When Objects Talk: Solving a Crime With Science

by Mark P. Friedlander, Terry M. Phillips

Looks at criminal investigation and the use of forensic science to gather clues and apprehend criminals.

120 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Michelle M]

Do you want to know how a day as a forensic scientist looks? The book called When Objects Talk by Mark P. Friedlander Jr. and Terry M. is a excellent nonfiction book. The book does a great job of informing the reader what a forensic scientists would do when they have a crime to be solved. In each chapter there's a different topic. Something interesting or new about this book is that the author includes conversation between a forensic scientist and a FBI agent, so it gives you an idea on how they communicate to be able to catch the cause of dead and perhaps the murder. I would recommend this book to people that want to know how a day as a forensic scientist would look like and what they do when it comes to a crime in steps. It would be good for anyone interested in forensic science.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Though I did find parts informative, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It felt like reading a grade school textbook on forensics, complete with vocabulary words in bold and a contrived storyline dropped in at the beginning and end of chapters. Anything you can learn from this book you can learn from many others without feeling like the authors are talking down to their audience. It's also overambitious in its attempt to describe different forensic methods. For instance, if you don't know what DNA is, it's going to be hard to grasp their quickie description of it, and if you do, that's two pages you don't have to read. They even feel the need to specify that a miner's hat is one that includes a light on the front.

In short: the book is thorough but overly simplistic. If you're interested in forensic science, you'd be best served elsewhere.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really detailed and I enjoyed reading about what happens when the police, detectives, and forensic scientists are called in to solve a crime.
These specialists use tools and scientific processes to solve crimes. The book looks at procedures like bloodstain patterns and their interpretations, blood testing, fingerprinting, DNA tests, autopsies, and anthropology, and even more.
When Objects Talk follows the murder of Ann Marlboro and Detectives Sullivan and Vasquez.

[Salsabrarian]

To illustrate what a forensic scientist does, the case of a paint company accountant's murder is first presented. As the investigation progresses, the authors parallel what is happening with descriptions of the role forensic scientists play, procedures, what they look for in the clues, who they work in tandem with. Specifics include DNA testing, bloodstain interpretation, fingerprinting, ballistics, autopsies and forensic anthropology.

[Lukas_shredder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting. It taught me a ton about how police and detectives investigate crime scenes.