Written On The Skin

In a close examination of an assault victim's body, a forensic physician can "read" the terrible alphabet that fists and weapons have written across it. A crime scene investigator notes the tiny indentations on the fragments of a tin can identified at a bomb site, enabling him to find the can opener that made them – and the bomb-maker who used it. A forensic dentist identifies the thief who dropped some chewing gum, with his teeth marks in it, during a burglary.

Liz Porter's riveting case book shows how forensic investigators – including pathologists, chemists, entomologists, DNA specialists and document examiners – have used their expertise in dozens of fascinating crimes and mysteries.