Crime Scene

by Esther Mckay

Day after day my life was consumed by killings, distress and gruesome sites, each one adding another piece to an ever-growing mosaic that seemed to be made up of bloodied disposable gloves, plastic bags and human waste. . ."When Esther McKay, an idealistic young constable with the NSW police, entered the tough, male-dominated world of forensic investigation, she was determined to hold her own. She soon found herself at deeply confronting crime scenes, often working alone and without supervision. After years of long, lonely, exhausting days and nights, and following a particularly harrowing high-profile case involving the disappearance of two young boys, Esther had a break-down and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. This is Esther's story. Powerful, moving and unforgettable, Crime Scene takes us inside the life of a forensic investigator, and reveals as never before the extraordinary demands and dangers of forensic work.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2006

Reviews

[Teegan James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastically written! An entirely open and truthful look into the works of a forensic officer and the effects of such a gruesome and emotional job. Not for those with a weak stomach, but a really interesting and eye-opening book

[EA · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn’t feel quite right to put a star rating against an individual’s personal experiences, particularly this kind of subject matter, however in saying that this book is deserving of no less than 5 stars.

As civilians I don’t think we can even scrape the surface of understanding what police officers experience on a daily basis, particularly those in Esther’s role. I would first like to commend her for telling this story. It is remarkable and painful and hard to read at some points, but overall I admire her strength.

Technically, this book was extremely well written. The language was simple and to the point, making it easy to read and her descriptions of each scene, and her experiences with PTSD afterwards are vivid and illustrative without being gory (however I would place a massive trigger warning on this book for violence and death and suicide).

In regard to the content I found myself in awe and respect of Esther and her colleagues. It is difficult to fathom how they (and police officers to this day) are able to handle this kind of work, from what they have to see, to the long hours, to the lack of support. Her candour was was both unexpected, needed, refreshing and respected and I only hope that literature such as this will further the improvement of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health within the police force and similar institutions. I know that Esther is continuing this work today and for that I am thankful.

[Sandy Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not a book to read while you are eating! The story was extremely interesting and had so much information on the early days of forensic investigations. However, it is also a book that will make you feel squeamish at times as no detail is left out.
Some cases are so detailed that I’m sure I wouldn’t want to know the facts if it was my family member, especially the boys in the bridge. Hopefully, they know the facts from the coroner and don’t read it in this book.
Esther McKay needs to be commended for the job she started in her early twenties that most people would think they were in a nightmare. Well done Esther for putting the book out there and showing the world what happens after an accident, suicide or murder.

[Wombat · Rating 4 out of 5]

You just want to give her a hug after reading this. Being a police officer is a hard enough job, being a crime scene investigator is something else. Esther McKay delivers an honest retelling of her life on the force and her subsequent battles with mental health.

[Julie Kellner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting on the forensics of crime

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit slow for me at the start but I was hooked by half way through, particularly because it was dealing with accidents and crimes that I remembered well, particularly the two north coast NSW bus accidents, the Newcastle earthquake and the tragedy involving two missing boys at Pheasant's Nest Bridge.
But the thing I will always remember about this book is how impossible it was made for this woman to succeed long term in the NSW Police Force. Rampant sexism by the male police majority, lack of appropriate training and outright law-breaking by members included driving across a railway crossing in front of a speeding freight train when in no particular hurry and knowingly corrupting a crime seen just 'so we can have a sticky' at bodies in a gruesome case. Appalling stuff that made me glad never to have been involved with working inside the police system.

[Casey Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing and interesting stories from a side many of us don’t get to witness - however, I can confidently say that I am in no way cut up for any type of police work - a couple of parts I had to skip because they made me feel extremely sad and sickly.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book - some parts are hard to read but gives a great insight into what police and detectives are dealing with.

[Elisa Kay]

A great book for those who like forensic science. You will need a strong stomach though.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Day after day my life was consumed by killings, distress and gruesome sites, each one adding another piece to an ever-growing mosaic that seemed to be made up of bloodied disposable gloves, plastic bags and human waste. . ."

I don't think there's any way that Esther McKay could describe her life as a forensic crime investigator in terms that would make it comfortable reading for anybody. Which means it's no surprise whatsoever that this book is confrontational, difficult and frequently disturbing, just as the job must have been.

McKay has a way of telling the stories that gives the reader more than enough of a feeling for the more gruesome aspects of the crime scenes that she experienced, giving you just enough of the facts to make it obvious how horrendous that work must be, drawing out the personal affect of dealing with not just the nature of the job, but the ridiculous amounts of stress, overtime and pressure involved.

Not an easy read, and I couldn't help but hope that family members of the people caught up in the cases discussed were avoiding this book like the plague, but for the rest of us, this is a real job that somebody does. You have to hope that education and training levels have improved, you've also got to hope that support and staffing is considerably better than it was when McKay worked in the job, but regardless it's still a dreadful job for anybody to have to do.

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having lived with neighbours in the UK who both worked as police detectives in specialty crime scene areas, I thought I understood a little of the trauma and stress many of our police live with on a daily basis. Television shows like CSI etc let us think that we can somehow know of the gruesome scenes of dead bodies and forensics.

Anyone who thinks this should read the author's detailed account of coming face to face with real dead bodies. This is the high-pressured world of a 1980's - 1990's NSW forensics police woman in a less-than supported role. Gory details, even the smells and PST symptoms will live with you long after reading this account.

The author breaks back into police-speak on occasion, and some passages could have done with some heavier editing (IMHO) and after a lot of chapters detailing some of NSW's infamous crime cases, the book drops into a very quick ending, abbreviating the struggles for recognition of the trauma and stress caused by the police working conditions. For these reasons I'm giving the 3/5 rating, but would also suggest the book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the true crime world and it's repercussions, even outside of a victim's family.

[The Bookshop Umina]

Esther came to talk at out recent Literary Dinner and was a wonderful speaker - full of stories and also compassion for what others have been through. This was her first book and it has given mea whole new appreciation of the difficulties faced by young cops, especially those who branched into forensics when it was still a new field.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Crime Scene' was a book that I couldn't put down! An amazing insight into the work of police, especially forensic work and that of the barriers to women in the police force. It made me realise exactly how tough the job is and how little credit and reward they get for such a challenging. and at times, distressing job. Highly recommended!

[Mark Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Mara Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting. Couldn't put it down. A must read

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not usually the type of book I like but an amazing true story. Enjoyed it more as it takes place in the area I am living in and the familiarity adds to it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really gives you a realistic insight into the Australian police force and shows how much the officers go through and get affected by what they do everyday.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this book, though it was gruesome in some parts (not to read while eating), I really thought that Esther was courageous for doing what she did.