the cases discussed.