Catching the Killers: A History of Crime Detection

by James Morton

Drawing on never-before-seen archival material as well as interviews with experts and ex-cons, Catching the Killers delves deep into the world of criminals and their adversaries—the forces of criminal detection. A companion to a major BBC documentary series, James Morton’s masterly text takes us through all the major developments in modern criminal offender profiling, informants and surveillance, forensic pathology, ballistics, fingerprinting, serology, and DNA sampling. Each chapter explores a different method, and by reenacting seminal cases in minute detail, Morton uncovers the secrets of detectives and scientists as they develop these key weapons in the crime-fighting arsenal. From Scotland Yard’s Ghost Squad to the Unabomber, the Beast of Blackburn to Donnie Brasco, Catching the Killers reveals the brilliant detective work behind these and many other seemingly unsolvable crimes.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001