It's no secret that I enjoy the CSI shows ... I am fascinated by the science behind the investigations. Here's a nice history of how they do what they do: Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime, by Val McDermid. Very interesting!

I will admit, right up front, I did not read Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species, by Laurel A. Neme all the way through. While I am glad there is such a lab, and skilled people working there, it was just too grisly for me. It's tragic that animals are killed for just small bits of their bodies, that for various reasons, are considered valuable. I did want to mention it though, as some of you might be interested. :-)

This was one of those 'wow!' books for me. While I did know that a lot can be learned by looking at a forest, I sure never knew just how much! Forest Forensics: a Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape, by Tom Wessels is a training manual of sorts with detailed descriptions of what to look for, and then pictures where you look for those things. I spent an afternoon flipping back and forth here, it just sort of sucks you in!

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases, by E.J. Wagner is a wonderful combination of the history of forensics and how various methods were used by Arthur Conan Doyle. Part fiction (from the stories), part fact (actual cases from Victorian England and forward), it explains how the bad guys were caught (most of the time).

Reading Hermit With Dog