"Val McDermid is one of the finest crime writers we have, whose novels have captivated millions of readers worldwide with their riveting narratives of characters who solve complex crimes and confront unimaginable evil. In the course of researching her bestselling novels McDermid has become familiar with every branch of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science, real-world murders and the people who must solve them. The dead talk to us. They can tell us where they came from, how they lived, how they died, and, of course, who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help serve justice using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces. McDermid discovers how maggots from a corpse can help determine time of death; how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer; and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist were able to uncover the victims of a genocide. McDermid traces the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day. Val McDermid is the author of The Skeleton Road and twenty-eight previous novels, three story collections, and the non-fiction book A Suitable Job for a Woman, an inside look at female private investigators. She lives in Scotland."--Provided by publisher.

The crime scene -- Fire scene investigation -- Entomology -- Pathology -- Toxicology -- Fingerprinting -- Blood spatter and DNA -- Anthropology -- Facial reconstruction -- Digital forensics -- Forensic psychology -- The courtroom.